St. Viator completes phase 1 of Murphy Wellness Center renovation
Earlier this week, Saint Viator High School students received their first glimpse of the newly renovated Murphy Wellness Center.
The home for strength and conditioning training for student-athletes, as well as segments of the physical education curriculum at the Arlington Heights school, the facility is in the midst of a significant upgrade.
"We are pleased to have completed the first phase of this transformation of the Murphy Wellness Center," said Athletic Director Jason Kuffel. "It's great to have students back in the room, but we look forward to launching the next phase of the project soon."
The renovation included the installation of a new floor, new paint throughout, and all new weight racks, bars, plates, dumbbells, benches, and accessories. It was the first major overhaul of the facility in more than 15 years.
"Saint Viator can now lay claim to having one of the finest weight rooms in Illinois, and that includes at the collegiate level," said Ryan Mitchell of Life Fitness and Hammer Strength, who orchestrated the equipment selection and installation.
"From varsity athletes to PE students, this weight room will contribute to the overall wellness of every Saint Viator student."
Kuffel thanked the donors who made the upgrade possible, including the Murphy family and Nicholas & Associates.
"We now turn our attention to fundraising for Phase 2, 'Powering the Student Body'" Kuffel said. "While Phase 1 honored the tradition of athletic success at Saint Viator, phase 2 will allow us to focus on innovation."
The new technology being targeted includes the installation of Sparta Plates, TeamBuildr software, large monitors for Physical Education class, and electronic leaderboards for all programs.
Collectively, this new technology will help predict injury risk, track fitness status, establish prehab and rehab assignments, and validate the impact of training for individuals and teams.
"These new technologies will improve our ability to prevent injuries and build specific rehab programs when injuries do occur," Kuffel added. "With TeamBuildr and Sparta, every student can develop wellness programs and track progress, whether it is for a sport-specific goal or just general fitness in gym class."
The school hopes to raise the funds to initiate the Powering the Student Body campaign in the months ahead, beginning with the Million Dollar Classic golf outing June 7. The outing serves as the premier annual fundraising event for athletics at Saint Viator.