Kachel Gymnasium in Williams Center

Kachel Gymnasium at a Glance

Address: 907 W. Schwager Dr., Whitewater, WI 53190
Competion Sports: Men's/Women's Basketball, Wrestling Seating Capacity: 2,495 (Basketball Set-Up)
Opened: 1968
Named After: David L. Kachel

The main gymnasium on the second floor was part of the original design of Williams Center, which opened in 1968. In 1997 David and Lolita Kachel funded an extensive renovation of the gymnasium that included new bleachers, a sound system, a ticket entrance for season ticket holders and a new paint job on the floor.

In January 2000 the space was formally dedicated as the David L. Kachel Gymnasium. In 2006 the floor was named the Dave “Augie” Vander Meulen Court in honor of the former UW-W men’s basketball coach who directed the Warhawks to NCAA Division III championships in 1984 and 1989. In 2009 the lighting was upgraded, and in 2011 the floor was completely replaced with new wood and subsurface, and a paint scheme that included the Warhawk logo at center court, and end line and design work that highlight the facility. Continuously maintained, the latest upgrades included new scoreboards, video displays, and the courtside scoring table in 2013.

Kachel Gym has been the site of numerous NCAA basketball championship tournament games, including women’s sweet sixteen and elite eight round games in 2008 and 2013, and men’s sweet sixteen and elite eight games in 1984, 1989 and 2012. It was also the home of the 1978 NAIA Wrestling Championship, three NCAA III West Region Wrestling Tournaments, and the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championship in 2005 and 2013. Kachel Gym has a seating capacity of 2,495 in its basketball configuration.