Governor Set To Honor UWM Basketball TeamsApril 27, 2006 MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle will be on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus May 2 to honor both of UWM's basketball teams as well as celebrate the grand opening of The Pavilion. The event, which will also include an open house for the new athletic, recreation and academic facility, begins at 3 p.m. The formal dedication will be held in the new auxiliary gymnasium of the Pavilion, while all areas of the building will then be open for tours until 6 p.m. The governor will honor the Panther men's and women's basketball teams for their performance this past season. Each team won both the Horizon League regular season and tournament titles while advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The men then defeated Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Florida in the second round. The governor will also join UWM Chancellor Carlos Santiago in officially dedicating UWM's newest building. The Pavilion, which has still been receiving its finishing touches while being open to the general public since January, is now home to the UWM Athletics Department. Among the new facilities in the building specifically for athletics are offices for coaches and staff, a student-athlete-only weight room, new locker rooms for all teams, and team rooms and lounges for men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball. UWM student-athletes are also benefitting from the brand-new sports medicine center in the Pavilion, which more than triples the previous space available for UWM's athletic trainers. The facility also includes a 2,800-square-foot academic assistance center to help student-athletes in the classroom. The academic center includes a computer lab along with group and individual study and tutoring rooms. A 615-space indoor parking garage is also part of the facility. UWM's general student population is also benefitting tremendously from the new facility. A new fitness center has expansive rooms for cardio workouts, as well as a weight room. The state-of-the-art area is the most visible from the outside of the facility, as it features two levels of windows. The new recreation center has two expansive levels and houses four sport courts surrounded by a suspended 1/8 mile track. The facility is utilized by individuals seeking open gym space, run and walk space on the track, and the University's intramural programs. The facility also includes academic facilities for the College of Health Sciences along with accommodations for the new Physical Therapy and expanded Sports Medicine programs. |
