New digs: Sierra College opens state-of-the-art athletic facility

It had been 720 days since the Sierra College men's and women's basketball teams played a game on campus. During that span, the Wolverines called nine facilities home, ranging from Jessup University and American River College to @the Grounds in Roseville or Hardwood Palace in Rocklin. Tuesday night, the Wolverines finally returned home for the grand opening of their new on-campus gym. Sierra College packed the new building, simply called "The Den," for the men's and women's basketball games against Santa Rosa as students, faculty and staff welcomed their teams home. "This has been a process for more than a decade to get this built, so it's super exciting tonight," said Sierra College President Willy Duncan. "I got goosebumps from being able to provide a facility like this for our students to be able to compete in. It's just amazing." There were delays and setbacks throughout the process, but Duncan says it was a breath of fresh air to finally open the doors and welcome in a crowd. "Doing things like building facilities just takes so much work. You have stops and starts, so you just keep persevering," Duncan said. "It's kind of like in athletics, where you just keep going and you keep your eye on the goal line. You get there eventually, and that's what it feels like tonight." The toll of being somewhat of a barnstorming team has been tumultuous for the athletic teams. From games being moved to different facilities to not knowing when or where practice would be, it became an exhausting process, but the Wolverines found a way to prevail. Women's basketball coach Brandie Murrish said it feels good to have a place to call home again, noting, "It just feels good to be back with your friends and family and your community. The support that Sierra College gives, not only academically but for all of our students athletically, feels fantastic." Murrish led her state-ranked No. 9 Wolverines to a 61-47 triumph over Santa Rosa to christen the new gym, and while it felt like the biggest game of the season, it was another day in the office for Sierra. Sophomore guard Donelli Allen scored the first official basket for Sierra in the new gym. She said it was a sigh of relief to be home and gave a nod to the Sierra fans for showing up and bringing the energy her team needed to win. "It feels amazing, especially after the past two years," Allen said. "Looking back on going from gym to gym, it feels so good to finally be at home. Scoring the first bucket means a lot to me and to my teammates." Allen said the Wolverines only practiced three times in the new gym before playing in it, so there was an adjustment period to start the game as they got used to shooting in a bigger arena. "The depth perception throws you off a little bit, but I credit our coach for getting us in here for those three days," Allen said. "I think that helped us adjust to that as quickly as possible." Allen said the new facilities immediately felt like home, saying, "It just gives you that sense of calmness and peace that takes away some anxiety." Although the men's side fell to Santa Rosa 76-55, first-year coach Aaron Lawrence echoed the thoughts of his colleagues that it felt good to be home. "It feels great to be here and be able to have everything in one spot," Lawrence said. "This is a beautiful venue and something the community and the larger city of Rocklin can be proud of." Lawrence says he believes the new facility will help the Wolverines with recruiting in all sports, noting young players will feel like the school is invested in its athletes. "I think back to my 18-year-old self and how much I'd love to have a cool venue with all the state-of-the-art equipment and facility, it means everything. So that definitely helps us bring guys in," Lawrence said. The goal is not only for Sierra to host its athletic events in the new gym, it also wants to be in the rotation of hosting regional events such as high school showcases, tournaments and even championships. Said Duncan, "I think this just elevates Sierra College and shows the quality of what our programs are. This is going to be a regional facility that others are going to want to use and I think it just highlights Sierra College is here. We have amazing athletic programs and if you want to compete, this is the place you want to be."