Wartburg College has opened the doors to the new Meyer Strength & Conditioning Annex, signaling the halfway mark in the realization of the Health & Human Performance capital project.
The two-story addition features 17 weight platforms and expanded areas for strength and conditioning activities, allowing multiple teams to utilize the space at one time. Wartburg is the first NCAA Division III school to utilize the EliteForm motion-capture system throughout its entire weight room, allowing for unique student-faculty research opportunities and better leveraging of the connections between intercollegiate athletics and academics. The technology, which is more commonly used by professional sports teams and Division I athletic programs, can help manage the college’s strength and conditioning program by tracking each athlete’s individual workout in the system and making it available at each machine.
“We are excited to open the Meyer Strength & Conditioning Annex,” said Rick Willis, director of athletics. “This new facility with state-of-the-art equipment and technology will allow our student-athletes to maximize their development and assist us in attracting prospective student-athletes who desire to develop within this competitive and supportive environment.”
The annex honors Darwyn (Dar) Meyer, a 1961 Wartburg graduate and former wrestler who took pride in his alma mater’s intercollegiate athletic programs and wanted to help the Knights sustain that success into the future. The Charles City native, who later lived in California, died in 2019.
This spring, fundraising for the Health & Human Performance project was completed.
“Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, we’ve reached our $3.7 million fundraising goal,” said Scott Leisinger, vice president for institutional advancement. “We’re excited about how this facility will enhance the experience of our students, and we’re grateful to the donors who helped make it happen. Opening the Meyer Strength & Conditioning Annex will offer immediate benefit to our student-athletes, and we look forward to the renovation that will accommodate our growing Department of Health & Human Performance.”
The remaining half of the project involves renovating of the former strength and conditioning area into the Wuertz Health & Human Performance Center in the Wartburg-Waverly Sports & Wellness Center (The W). This space is named for Liz and John Wuertz and includes two labs and several faculty offices to accommodate the new Department of Health & Human Performance. Renovations are expected to be completed before summer of 2021.