Wesleyan formally dedicated its newest synthetic turf field to the south of the Freeman Athletic Center inside Andersen Track on Sat., Nov. 22, 2014, naming it Citrin Field, in honor of the Citrin family. Jim Citrin P'12, P'14 spoke on behalf of the Citrin family with President Michael Roth and Athletics Director Mike Whalen '83 in attendance. Teddy Citrin '12 was a high-scoring, four-year letterman in men's lacrosse, racking up 76 goals and 13 assists for 89 scoring points while helping the Cardinals post a record of 42-23 from 2009-12. Oliver Citrin '14 was an outstanding fan and men's lacrosse team photographer during his Wesleyan years.
Jim, Teddy, and Oliver all joined Wesleyan head men's lacrosse coach John Raba and members of the 2015 team during the festivities. Citrin Field, opened for use during the fall of 2013, is a lighted field used for football, men's and women's soccer, and men's lacrosse activity, situated inside Andersen Track. It is Wesleyan's second artificial surface field, joining Smith Field, which opened in 2006. Citrin Field features a Momentum 51 field turf surface from Shaw Sports Turf.
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With an official ceremony Saturday, April 29, 2006, including a ribbon-cutting by head men's lacrosse coach John Raba, Wesleyan opened its new artificial turf field. Then, on Saturday, October 21, 2006, during Wesleyan's Homecoming/Family Weekend festivities, the field received its name - Smith Field, in honor of major benefactor Warren "Renney" Smith '78 and his wife, Tiina. Located in the Long Lane property acquired by Wesleyan from the State of Connecticut several years earlier, the turf field had been under construction since the fall of 2005 and made its varsity debut when the field hockey team hosted Babson College Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006. The turf field is lined for lacrosse, field hockey, and soccer, and is used mainly for women's lacrosse during the spring and field hockey during the fall. Men's lacrosse had played a number of its early-season games on the turf before the opening of Citrin Field, and both soccer teams play on the turf during inclement weather situations or at night under the lights.
Planning for the field began around 2004. The project was completely funded by gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of Wesleyan athletics. Over $1 million had been raised at the time of completion with another $300,000 later raised to support lights, bleachers, a scoreboard, and protective netting.
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Built in 1990, the $22-million Freeman Athletic Center was originally composed of the 60,000-square-foot Bacon Fieldhouse, the Wesleyan Natatorium, the Wesleyan Arena and numerous support areas such as locker and team rooms, equipment rooms, athletic injury care room, fitness center and multi-purpose room. It also is surrounded by a number of outdoor playing facilities, including the Andersen Track. In January, 2005, a $13-million addition to the Center was completed, adding a 1,200-seat gymnasium for basketball and volleyball, a 7,500-square-foot fitness center with over 100 pieces of equipment and the Rosenbaum Squash Center to the structure. Additional support spaces also were part of the new construction. In November, 2004, the Wesleyan Arena was renamed the Spurrier-Snyder Rink.
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