Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center

Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center
"The Reggie"
Map
Full nameReggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center
LocationRoxbury, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°19′55.27″N 71°5′34.17″W / 42.3320194°N 71.0928250°W / 42.3320194; -71.0928250
OwnerRoxbury Community College
OperatorRoxbury Community College
Capacity3,500 (5,000 expanded)
ScoreboardYes
Construction
Broke ground1993
Opened1995
Tenants
See below

The Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center (RLTAC) is an indoor track and indoor basketball stadium in Roxbury, Massachusetts, partially funded by the state of Massachusetts. It is home to numerous MIAA indoor track and field conferences, along with the MIAA State Championships and the New England High School Championships. Nike Indoor Nationals have been run there since 2008, and the Boston Indoor Games have been run there since their inception. USATF Masters Indoor Championships have been held at the facilities several times.[1]

History

The Center was named after Reggie Lewis, a former college basketball player for Northeastern University and professional player for the Boston Celtics.[2] On April 29, 1993, he collapsed on the floor of the Boston Garden while playing a game against the Charlotte Hornets. On July 27, 1993, he suffered sudden cardiac death during an off-season practice at Brandeis University.[3]

March 2014 centenarian masters track and field athlete, LeLand McPhie (age 100), won gold medals in the weight throw, superweight throw and shot put.[4]

Facilities

Shalane Flanagan and Sentayehu Ejigu at the 2009 Boston Indoor Games

Track and field

The Reggie Lewis Center has a 200-meter indoor Mondo Super X track, with areas for the high jump, long/triple jump, pole vault, and a 55/60 meter dash runway on the infield.[5] There is a shot put cage in the corner of the stadium,[6] however during professional meets (such as the Boston Indoor Games), the shot put is usually held on the infield where it is more visible to all spectators.[7] It seats 3,500 people.

The Reggie Lewis Center track and field facility is generally regarded as one of the premier facilities in the Northeastern United States, and is also one of the premier facilities in the United States as a whole. The venue has hosted the Boston Indoor Games meeting every year since 1996.[8] It played host to the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships on multiple occasions.[9]

Basketball

The Reggie Lewis Center also features a basketball gymnasium that can seat up to 1,300 people. It also has provisions for volleyball and wrestling.[5]

Other

Also in the Center is a dance studio, a weight and fitness room, shower/locker facilities, seminar rooms, and more. The field house and gymnasium can also both be used for meetings and seminars on a larger scale.[10] The annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival has been held there for 15 of its 17 annual iterations, drawing tens of thousands of attendees. Lastly, The Reggie Lewis Center also houses Bay State Physical Therapy. One of Boston's best outpatient physical therapy clinics, where they provide services to residents of the Roxbury community as well as the Metro Boston area.

Principal tenants

While there are many tenants of the Reggie Lewis Center, some include:[11]

  • The Roxbury Community College basketball team
  • Boston Indoor Games
  • Nike Indoor Nationals
  • ECAC Conference Championships in indoor track
  • Northeast 10 Conference Championships in indoor track
  • New England High School Championships in indoor track
  • MIAA State Championships in indoor track
  • Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association (for their various indoor track meets)
  • Tri County Track and Field League
  • Bay State Conference (track and field)
  • Dual County League (track and field)
  • Old Colony League (track and field)
  • Atlantic Coast League (track and field)
  • Patriot League (track and field)
  • Hockomock League (track and field)
  • Middlesex League (track and field)
  • Merrimack Valley Conference (track and field)

Facility records

The following are the top marks ever set at the Reggie Lewis track:[12][13]

