Of Sachem East High School's former athletic field, varsity boys lacrosse coach Rob Murphy said the issues with evenness and drainage, particularly flooding during inclement weather, has reduced it to subpar status.
But now?
"We could have a monsoon and still play on it," he said.
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Begun last July and completed in September just in time for football season, the new turf athletic field at Sachem East is now ready for the spring sports program. And like the rain that refused to drain from the old field, the love for the new field keeps pouring in.
Following the Flaming Arrows varsity boys lacrosse team's first-game 13-5 romp over North Babylon, senior attacker Cameron Walsh, who had scored five goals, had nothing but praise for the new field.
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"It's been awesome," he said. "It's a lot better than the field we had, that's for sure."
Provided for under a $33 million bond issue, the turf was installed by Landtech, who had installed turf for a new athletic field for the Port Washington school district several years ago.
John Mankowich, athletic director at Sachem East High School, commended Landtech for its attention to detail and the district for the decision.
"It's definitely something we needed," he said, adding that the netting set up around the field's perimeter allows multiple uses of the area at once – for example, the track team can now practice while a lacrosse match is being played – as well as having clearly marked lines and boundaries for each sport.
"Now we're lined for everything," he said.
