In April 2005, Penn State broke ground on a construction project designed to expand and modernize Rec Hall for the students, faculty, and staff who use the facility. As part of this renovation, Intercollegiate Athletics created the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex that ranks among the nation's finest facilities in the sport.
The Lorenzo Wrestling Complex was a central component of Athletics' five-year fundraising initiative Success with Honor-A Campaign for the Penn State Way. The Board of Trustees voted to give authorization to obtain bids and award projects for the construction at its November 2004 meeting. In September of this year, the Nittany Lion wrestlers, who are ranked No. 8 in the nation, began using their new facility.
The Complex was envisioned as an opportunity both to improve our wrestlers' training facilities and to increase the visibility of the wrestling program to the general public. Beyond modernization of the facility's interior and infrastructure, the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex construction includes:
- A substantial expansion and improvement of the existing Joyner Wrestling Room that doubled the mat space available for wrestling, taking it to four-plus mats.
- A modern, spacious team locker room and lounge. The locker room includes new bathroom facilities, carpeting, and wood-grain lockers, while the lounge is outfitted with furniture and audiovisual equipment for the team's use as well as a computer lab work station.
- An expanded training room for the treatment and prevention of student-athletes' injuries. This includes more treatment tables, added floor space for rehabilitative equipment, an office for the medical staff, and a more private room for consultations and rehab sessions.
- A large strength and conditioning room filled with an array of up-to-date cardiovascular equipment and weights that have been selected to meet the sport-specific needs of wrestlers in particular and other varsity athletes.
- A Hall of Honor that combines historical memorabilia with windows that will look into the training area of the Joyner Wrestling Room. The Hall of Honor celebrates Penn State's winning tradition while providing glimpses of the next generation of Nittany Lion greats.
- A private conference room off of the Joyner Wrestling Room where coaches can meet with individual wrestlers, as well as recruits and their parents.