Kentucky unveils new Jim Green Track and Field Center
Kentucky‘s brand-new track and field facility is here and it’s, well, stunning. The Jim Green Track and Field Center was unveiled Wednesday at a ceremony featuring Dr. Eli Capilouto, Mitch Barnhart, Kelly Craft and UK T&F head coach Lonnie Greene.
The building is dedicated to and named after Jim Green — who was also in attendance — the first African American student-athlete at Kentucky and in the Southeastern Conference to win both SEC and NCAA championships.
“Today’s about a lot more than a building,” Barnhart said at the unveiling. “Today is about Jim Green and a lifetime of knocking down barriers, first for himself and ultimately for others. Today is a great day to dedicate this facility as the Jim Green Track and Field Center.”
The 81,000-square-foot facility becomes the new practice home of Kentucky’s track and field program, located adjacent to the UK Outdoor Track and the teams’ locker room and strength and conditioning areas in Shively Sports Center. It also features a 200-meter banked track enabling runners to train on a surface that is now standard for NCAA and SEC indoor championships.
“I am grateful today!” Jim Green said. “This is not just about me. This is about my family also, because without family you don’t get very far. I am so excited that a little old kid from Eminence, Kentucky has something named after him. I’m thankful and hopeful the new class of young student-athletes get to enjoy this new facility.”
A statue of the Wildcat legend was also unveiled at the ceremony:
“When I met Jim Green for the first time, the sincerity of the man and who he is just blessed my heart,” head coach Lonnie Greene said. “He was concerned not just about the African American student-athlete, he was concerned about students in general and we thank Jim for being that person who stepped up.”
Green was a six-time All-American and eight-time SEC event winner. The co-captain was also the first African-American student-athlete to graduate from UK in December 1971.
Kentucky will begin training in the new facility ahead of the Rod McCravy Memorial on January 12-13 in Louisville.
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