Evangel breaks ground on Coryell Field

Evangel University yesterday held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new donor-funded turf athletic field.

Dubbed Coryell Field, the project is named after the owners of TLC Properties. The Coryells contributed an undisclosed portion of the $1.5 million that’s been raised since April 1, according to a news release.

“Thanks to generous gifts from the Coryell family and others, we are able to provide the resources necessary to improve our athletic fields and our student experience,” Evangel President Carol Taylor said in the release.

The field is part of Phase I of Evangel’s Momentum Campaign for Athletics. The $2.9 million Phase I includes the lighted artificial turf field for football practice, as well as men’s and women’s soccer practice and games, and two additional practice fields for football and soccer. It also would pay for repairs to the school’s baseball and softball fields and wrap up payments owed to the Missouri National Guard for nearly seven acres Evangel bought in 2015. Fundraising continues on the additional roughly $1.4 million.

Sapp Design Associates Architects PC is lead architect on the project, with Lee’s Summit-based Mid-America Sports Construction, a division of Mid-America Golf and Landscape Inc., serving as contractor.

Evangel chose AstroTurf product GameDay Grass 3D3 for the playing field, according to the release. That product is in place at such fields as Oklahoma State University’s Boone Pickens Stadium, according to AstroTurf’s website.