Nov. 26, 2003

FAIRFAX, VA ... George Mason Stadium, the home of the university's soccer, lacrosse and track and field programs, has been selected as the 2003 Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Soccer Field of the Year in the College/University division.

It is the second straight year a George Mason facility has been honored by STMA. Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field was chosen as the 2002 Baseball Field of the Year in the same division.

Michael W. Sullenberger, Sports Turf Manager at George Mason, will accept the award at the STMA Awards Banquet in San Diego, CA, on Jan. 23, 2004. The awards banquet will be held in conjunction with the annual conference for STMA, which is a non-profit international association of over 2,400 sports turf professionals from schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreation and municipal facilities, and professional stadiums.

The Field of the Year Award, the highest honor STMA bestows upon a facility, is presented annually for top maintenance of natural playing surfaces and support facilities in four major sports areas: baseball, softball, football and soccer. Entrants must supply information on the design of the facility, the uses of the facility that impact the playing surface, the organization of the maintenance program and innovative solutions used to overcome playing surface problems. Photos of specific areas of the field must be provided to document the playability and appearance of the playing surface. Each of the five judges on the Awards Committee review the entrants independently, grading them on each aspect of the criteria, and the results of their independent input determine the winning field.

According to STMA, the commitment to excellence in overall field quality, safety, playability and appearance earned the honor for George Mason Stadium, which has been in use since 1982. George Mason Stadium was cited as a facility that produces consistently superior playing conditions despite use annually from March to November by the men's and women's soccer, women's lacrosse and men's and women's track and field teams. This performance held strong even during extended periods of nearly daily rainfall, which delivered record precipitation levels, and despite drainage and irrigation problems.

Sullenberger noted his sports turf management crew for George Mason Stadium consists of assistant manager John Dick along with Phil Scherrens, Chris Murray, Gary DeBrielle, Evan Howard, Michael Nunnally and Greg Filson. All have put in extraordinary effort in keeping the facility fit for play.

"The university's commitment to excellence extends to all aspects of the athletic program, providing our staff with the resources to develop and maintain superior playing fields for our student-athletes," said Sullenberger, who is in his fifth year as the head of the department. "Our staff's dedication, perseverance and innovative approach to challenging conditions take our field management program to the next level."

"Mike and his staff are committed to providing the George Mason athletic program with the finest practice and game surfaces possible," said Jac Cicala, who is in his 12th year as the women's soccer head coach at George Mason. "Their passion and dedication are greatly appreciated by both the players and the coaching staff, and this recognition is a well-deserved award."

"Thanks to the efforts of Mike and his staff, our players are afforded the opportunity to train and compete on first-class playing surfaces," said men's soccer head coach Fran O'Leary, who is in his third year with the Patriots and his 15th overall as a collegiate head coach. "The commitment and dedication of Mike and his staff are second to none and their efforts are greatly appreciated by all of our players and staff."