Press Release
Release Date: February 3, 2009
Contacts: Larry Walker, EvCC Athletic Director, 425-388-9328; lwalker@everettcc.edu
Pat Sisneros, Associate Vice President of Administration, 425-388-9026: psisneros@everettcc.edu
Everett Community College Celebrates
Final Games in 1958 Gym
EVERETT, WA – Everett Community College Trojans will play their final games in the college’s 1958 gym in February.
This summer, the college is scheduled to break ground on a new $24 million Health and Fitness Center off of Tower Street, near its main campus. The 49,000 square foot building will replace the college’s current gym and is scheduled to open in 2010.
“The new gym is like a new beginning for the whole athletic program,” said EvCC Athletic Director Larry Walker.
The college’s new Health and Fitness Center will be funded through a combination of existing college funds and student fees. Students approved paying 40 percent of the cost of the gym through a fee approved by a student vote in spring 2007. The architect for the gym is SRG Partnership, Inc. of Seattle.
While the gym is being built, classes and practices will be held in other locations.
There have been plenty of exciting games, but Walker’s greatest memories of the gym are the athletes, he said.
“There’s a story about every kid,” said Walker, who’s coached at EvCC since 1985 and served as athletic director for 16 years. Walker’s own three children grew up watching and playing games there. Walker now coaches basketball with his son, Darrell Walker.
Eight out of 10 athletes stay in the community after college, and many have gone on to coach local sports, he said.
Throughout the decades, athletes at EvCC have competed in baseball, basketball, boxing, cheerleading, cross country, diving, football, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball and more.
It is one of the only gymnasiums of its kind still around, with a dome ceiling and floating floor, constructed to have complete ventilation and circulation underneath and to be easy on knees and ankles. Coaches from other schools marvel at the gym and compare it to the one in the 1986 basketball movie “Hoosiers.”
Part of the floor will be salvaged for a wall covering in the new gym to preserve a part of EvCC’s history, Facilities Director Larry Price said.
The pool was condemned in 2002 because of a failing beam in the roof of the pool building. Heating and plumbing systems are outdated and expensive to run and maintain.
“When school’s out in June, we’re out of here,” Larry Walker said.
The men’s and women’s basketball teams play their final home games at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18 against Whatcom Community College and Wednesday, Feb. 25 against Peninsula College.
Graphic: Drawing of EvCC’s new Health and Fitness Center, courtesy of SRG Partnership, Inc. of Seattle
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