Men

Event Performance Athlete/Team Affiliation/City Year
55 M 6.20 Nic Alexander Abilene Christian University 2000
60 M 6.45 Maurice Greene Nike 1999
55 M Hurdles 7.12 Deworski Odom St. Augustine's 2000
60 M Hurdles 7.37 Terrence Trammell Unattached 2009
200 M 20.72 Bryan Bronson PowerAde 1997
300 M 32.10 Jereem Richards Trinidad and Tobago 2018
400 M 45.85 Dave Dopek PowerAde 1997
500 M 1:01.84 Jarrin Solomon Trinidad and Tobago 2014
600 M 1:14.39 Donavan Brazier United States 2020
800 M 1:45.11 Donavan Brazier United States 2018
1000 M 2:19.92 David Krummenacker Adidas 1999
1500 M 3:37.03 Chris O'Hare Great Britain 2018
1 Mile Run 3:51.61 Nick Willis New Zealand 2015
2 Mile Run 8:16.15 Paul Bitok Puma 2000
3000 M 7:32.87 Hagos Gebrhiwet Ethiopia 2013
5000 M 13:11.50 Bernard Lagat Nike 2010
4 × 200 m Relay 1:27.34 John Muir H.S. Pasadena CA 1997
4 × 400 m Relay 3:11.39 St. Augustine St. Augustine's 2000
4 × 800 m Relay 7:13.11 US All-Stars United States 2014
Distance Medley 9:45.21 Georgetown Georgetown 1999
High Jump 2.34m/7'8" Erik Kynard Nike/Jordan 2015
Long Jump 8.26m/26'0" Savante Stringfellow Nike 2004
Triple Jump 17.45m/57'3" Tim Rusan Nike 2003
Pole Vault 6.06m/19'10.5" Steven Hooker Australia 2009
Shot Put 21.83m/71'7.5" John Godina United States 2005
Weight 20.90m/68'7" Mark McGehearty Boston College 1997
Pentathlon 3,962 Marcell Almond St. Paul H.S. CA 1998

Women

Event Performance Athlete/Team Affiliation/City Year
55 M 6.80 Julia O'Neil Gardner-Webb 2000
60 M 7.07 Murielle Ahoure Ivory Coast 2013
55 M Hurdles 7.81 Shawntel Newhouse Abilene Christian University 2000
60 M Hurdles 7.74 Gail Devers Nike 2003
200 M 23.07 Carlette Guidry Reebok 1998
300 M 36.25 Natasha Hastings United States 2016
400 M 51.96 Suziann Reid Adidas 1998
500 M 1:09.23 Aliann Pompey Manhattan College 2000
600 M 1:26.56 Ajee Wilson adidas 2015
800 M 1:56.92 (AR) Jolanda Ceplak Slovenia 2002
1000 M 2:35.29 Regina Jacobs Cliff Bar 2000
1500 M 3:59.98 (AR) Regina Jacobs United States 2003
1 Mile Run 4:24.80 Gabriela DeBues-Stafford Canada 2019
2 Mile Run 9:10.50 Meseret Defar Ethiopia 2008
3000 M 8:30.05 Meseret Defar Ethiopia 2005
5000 M 14:27.42 Tirunesh Dibaba Ethiopia 2007
4 × 200 m Relay 1:37.17 Wilson High School Long Beach, California 1997
4 × 400 m Relay 3:38.18 George Mason University George Mason 1999
4 × 800 m Relay 8:46.35 Georgetown Georgetown 2000
Distance Medley 11:13.6 Georgetown Georgetown 1999
High Jump 1.86m/6'0" Angela Bradburn Nike International 1998
Long Jump 20'11.75" Nolle Graham Seton Hall University 2000
Triple Jump 13.41m/44'0" Niambi Dennis Unattached 1997
Pole Vault 4.88m/16'0" Jenn Suhr United States 2012
Shot Put 15.67m/51'05" Heather Leverington Emporia State 2000
Weight 18.74m/61'5.75" Michelle Clayton East Carolina University 1999

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.
  1. ^ Masters History, USATF National Masters Indoor Championships. [1] Retrieved Jan 30, 2021
  2. ^ "Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center". Archived from the original on 2012-09-09. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  3. ^ Time (magazine)
  4. ^ Times of San Diego, Mar 17, 2014. [2] Retrieved Jan 30, 2021
  5. ^ a b "Athletics". Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  6. ^ http://www.gonu.com/facilities/rltac.html
  7. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKl4kb4vOVQ (it is clearly on the infield here)
  8. ^ Willis among headliners at track event. ESPN (2011-01-03). Retrieved on 2011-02-22.
  9. ^ http://www.legacy.usatf.org/events/2010/USAIndoorTFChampionships/history.asp
  10. ^ "Facilities". Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  11. ^ "Track". Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  12. ^ "Track Record". www.rltac.com. Archived from the original on 2000-08-18.
  13. ^ "2 World Records at NB Indoor GP | Watch Athletics".