New multi-purpose facility in Indianapolis celebrates first meet with Butler Invitational ahead of hosting USATF Indoor Combined Events Championships, with bigger opportunities to promote sport in Hoosier State in upcoming years

By David Woods for DyeStat

Photos by John Fetcho

INDIANAPOLIS – The reviews are in. Indianapolis’ new indoor track and field facility is ready for Broadway . . . or, rather, ready itself to be that bigger stage.

“Now that you see it completed, I’m going to tell you right now,” said Wallace Spearmon, the former sprinter who won three NCAA titles and four world medals.

“This is comparable to anything I’ve ever seen. I hope these athletes utilize the opportunity they have. Because this is big-time.”

Saturday’s Butler Invitational was the first meet held at Fall Creek Pavilion, the Indiana Farm Bureau-sponsored venue on the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

The 200-meter, banked oval was assembled by Beynon Sports. Indiana lawmakers allocated $50 million to make the pavilion a multi-use building.

From January through March, that is indoor track and field.

Gov. Eric Holcomb, who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday and the track’s debut Saturday, said the facility features elements for which Hoosiers are known: sports, agriculture, hospitality.

“Check all three boxes. Put them all in one place,” Holcomb said. “It’s hard to wrap your brain around how far we’ve come so fast.”

This oval should be fast, although the inaugural meet didn’t feature any elite sprinters or hurdlers. There is high banking of outer lanes, up to six feet above floor level.

The first track champion here was IUPUI sophomore Kyla Kante, who won the women’s 60-meter hurdles and set a school record of 8.85 seconds.

“I love it. Nicest facility I’ve been in,” she said.

Most notable time was by Butler’s Jesse Hamlin, who was seventh in the NCAA Division 1 3,000-meter final last March. He won the 800 in 1:49.25, or .04 off his own school record.

“It feels really fast,” he said of the surface. “The whole facility is great. I walked in, and I was amazed how huge it is.”

The pavilion measures 196,000 square feet with 118,000 square feet of show floor, a 14,000-square-foot lobby, 25-foot-high ceiling and connectors to two 60,000-square-foot buildings. Hamlin said even air quality is better than in other venues.

Butler coach Matt Roe wants the Bulldogs to capitalize on the proximity of the venue, located six miles from campus. The pavilion, with tall windows on the south end, has the kind of natural light associated with Hinkle Fieldhouse.

“We can’t wait to get recruits in this building,” Roe said.

Others can’t wait to get in, either.

The fairgrounds is getting inquiries from high schools, NCAA, USA Track and Field and World Athletics. Also, from at least six Division 1 conferences, including Big Ten, Big East and Atlantic Coast Conference.

Next year’s NCAA Division 2 indoor championship meet is already set for the pavilion. So are the USATF combined events, set for Saturday and Sunday, and March 23 will showcase the Hoosier State Relays (state meet for high schools).

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007