MISENHEIMER — In a recent announcement from Pfeiffer University, its athletic department revealed that it is making major renovations to N.E. Lefko Field, home of the Falcons’ soccer and lacrosse programs.
The natural grass surface at Lefko Field in Misenheimer is being replaced with an artificial turf field created by the Shaw Sports Surfaces and Advanced Sports Group.
Designed to quicken field preparation time and drainage while allowing for safer competition following rainy weather, the new Shaw Sports Turf Legion 2.0 playing surface also frees up available usage for other local organizations by negating the fear of damage to a grass surface.
The project is expected to be completed between late February and early March.
“We are extremely excited to team with Advanced Sports Group to make Lefko Field a better place for our student-athletes to train and to compete for championships,” Pfeiffer athletics director Zac Chilton said in a Feb. 8 press release from the university.
Advanced Sports Group has previously worked with Furman University, Fort Valley State University, the University of Tampa, Florida International University, Georgia Southern University, the Liberty Bowl Stadium, Kennesaw State University, Saint Leo University, and Virginia Tech.
With a dedication ceremony and public recognition of donors set to align with Homecoming festivities on October 19, 2024, lead donors — qualified as gifts of $1,000 or more received by June 30, 2024 — will be honored with signage at the field area.
Gifts to support the field renovation project can be made by contacting 704-463-3034 or by using the designation ‘Lefko Field Upgrade’ on Pfeiffer’s GiveCampus fundraising website.
“Our student-athletes will have one of the premier surfaces on which to compete once this project is completed. There will be no finer place to play in our area,” said Jeff Childress, Pfeiffer’s vice president for athletics and external operations. “We are thankful to the donors who are making this transformation possible.”
Complying with NCAA regulation dimensions, the new turf surface will provide the Pfeiffer soccer teams a 120-by-75 yard pitch, while the men’s lacrosse field will be 110-by-60 yards and the women’s lacrosse team will be 120-by-65 yards.
Set between the softball and baseball fields, Lefko Field is home to the 2015 Men’s Soccer NCAA Champions and is named after former Pfeiffer soccer coach Nicholas E. Lefko, who led the Falcons between 1959 and 1974.
Lefko was enshrined as a charter member of the Pfeiffer Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
With four Pfeiffer teams preparing for their 2024 season, they will soon be making the adjustment from grass to turf on their home field.
The Falcons’ men’s soccer team is coming off a 7-6-3 (3-3-1 USA South) season while the women’s team is hoping to bounce back from a 2-14-2 (0-8-1 USA South) record last year.
Winners of the 2023 USA South Tournament Championship, Pfeiffer’s men’s lacrosse team had a 17-2 (7-1 USA South) record in 2023 as the women’s team finished with a 5-13 (4-5 USA South) record.