WATERVILLE, MAINE, 10/19/2022 – Thomas College is proud to announce the dedication of its new sports center for student athletes. The facility is named the Sukeforth Family Sports Center in honor of the central Maine family’s lead gift to the sports center, part of Thomas’s comprehensive Guarantee the Future campaign.
Athletics are a central part of campus life and student experience at Thomas College, where 40% of the student body are student athletes. As a world-class athletic facility that attracts and retains student athletes and their coaches, the Sukeforth Family Sports Center is a keystone to the institution’s 10-year master plan.
“This sports center represents the long-held dream of so many students who came before – those who competed on the fields and courts, and those who cheered in the stands,” explained Chris Parsons, VP of Intercollegiate Athletics at Thomas College. “Athletics are a crucial thread in the fabric of the Thomas College community, and a healthy Athletics program drives enrollment and sustainability for the College.”
Multiple members of the Sukeforth family have graduated from Thomas, forming a strong bond with the College based on shared values of integrity, humility, hard work, and a can-do attitude. The family believes deeply in Thomas’s mission and the way the institution delivers on it, understanding that an investment in young people is an investment in our collective future. When the family received the opportunity to make a transformational investment that would serve students and the community, they were eager to contribute.
“I remember 10 years ago when my sister played for the women’s soccer team, there weren’t even bleachers here. It’s amazing to see the transformation into a dedicated place for sports, which will enhance my student experience and offer an environment, coming out of the incredible player’s tunnel, unlike any other college,” stated Patrick Moynihan, member of the Thomas College men’s soccer & Rocket League Esports teams.
Added Julia Reny, member of the women’s field hockey and track & field teams, “This new sports center played a huge role in my decision to come to Thomas. The Athletics department has a huge place in my heart and is one of my favorite things about Thomas. This new addition makes myself and the athletic teams ecstatic, and we are forever thankful for the donors’ generosity and investment in our futures and those of future Terriers.”
Thomas College broke ground on the 18,000 square foot facility on June 17, 2021. Designed by SMRT Architects and built by Sheridan Construction and E.L. Vining & Son, the building houses Thomas’s athletics and Esports programs. The facility is located by the Kennebec Savings Bank Turf Field Complex, overlooking Bernatchez and Smith fields. Thomas’s athletics and Esports programs will be housed in the Sukeforth Family Sports Center, with a strength & conditioning training space, coaches’ offices, locker rooms, Esports facility, and the Athletics Hall of Fame.
The dedication of the Sukeforth Family Sports Center to varsity athletes enables better access for intramural and club athletes, as well as non-athlete students, to the Alfond Athletic Center fitness equipment and wellness spaces. For more information on athletics and the student experience, visit Thomas.edu/student-life.
About Thomas College: U.S. News & World Report ranked Thomas College #2 among colleges in Maine for social mobility of our graduates. Located in Waterville, Maine, Thomas College is your pathway to a promising future, guaranteed, with our Guaranteed Job Program, 3-year accelerated offerings in all undergraduate degrees, and graduate offerings ranging from in-person and on-campus to 100% online. For more information, visit www.thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley Young at mediarel@thomas.edu or 207-859-1313. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok.