Montezuma-Cortez High School’s indoor athletic teams have a new place to call home.
Located at 418 S. Sligo St., the new high school boasts a 13,649-squre-foot gymnasium.
It will be a big change compared with the 9,800-square-foot Ron Wright Memorial Gym, which hosted M-CHS events since 1967.
However, upon entering the new gymnasium, students will be welcomed by the familiar “M-CHS” and “Panthers” logos on the bleachers and baseline.
And at mid-court is the new Panther logo, established last year during the school’s rebranding.
There are energy-efficient lights overhead. But even when they are off, the natural light seeping in from the windows illuminates the building and glistens on the freshly sealed maple floor.
There are also air ducts and speakers above. The air ducts allow the school to have more control over the climate in the gymnasium, and will keep the gym cool during games with large crowds or during camps hosted in the summer heat.
The speakers are part of the school’s new sound system, and along with the sound barriers, they condense the noise toward the court.
Principal Jason Wayman claimed that the sound system, bleachers, lighting and climate control will all contribute to creating a positive environment during sporting events.
“I think it will be a nicer atmosphere,” he said. “The bleachers are a little bit nicer, we’ve got a better sound system, stuff like that. It will allow us to try and look into ways to improve the games and settings, because we have more opportunities now.”
Athletic Director Stacey Hall noted that the bleachers seat 1,800 people and the concession stand is located directly out the gym doors, but she believes the biggest feature is the amount of space there will be between the teams’ benches and the first row of bleachers.
“The fans will not have to walk in front of the bench anymore,” Hall said, explaining the difficulty fans had reaching their seats at Ron Wright Memorial Gym. “There is enough room that they will go behind the bench.”
The gym will provide a great environment during games, but it also offers more practice opportunities.
The gym itself has two full-length basketball courts running side-to-side. There’s also an adjoining auxiliary gym with another full-legnth court.
“Having a third gym allows more of our teams to practice at the same time,” said Hall. “Instead of having early and late practices.”
There’s also a training room, weight room and multipurpose room.
M-CHS has hired Colby Smith as a full-time trainer, and the new training room and table will allow him to efficiently care for athletes’ aches and pains.
The weight room has direct access outside, which will allow teams to combine weight training with outdoor workouts.
With a matted floor and mirrors on the walls, the multipurpose room is conducive for wrestling, cheerleading or dance team practices.
Fall sports begin practicing on Monday, Aug. 17, and the gym holds its first regular season competition on Sept. 1, when the M-CHS volleyball team hosts Bayfield.