Welcome Aboard

It is an exciting time to be a member of the staff at Hardin-Simmons University. we have had some huge accomplishments over the last several years. As great as they have been, we are looking to even bigger and better things in the 2007-08 school year, which is right around the corner.

Congratulations to coach Shanna Briggs and the Cowgirls, who were named the top Division III team in GPA for the 2006-07 season. Only one team in the entire nation at all levels had a higher GPA than HSU, so what a great accomplishment for the team.

It will not be long before the fall sport teams show up for fall practice. The women's soccer team is set for a trip to Europe. Football will begin fall practices on August 13 in preparation for its opener on September 1 against UW-LaCrosse.

For those of you outside of Abilene, it has been a crazy year for weather in the Big Country. We have had an unusual amount of rain and believe it or not on August 8th it is hard to find a brown patch of grass anywhere. We have not yet had the stifling heat we are accustomed to. I don't think it has been above about 93 or 94 degrees before today. Maybe it will get hot some time about Sept. 1.

Progress is going on three construction projects relating to athletics. The Sandefer Fieldhouse is getting some new meeting room space. There will be three meeting rooms on the backside of the Fieldhouse where the storage garage used to be. The project was made possible by a generous donation by a loyal HSU supporter. Also a former Cowboy All-American donated some new office furniture for the Sandefer Fieldhouse for the coaches offices. That area will have a new look in the fall. A lot of the furniture is the original for the building that is almost 20 years old now.

Although rain has set the time line back some, work continues to progress on the new soccer fieldhouse that is being built on Grape Street. It will be a nice addition for the soccer teams in the future to have their locker rooms at the playing facility.

The whole Grape Street Complex has gone from a dream to reality in about five years. There is a softball game field and fieldhouse, a soccer game field with work on a practice field and fieldhouse and coming soon will be a track. If you haven't had a chance to be on campus in a while make a trip to Abilene this fall and check out the progress.