After a final coat of paint and some final touches during Christmas break, a new design and layout has been completed on JC’s weight room.

Older equipment occupying the room was moved to give the room a new design. “The weight room was renovated and modernized and moved toward an actual training room which most schools and colleges have. Its focus is more on functional strength, instead of just the regular machines,” Athletic Director Steve Teter said.

While the weight room has a different look now, with a lot of new equipment installed, all of the machines and training materials were actually free. “We kind of traded existing equipment and created space to start maybe a future renovation to get it up to par,” Assistant Athletic Director Brian King said.

Some of the outdated equipment that filled the main weight room was moved to the smaller cardio room to maximize space. According to King, the plan for the remodel was to “make [the] two areas more functional for the school.”

Many students were appreciative of the change because of the positive aspects the weight room has for athletes. “Using the weight room was a big advantage for our team and was able to help us become stronger in different ways that are harder to accomplish on the field,” senior Brooke Hare said.

Previously, some student athletes found the weight room to be too small to work out in individually, making it even harder for a full-team workout. “While it’s nice to have a weight room, I think it should be in better shape than it was. It was too crowded and a lot of the stuff was rusty and no good anymore,” junior Brett Raynor said.

While the renovation will benefit student athletes, the main goal of the project was to allow all students and faculty the ability to work out after school regardless of any team affiliation.

According to King, the ultimate goal of this renovation is to give the student body something that benefits everyone.“I hope everyone feels welcome to use it and not just the athletes. People need to take advantage of it.”

Grant Sharretts is the Online Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.