Colquitt County High School’s practice facility was a project awarded to Sports Turf Company, Inc. through a competitive proposal process in early 2017. Construction of the one of a kind practice facility began in May and included the construction of an outdoor synthetic field and track and 100-yard synthetic indoor field.
Sports Turf Company began by establishing subgrade on the outdoor field and track area. A 6-inch porous stone base was installed accompanied by a full underdrain system to allow a minimum of 60 inches an hour to drain successfully from the new synthetic turf field. Exterior field drainage was installed inside the track to ensure water wouldn’t travel back across the track surface.
The synthetic turf system installed on the field is an AstroTurf 3D3 system. This system features a rootzone, which is a texturized layer of fibers that draw down to encapsulate infill, resulting in minimal rubber splash, better shock absorbency, and less infill migration than basic systems. The last step of field construction, sand was incorporated into the synthetic turf system as a ballast before the SBR rubber was groomed into place. Z-Cap, a mineral that absorbs 81% of its body weight in water and then slowly releases it to cool off the field, was incorporated over the SBR rubber.
Sports Turf Company’s certified track builders constructed an 8-lane Spurtan BV track around the new synthetic turf practice field.
Track construction began with installation of a 4-inch stone base and 3-inches of asphalt. The Spurtan BV track surface was installed and the track lined for GHSA competition.
Once the structure was completed, Sports Turf Company began construction of the field in the indoor facility. The 100-yard synthetic turf practice field incorporates the same drainage design as the outdoor field. The indoor field also features the AstroTurf 3D3 turf system.
We talked with both Vice President, Jack Lloyd, of JCI Contractors and head football coach, Rush Propst, about the new practice facility.
“Sports Turf Company has an in-depth knowledge of athletic field construction and it is exemplified in their professionalism from preconstruction through the warranty period. The staff has been easy to work with and strives to keep projects on schedule and within budget. We look forward to working with them again on future projects. – Jack Lloyd Vice President of JCI Contractors
“It’s by far the nicest in the country and to be honest it’s better than I thought it was going to be,” said Rush Propst, Colquitt County HS head coach