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Kachel Fieldhouse
Kachel Fieldhouse at a Glance
Address: 907 W. Schwager Dr., Whitewater, WI 53190
Opened: 2001
Named After: David L. Kachel
Kachel Fieldhouse opened its doors in 2001. The 50,000 square foot space is an all-purpose facility that performs numerous functions for members of the campus and community. It houses Converse Track, named for Leonard “Squig” Converse, a UW-W graduate who starred in three sports, went on to serve as a high school coach and administrator and ended his professional career as a general contractor.
Converse Track is a 200 meter Beynon BSS 1000 synthetic surface (Hobart encapsulated), eight lanes in the straightaways and six in the turns, where ¼ inch pyramid spikes are used. There is a 130 foot long jump runway, with the pit ten feet from the board, and an unlimited triple jump runway with boards at 28, 32, 36, and 40 feet, and wood boards at 28 and 36 feet. The pole vault has a 120 foot runway, and there are two rings for throwing events, both with laser measuring. Converse Track hosted the 2004 NCAA III indoor championship, and annually hosts one of the largest high school indoor meets in the state.
Track is just one of many Warhawk athletic teams that benefit from Kachel Fieldhouse. The fieldhouse also houses four multi-purpose courts for indoor tennis. That facility was redone in 2012 with a tennis friendly surface to slow the bounce down to a more true tennis bounce. Baseball and softball do some of their off-season work in the fieldhouse and indoor batting cages and mounds help out when inclement spring weather occurs. The Warhawk volleyball team also uses the fieldhouse, with tournaments occupying several courts in addition to Russell Arena.
The fieldhouse can also set up four basketball courts for general recreation or intramurals. Kachel Fieldhouse is named for David L. Kachel, the major benefactor in the facility’s construction and a supporter of many areas of the University. A long time Whitewater businessman, Kachel was also the major contributor to Kachel Gym, the Kachel Multi-Sport Complex and the Berezowitz Student Athlete Center among others.
