Chessa Field

Ohio University employee Scott Blower and his wife, Crista, a 1985 Ohio University graduate, recently contributed $70,000 to the Ohio University Department of Athletics. The majority of the gift, $60,000, has been spent to renovate the playing surface of the Shafer Street Soccer Field, making it the university's largest private gift to women's athletics.

The remaining $10,000 has been used to improve the landscape near ticket gates 2 and 3 at Peden Stadium. The soccer field renovations included the installation of a state-of-the-art laser-leveled and widened grass playing surface, an underground drainage system and an improved irrigation system. Other improvements at the soccer facility included the construction of a press box and the addition of a simulated wrought-iron fence adjacent to Shafer Street.

A resident of Lancaster, Ohio, Scott Blower was hired as athletics and West Green grounds supervisor in February 2001 after many years as a private-business owner. Since his arrival, he has been in charge of the maintenance of the soccer field and says he felt the team deserved a top-flight playing surface.

"I feel privileged to work at Ohio University and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a career change," he said. "The people here, including the athletes and coaches, have been great so this was a way for me to show my appreciation. Since soccer is a new program, it didn't have a lot of alumni to turn to for support, so I decided to help."

The widening of the playing surface to the NCAA maximum allowable size will make the field more capable of hosting NCAA postseason games and is expected to help the team's play.

"With the larger field, we will have an opportunity to adjust the dimensions of the field to better match our planned style of play against each opponent," Bobcat Soccer Coach Stacy Strauss said. "This renovation will place our field among the best in the Mid-American Conference."

Other facility changes included the grandstands being moved from the east side to the west side of the field and the scoreboard moving from the northwest corner to the northeast corner to increase visibility.

To honor the couples' gift, Ohio Athletics renamed the facility's playing surface Chessa Field, in honor of the Blowers' 10-year-old daughter. Ohio Athletics also named the new renovated area outside Peden Stadium Drew Park in honor of Scott and Crista's 8-year-old son.

The gift was part of Ohio University's Bicentennial Campaign, which exceeded its goal of $200 million in 2004, the university's 200th anniversary. The campaign provided money for scholarships, technological enhancements, innovative programs and selected capital improvement.