The 2011 STMA Field of the Year Awards are sponsored by Carolina Green Corporation, Ewing Irrigation, Hunter Industries, and World Class Athletic Surfaces.

STMA names 2011 Field of the Year Award winners

2011 Field of the Year Award Winners


Baseball


§  Schools and Parks – Village Green Park; Village of Northbrook, IL; Michael Brouillard


§  College and University – Simmons Field at Taylor Stadium; Columbia, MO; Josh McPherson, CSFM


§  Professional – Roger Dean Stadium; Jupiter, FL; Jordan Treadway


Football


§  Schools and Parks – Louisa County High School Football Stadium; Mineral, VA; Michael Hopkins


§  College and University – Ryan Field at Northwestern University; Evanston, IL; Randy Stoneberg


Soccer


§  Schools and Parks – Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, MD; Jerad Minnick


§  College and University – Ludwig Field at the University of Maryland; College Park, MD; Jeremy Menna


§  Professional – Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, TX; Allen Reed


Softball


§  Schools and Parks – Ashley Ridge High School; Summerville, SC; Robert Behr


§  College – Patricia Wilson Field at Stetson University; DeLand, FL; Steve Barnard


Sporting Grounds


§  Schools and Parks – Infinity Park; City of Glendale, CO; Joshua Bertrand


“Each year, evaluating the applicant pool is very difficult,” says Allen Johnson, CSFM, STMA Awards Committee Chairman.  “The quality of the applicants continues to improve and this year’s winners truly deserved the award.”


“The Field of the Year Award validates the intense dedication of our members,” says Kim Heck, CEO of the Sports Turf Managers Association, the sponsoring organization of the award. “Each year STMA awards no more than 14 Fields of the Year, so a very small percentage of our members are winners. 


The STMA Field of the Year Award program began in 1992. There are five field types for which awards may be given: Baseball, Football, Soccer, Softball and Sporting Grounds.  For each field type, awards may be given in three categories: Professional, College and University, and Schools and Parks.  This year there were a total of eleven awards presented.


A panel of six judges independently scored each entry based on the playability and appearance of the playing surfaces, innovative solutions employed, effective use of budget, and the development and implementation of a comprehensive, sound agronomic program.  The STMA Awards Committee includes Chair Allen Johnson, CSFM; Patrick Coakley, CSFM; Jeff Fowler; Joe Kovolyan, CSFM; Sarah Martin, CSFM; and Tim VanLoo, CSFM.  These judges come from all segments of STMA membership and represent some of the finest facilities in all of America.


Each Field of the Year winner receives complimentary registration to the 2012 STMA Conference and Exhibition, three nights lodging, and signature clothing for the award winners and their staff.  The winning fields will also be featured in a 2012 article in SportsTurf Magazine, the industry’s premier publication.


Award winners will be presented with their award during the Annual Awards Banquet on Fri., Jan. 13, 2012, which is held every year at the Annual STMA Conference and Exhibition.  The 23nd Annual STMA Conference and Exhibition is Jan. 10 – 14, 2012, at the Long Beach Convention Center and Hyatt Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif.


The 2011 STMA Field of the Year Awards are sponsored by Carolina Green Corporation, Ewing Irrigation, Hunter Industries, and World Class Athletic Surfaces.  The support of these important STMA Commercial Members is necessary to provide our industry with a robust, prestigious awards program; one that recognizes the hard work of each STMA member and rewards those who excel.


STMA information: STMA is the not-for-profit, professional association for the men and women who manage sports fields.  Its more than 2,600 members oversee sports fields and facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums.  Their goal is to manage natural turf and synthetic surfaces to produce safe and aesthetically pleasing playing surfaces for athletes at all levels of playing abilities. Since 1981, the association and its dozens of local chapters have been providing education, information and sharing practical knowledge in the art and science of sports field management.  Visit STMA’s website at www.stma.org to learn more.