Rotary meets new SWCC AD

Creston Rotary’s guest for its Nov. 18 meeting was new Southwestern Community College Athletic Director Cole Higgins.

Higgins was a SWCC student from 2018 through 2020 and was a student assistant coach with the men’s basketball program. When working on his bachelor’s degree at Iowa State University, he was a sports information/social media coordinator for the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference.

Higgins earned a master’s degree in sports management at Northwest Missouri State University in May. As part of that degree program, Higgins worked at SWCC as an athletic administration graduate assistant from August 2022 through June 2023.

He told the club at the college’s vision for the future of its athletic programs.

College officials are considering a four-phase approach to improve and build new athletic facilities on campus.

Phase one includes improving the baseball and softball fields on campus. Higgins said the grass surface is not ideal for playing conditions. Other parts of the fields need improvements too.

The two fields would be converted to synthetic turf. The first phase has an estimated cost of $2.5 million.

Phase two extends to the space around the outdoor fields and includes new restrooms, small concession stand and considering a a safe room, which would double as indoor batting cages. A safe room would be used during threatening weather. The closest safe room for SWCC students is in the Creston Community School buildings. Tornadoes and heavy damage in 2012 and in April were at or near the campus.

An indoor practice facility on campus would include adding wrestling, both men and women, to Southwestern. Higgins said other Iowa community colleges already have wrestling.

The wrestling facility would be about 8,500 square feet, with 6,000 square feet toward room for three regulation-sized wrestling mats. The remaining 2,500 square feet would be for a weight training area, something to be utilized by all student athletes. This space would cost about $2.75 million to complete and would likely be placed where the tennis courts reside. This would also serve as the entrance to the larger indoor facility, covered in phase four.

With a price range between $8 million and $10 million, phase four’s indoor practice facility would replace the Spartan Coliseum which is the former Walmart building on New York Avenue, off campus. The building is owned by Greater Regional Health. A proposed size of about 26,000 square feet, the new facility would be home to a an indoor track, a turf space, a weight room and a flexible space with the potential for a sport court.

In other Rotary news....

The club approved a $400 donation to the Christmas Basket Fund. The club will also be in the lighted parade on Dec. 5.

Creston Rotary meets at noon the first and third Mondays at Anson’s Bar and Grill.