Aug. 17, 2011
Photo Gallery -- Ken Kraft Wrestling Complex Mat Installation
EVANSTON, Ill. -- With the unofficial start of the 2011-12 season just weeks away, the Northwestern wrestling family spent Wednesday installing new, top-of-the-line mats in the Ken Kraft Wrestling Complex in Evanston. It was the latest step in head coach Drew Pariano's goal of maintaining NU's training facility as one of the best in the country.
"Our No. 1 priority when ordering new mats was the safety of our athletes, and we now have our mats doubled up in a way we didn't before," said Pariano, recently returned from leading the U.S. freestyle team to a championship at the Cadet Pan Am Championships in Campeche, Mexico. "Our space also allows for three full-size circles with at least five feet of out-of-bounds are around the training facility to ensure safety and a comfortable training environment."
Installing new mats so close to the start of the 2011-12 season also has an added benefit.
"With new mats, you have a tendency to sink down more than on an older mat, which is what you usually find with mats at the NCAA Championships," Pariano said. "That extra sink can tire you out more quickly if you aren't accustomed to it and now we have that exact same feel in our home training facility. You want your legs to be fresh for every match when you need to wrestle three or four times in one day."
Originally constructed with the renovation of Anderson Hall in 2004, the Ken Kraft Wrestling Complex also houses a spacious locker room and aerobic exercise equipment, as well as capabilities for film study. It is named for the former Northwestern wrestler, head coach and administrator who was a 1957 Big Ten champion before leading the 'Cats wrestling program for 22 years.
Northwestern begins its second season under the direction of Pariano on Saturday, Nov. 5 vs. Stanford.
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