Wake Field House lodges the primary weight room and several locker rooms for the University of Lynchburg’s student-athletes. Photo by Nick Brent. 
Coach Ed Smith, the director of strength and conditioning, used new technology purchased in the summer of 2025 to monitor athletes’ motions and intensity during workouts. Photo by Joe Brennan. 
New training bicycles ensured that Wake Fieldhouse could meet the growing capacity of athletes, as three new athletic teams began competing in the past five years. Photo by Joe Brennan. 
The new OVR performance boxes promoted strength progression and recovery by offering advanced metrics to complement each workout. Photo by Joe Brennan. 
With an increased student-athlete population, several teams shifted their locker room locations to fit the growing crowd. Lynchburg’s cross country team began renovating the previous golf room in the fall of 2025 to house over 50 athletes. Photo by Nick Brent. 
The “one percent better” mantra used by Coach Ed Smith has coincided with Lynchburg’s approach to recruit athletes dedicated to improvement, rather than decorated facilities. Photo by Nick Brent. 
Upgraded treadmills and equipment have promoted new ways of training and analyzing data in Wake Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Brent. 
Lynchburg men’s lacrosse athlete Ethan Carr participated in the vertical test to register data for training. Photo by Joe Brennan. 
The Lynchburg women’s volleyball team received new light fixtures and decorations for its locker room in the 2025 offseason. Photo by Cassi Blackmore. 
Dimmed arena lights above the bleachers of Turner Gymnasium shine the spotlight on the center court, a noticeable change from recent seasons. Photo by Caroline Gerke.
Following the 2024-2025 academic year, the University of Lynchburg athletic department prioritized the installation of data-tracking technology and new exercise equipment to ensure student-athletes maximize their potential, despite training in older facilities.
Turner Gymnasium and Wake Field House are home to each athletic team’s locker and weight rooms, although the facilities date back to the 1960s when Turner Gym was constructed.
As Lynchburg began sponsoring three new athletic programs within the past five years, Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Performance, Ed Smith, understood the need for Wake Fieldhouse to be versatile to match each team’s needs.
“We probably have the most functional facility in the ODAC [Old Dominion Athletic Conference],” Smith said. “If we had to shut everything down and no other facility was available, every team could use this space to get something done.”
Two improvements in Wake Field House during the summer offseason included new training bikes and OVR technology to generate data from athletes’ lifting motions. While the equipment did not mask the fieldhouse’s aging appearance, Smith believed these changes cater to recruits who match Lynchburg’s gritty mentality.
“I think the kid that has the most success at the University of Lynchburg is the one who has a chip on their shoulder,” Smith said. “Some dirt on the floor or water dripping down the back of Wake Fieldhouse won’t bother that student-athlete.”
Student-athlete Cassi Blackmore, who competes for the women’s indoor volleyball team, cited the technology as both improving movements while keeping athletes healthy. After weeks of experimenting with the new devices, Blackmore believed the devices eliminated much of the guesswork in the weight room.
“Maybe we don’t know the right weight to do, but with the new OVR boxes, we can look at the numbers to see how fast we’re exploding up from certain movements,” Blackmore said. “In the future or long rallies, we will be able to not tire out as quickly.”
Even during a time when the University received an accreditation warning, the athletic department continued to explore new ways to improve. Rather than taking away from the academic experience, Blackmore believes that investments in athletics attract new students who feel passionate about keeping the Lynchburg legacy alive.
“A lot of the Lynchburg academic population is also in athletics,” Blackmore said. “It [renovations] brings more people to campus because they want to be able to see such a high level of competition.”
Beyond the technology side, the department also remodeled the women’s volleyball locker room in Turner Gymnasium.
While decorative lights provided a new look, the renovation focused on the locker room’s structure to, literally, bring the team together.
“In the past, we were separated into an L-shape,” Blackmore said. “Now, we’re all together in this little U-shape. It’s really nice because we’re able to all be together, so if we need to have some type of meeting or get to know each other, we’re all centralized.”
The improvements also included a new lighting system to illuminate the playing court inside Turner Gymnasium. Rather than even lighting, the middle court has brighter lighting, directing the audience’s attention to the center.
“It really puts the spotlight on us to go out and perform,” Blackmore said. “We can focus on the 24 of us, who are really competing to win an ODAC Championship.”
During the recent academic year, 10 Lynchburg athletic programs competed at NCAA Championships. As several athletic programs accelerated into the top 25 rankings for their respective sports, Coach Smith believed the department’s persistence in perennially adding equipment helped Lynchburg stay cutting edge and envision new improvements for the future.
“From seven racks to 14 racks to having all the strength equipment we need: what is that next evolution?” asked Smith. “If we want to remain in the top 25 against schools with billion-dollar endowments, we need to have a few things that set us apart.”
To learn more about Lynchburg’s athletic facilities, click here.
