On Jan. 27, the USD 250 Board of Education approved a $399,999 plan for the replacement of the turf on Hutchinson Field. The district is partnering with Mammoth Sports Construction to install the new product, which is called FieldTurf CORE.

According to FieldTurf.com, CORE is “the first multi-layer dual-polymer fiber ever. CORE rewrites the playbook for sports turf, reinvents the playing field, and redefines the player experience.”

District Chief Operations Officer Tom Stegman was responsible for conducting research and choosing the best overall product.

“The reason I would recommend it is for its durability. But I would also recommend it because instead of having a to infill system, where it’s just sand and then the rubber cinder composite. This is a three-layer infill system, which can help prevent injury.”

According to Stegman, the warranty was one of the main factors in deciding which company to partner with.

“The deciding factor of why we are choosing Mammoth Sports Construction is because safety was a priority. Most turf systems have an eight-year warranty, while this has a 10-year warranty,” Stegman said. “So let’s say that [Mammoth Sports Construction] would go bankrupt. We’re still insured under a third party and could get it replaced.”

“Mammoth is located in Meriden, Kansas and we’re in constant contact with this company,” Stegman said. “If there’s ever an issue with our field all we have to do is call in and they could be here within about two hours to fix it. “

Not only will the product be under warranty, but Mammoth Sports Construction will also do yearly check-ups on the field.

“That’s one of the reasons why this company received our bid because they’re going to come back annually, and they’re going to help us assess whether we’re doing a good job of taking care of the field as well.”

Mammoth Sports Construction will also provide the necessary equipment to care for the turf.

“Part of this contract is that we’re going to be receiving sweepers and groomers as well. So not only are we just going to receive a field but we’re also going to receive the equipment as part of the contract to take care of it.”

Stegman believes that if the turf is properly cared for, they can maximize the lifespan of the field.

“I would like to see if we can get 12 years out of this field. If we take care of our field we do it right, hopefully, we can get more than the 10-year warranty.”

According to Stegman, this project was long overdue.

“We can’t go another year on the field we currently have and provide a safe playing surface, not only for our students, but also visiting teams, and for St. Mary’s Colgan who uses our field,” Stegman said. “We need to make sure that we take care of our kids in our community. That’s the priority here and the reason why [we do it].”

Mammoth Sports Construction will begin the removal of the turf on Mar. 5, and the installation will begin shortly after. Turf Installation is expected to last 4 to 6 weeks. The asphalt track will also be replaced with new asphalt and a perimeter fence will be placed around the turf.