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Speidel Gymnasium (Pat Thompson '75 Court)
With a seating capacity of 1,500 people, Speidel Gymnasium is home to the Soaring Eagles volleyball, basketball, and wrestling teams. Speidel Gymnasium also houses Elmira College’s Big Event each term while serving as the location for EC’s Relay for Life each spring. Speidel is also home to the Chemung Canal Fitness Center, Cardio Room, the Locke Pool, and two racquetball courts.
The newly refinished floor (Summer 2021) offers a sleek, new look - including a new name, as former Athletic Director Pat Thompson was honored with the court in her name, Pat Thompson '75 Court.
Additionally, Thompson – a two-time recipient of the College's Paul Brand Athletics Staff Award – played a key role during the renovation of Emerson Hall, which was originally built in 1956. Following a multi-million dollar fundraising campaign, the construction of Speidel Gymnasium, which opened inside Emerson Hall in 1996, marked a new era for the basketball and volleyball teams, who were able to play their home competitions on campus for the first time.
Speidel Gymnasium is named in honor of Elmira alumna Marion Speidel, who at the time of her passing was responsible for the largest bequest in the history of the college. Construction began on Emerson Hall in June of 1994 with the completion of Speidel Gymnasium following in 1996.
