Students play different sports on the New Gym floor during fifth period on Aug. 18. The gladiator in the middle of the gym is now a “C”. “I would imagine, the other gym floors are in pretty good shape. So, really I have two floors now with coach Wade. The weight room is the weight room, it’s beat up,” physical education teacher and head varsity baseball coach Trey Henson said.
By CHRISTINA KURIAN – Staff Writer
After 15 years, Clarke Central High School refinished and repainted the New Gym’s floor.
The process to refurbish the New Gym’s floor began after last year’s academic year ended and the workers started patching the floor throughout the summer.
“Majority of the work was done over the summer. As far as taking it down and repainting and refinishing it, I want to say mid-July,” physical education teacher and head varsity baseball coach Trey Henson said.
The project took a couple weeks to complete, but the remodel is expected to last 15 years–as long as the previous floor.
“It gets worn down and it gets real slick. It just needed a little bit of a refresher. It had been the same for a long time,” Henson said.“You take pride in playing in a nice place and you take a little bit more responsibility when it comes to up neat and maintaining.
According to Henson, the remodel is a stylistic departure from the gym floor old design.
“It’s got a little bit of a different look. It’s a lighter wood. It looks cleaner. I mean, they didn’t replace the floor I think,” Henson said. “So, it looks brand new. I like the ‘C’ in the middle. The gladiator that was in the middle was there when they first opened the gym when I was in high school, so it’s been there a while.”
Although initially unaware of the change, junior Marco Newman has noticed the not only noticed the cosmetic changes to the gym, but also the physical improvements to the floor.
“In the old one, there may have been some structural problems with it with running and doing physical activities on it, kind of challenging. And I’d say it looks pretty good cause now that I just saw it,” Newman said. “I really enjoying running on it and I think it’s a complete change and our school has stepped up a whole another level because of it.”
