Washington University students who make frequent use of the Athletic Complex’s facilities will be in for a pleasant surprise after winter break-the equipment in the AC is being upgraded following the start of next semester.

“We have been having discussions with coaches and students since this summer and early September about upgrading our equipment,” said Director of Athletics John Schael. “We’re upgrading the equipment that we have.”

Six new treadmills arrived last Wednesday at the beginning of Thanksgiving break, and most of the new equipment will arrive in time for when students return from winter break. About $50,000 has been allocated for the procurement of new equipment during this period.

“$50,000 will get us started, but it won’t get us everything that we want,” said Schael.

No sector of the AC is being overlooked for upgrading. Many dumbbells, weight racks, weight training machines, bars and cardiovascular machines are being replaced in response to student feedback.

Although just about all of the equipment in the AC functions, some student-athletes say the situation could be much better.

“It’s not as good as it should be,” said sophomore Joe Bleitner. “The Y is better. The pads are worn out, and the free weights are rusting and falling apart.”

According to freshman Brad Walker, “It’s a lot better than my high school’s gym, but for a college, it’s awful.”

The planned improvements are by no means a complete overhaul, but further upgrades are being looked at. New scoreboards are also planned for swimming and football.

“We’re looking to make some improvements across the board,” said Assistant Athletic Director T.J. Walker. “[There are] no specific timetables yet, but keep your eyes and ears open.”

At the South 40 Fitness Center, upgrades are also in the works. The Fitness Center is in the preliminary stages of replacing approximately a third of the 21 cardiovascular machines at the gym. Some of the less popular equipment will be replaced, including the Reebok elliptical trainers and some older machines such as the stationary bicycles and the StairMasters.

“You want to replace machines every four to seven years,” said Martha Tillman, director of the Fitness Center. “You end up spending too much money to fix them-it becomes cheaper to just buy new machines.”

The weight training machines at the South 40 center are recent purchases and are not being replaced in the foreseeable future. Space constraints make new additions there unlikely.

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