TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – As more projects continue to be completed as part of the athletics capital campaign -- Elevate -- The Campaign For Sycamore Athletics, Director of Athletics Sherard Clinkscales and Program Director Angela Martin are proud to announce the completion of the Sycamore Track and Field Interactive Display inside the ISU Athletics Annex. 
 
"I think this is the coolest thing in the world and it's really special because it honors our coaches from the past, it honors our teams and we found pictures back to 1897 which is amazing," Martin said. "Indiana State track and field and cross country has had such an amazing history and we've had so many people come through the hallways of Indiana State that to have something like this unveiled is unprecedented."
 
Elevate is the first-of-its-kind athletics only fundraising campaign in the history of the department. Indiana State Athletics has identified key fundraising projects that will address immediate needs and create lasting hallmarks for the program. The first three projects have already been completed that the gifts to Elevate support include the brand new Sports Performance Center and Nutrition Station; the Sycamore Fuel Initiative -- which provides extra healthy meals to our student-athletes; and the Sycamore Track and Field Interactive Display that was revealed today, which celebrates the rich history of the program.
 
Additionally, through the generous support of Indiana State University President Dr. Daniel J. Bradley, the university provided additional funds for the first two completed projects that are also part of Elevate. The first was the John McNichols Training Track and the second was upgrades to Memorial Stadium. New state-of-the-art lights have been installed at Memorial Stadium, and the final phase of the upgrades to Memorial Stadium comes next summer with a complete replacement of the field turf used by football and women's soccer.
 
The most important aspect of Elevate is that these different projects will benefit every student-athlete on every team through the funds that are being raised.
 
Today's focus is on the Track and Field Interactive Display, located in the ISU Athletics Annex. The interactive display—conceptualized by Rich Porter, a member of the 1974-77 Track and Field team, and his wife Robin—pays tribute to the student-athletes and coaches that have built the tradition of excellence exemplified by Indiana State Cross Country and Track and Field.
 
"The first thing I thought was 'wow,'" Porter said.  "A lot of great people got together and made this work. It's beyond what anybody thought it would ultimately look like. I think it's going to be a wonderful tool for alumni to come back and view their time here at Indiana State and how Indiana State values their time here."
 
Featured in the display are team pictures dating back to 1897, action shots from the Sycamores throughout the years, highlight videos, biographies and team and individual records. The wall surrounding the display is marked by Sycamore legends who have forever left their legacy at Indiana State, such as Holli Hyche, Aubrey Herring, Chris Lancaster, John Mascari and legendary coach John McNichols, to name a few.  
 
Former head coach, Bill Malloy, who helped lay the foundation for what coach McNichols was able to build off of, helped realize the vision of the interactive display. He was also able to celebrate his 90th birthday at the reveal.
 
"This is a very special day. It just makes me proud to know that some young man cared enough to come back and give back to his school and his coach," Malloy said.
 
The display is available to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during regular office hours.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track and Field team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.