After two Montana State University gym roofs collapsed in Bozeman earlier this month, MSU has been rushing to move equipment and find alternative spaces on campus for the 1,400 students signed up for fitness classes. Spin sessions have been moved to the third floor of the engineering building. Taekwondo students are now meeting in Romney Gym. But some fitness center users have had to look elsewhere.
The MSU Racquetball Club is headed to the National Intercollegiate Racquetball Championships in Tempe, Arizona next week where several hundred players from universities across the US will compete. Last year, the men’s team placed fourth.
The players had been practicing two-to-three times a week in the Student Fitness Center on campus. But on the night of March 7, the roof of the South Gym collapsed under the weight of record-breaking snow.
"I really couldn't believe it," says Gavin Usher, a Junior at MSU and president of the Racquetball Club. "It's not something you'd ever expect to happen, especially since I'm there almost every day of the week. I was there until 10:30 at night when it happened, and I was going to be there in the next morning as well."
The club moved practice to the Ridge Athletic Club about three miles west of campus. Ridge gave the students a 50 percent discount so they could continue practicing for nationals. Racquetball coach Scott Krushensky says at first they had a few logistical issues trying to get everyone there. Not everyone on the team has a car. But they've been carpooling, and Krushensky says they’re back on track.
"I don't think it's going to affect how they play when we go to the intercollegiate tournament. In fact, it might have helped us out a little bit to get their mindset ready for a tournament of this caliber," says Krushensky.
MSU is in the process of demolishing the entire east side of the Student Fitness Center, which was built in 1973. This includes the North and South Gyms, 10 racquetball courts, a squash court, climbing wall, fitness room and the Nutrition and Physical Activity office. The university is waiting to hear back about their insurance claim before working on plans to rebuild the new section.
“The Fitness Center at MSU is a widely used facility. Many staff, many students take part in that so having it closed is displacing a lot of people," says MSU Spokesman Michael Becker. "But since we lost the gyms, we've been working pretty much non-stop to restore as many services as we can.”
More than 12,000 people used the fitness center during MSU’s 2018 fiscal year. The university plans on hosting discussions with students later this year to find out what they want for the new section.
