STEELE SPORTS

This past week I was fortunate enough to meet Owatonna Public Schools’ (OPS) Director of Facilities, Infrastructure and Security, Bob Olson, at the new grounds of Owatonna High School, scheduled to open in the fall of 2023.

While driving to the new facilities, I thought back to my old high school days and wondered what similarities my old stomping grounds would have with the new high school.

Upon arriving at the site, my question was quickly answered: Nothing.

After throwing on my hard hat, glasses and high visibility vest, I was taken around the school along with co-worker, Kay Fate, for a tour that quite literally make my jaw drop.

As the “sports guy” I will spare you my ignorance when it comes to the intricacies of architecture and engineering, however, what truly caught my attention were the brand-new athletic facilities.

New to the school will be its updated football stadium, wrestling room, gymnasium, tennis courts and weight room, as well as a completely brand new softball field, two lower-level baseball fields and a practice facility for the ages.

While varsity baseball will remain at Dartts Park, it’s still safe to say that Olson and the OPS hit a home run with their designs.

The football team’s new home will be able to host an even larger crowd than years prior, and the gridiron will be straddled by another hidden gem: a nine-lane track.

According to Olson, the larger track was implemented in hopes that the high school would eventually host section and possibly state track meets sometime in the near future.

However, the track is not the only major improvement fans will notice in 2023.

The school plans to unveil a larger digital scoreboard, capable of producing live video and streams all over campus.

Outside of the football field, softball will have a new home featuring a partially artificial turf surface and elongated dugouts for extra storage.

Gone will be the days of spectators having to worry about home runs and foul balls hitting their parked cars.

Instead, athletes will have the opportunity to swing for the fences aiming toward the southern wall of the school.

Also new to the grounds is a massive practice facility that will prove equally as vital to the school’s teams as it will the community as a whole.

According to Olson, the practice facility – which features one field with regulation football goal posts – can play host to two-to-three softball and youth baseball fields, as well as lacrosse games.

In addition, the fields will use a state-of-the-art GPS painting machine that can decipher between soccer, baseball, softball and lacrosse to paint fields without the need for manpower.

On the inside, court sports will be the beneficiaries of more space and larger crowds as the new gymnasium can fit two courts and feature new walkways on the second story of the building.

On top of the added space, an overflow gym will also provide outdoor sports the opportunity to practice inside next to the gym if the weather outside does not cooperate.

With construction ongoing through the end of the year and into the next, Huskies fans will have to be patient to see the unveiling of their new home.

Yet, when all is said and done, I have a feeling it will be well worth the wait.