Naval Academy unveils $52 million field house

Facility named after first African-American graduate

By EARL KELLY, Staff Writer

Published 05/08/08

The Naval Academy showed off its brand new field house this week, a $52 million facility that is to be dedicated Saturday morning and named for the first African American to graduate from the school, retired Lt. Cmdr. Wesley A. Brown.

Photo by J. Henson - The Capital

The huge building still has a new-car smell, and midshipmen athletes beamed as they looked over the facility on Tuesday.

"It is absolutely phenomenal," said Midshipman 2nd Class Ashley Waddle, a junior mid-distance sprinter and hurdler from Raleigh, N.C. "I got a chance to run on it last week, and it feels great. It is the best track I have ever run on; I have never run on a banked track...

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Really People? - 2008-05-10 20:23:26

Last time I checked... these aren't kids at some ivy that are there with daddy's money, so they're hardly spoiled... These young men and women have worked their tails off just to get there, and certainly to stay there. These are 4000 future leaders of our military and our country, so I'd say its money well spent. Much of it was funded through alumni donations as well.

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Daniel C. - Dublin, OH - Karma: Bad

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2008-05-08 18:47:41

I can think of A LOT better things that 52 million dollars SHOULD be spent on & it's NOT a field house for spoiled midshipmen!!!!!!!

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Lisa J. - arnold, MD - Karma: Bad

$52,000,000??? - 2008-05-08 14:22:42

It must be nice to be one of the chosen ones. I can hardly afford to fill up my tank and they get a $52,000,000 playground using my tax money. Ever thought about using a basic track field? We should be questioning why this was built and not throwing a party.

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M. Brown - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad