Athletic Facilities
Wheelock Field and Facilities
History
Wheelock Stadium and Field. These structures are among the oldest structures on campus. The core of the stadium was built in 1921 as part of the high school campus. The high school and the college continued to share the athletic facilities until 1965 when the Poly high school campus was moved to another location.
In June of 1937 the field and stadium were officially named after, and dedicated to, Arthur N. Wheelock, retired Superintendent of Riverside City District Schools. The dedication of the field took place at the June commencement exercises, and a surviving memorial facing Magnolia Avenue was built in 1939. New shop buildings (now Technology A and B) were constructed on the east slope of the Arroyo Promontory in the spring of 1935. They served the needs of both the college and the high school until 1964 when they became the property of the junior college.
May of 2005, the football field began to be replaced with a new synthetic or rubberized field. In addition to the new field, new stadium lights were installed as well. This upgrade to the field was part of a major renovation project that included the 100 year old A.G. Paul Quadrangle, the football, track and field, soccer and tennis teams, as well as the marching band.
Wheelock Gymnasium
History
RCC's historic Wheelock Gymnasium is officially open, after a two-year retrofit and upgrade. The gym was first completed and occupied almost 84 years to the day on November 6, 1928. It was constructed using the college and Riverside Poly High’s 1926 bond issue money. Oddly enough, the gym did not become commonly known as “Wheelock Gym” until almost 40 years later in the mid-1960s. In 1937, the field and the football stadium were named after retired Superintendent of Riverside District Schools Arthur N. Wheelock.
Riverside Aquatics Complex
| AQUATICS CENTER | CUTTER PARK POOL |
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Located at Riverside City College, Riverside Aquatics Complex located on lower campus is a reality thanks to a true community partnership of Riverside Community College District, the City of Riverside, the County
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In the late 1930's a swimming pool next to Magnolia Avenue was first proposed. By 1940, school officials were talking about the possible purchase of Cutter Park (in the Arroyo, north of the old Riverside Poly High School campus) as a pool site. Nothing further came of these discussions until the mid-1950s. At a December 3, 1956 board meeting, further plans were discussed and financing for the swimming pool project was also considered although final approval was not given until June of 1957. Herman Ruhnau was the architect chosen for the pool and two other projects going on at the same time (the Administration and Cosmetology buildings). In January of 1958, a Loma Linda firm, Ruckle and May, submitted the low bid for the swimming pool project. The Cutter Park Pool facilities were partially completed by October 1958, but school officials delayed its utilization until the Administration and Cosmetology buildings were completed and usable, an event which took place in November of 1958. |
Evans Field Sports Complex
The Samuel C. Evans Complex is located across Magnolia Avenue from the College itself.
The complex was refurbished in a joint effort between the Riverside Community College District, the city of Riverside, and the Tiger Backers, a support group of the College.
Their combined efforts have left the College and the city of Riverside with an outstanding baseball/softball facility. The $1 million-plus project bolstered the College's softball and baseball programs. “It is, without a doubt, one of the finest facilities in Southern California," Softball Coach Michelle Daddona said.
The complex has three times hosted the California Community Colleges State Softball Championships.
"The facility provides our players with the right atmosphere needed to be successful," Baseball Coach Dennis Rogers said. "First, a player wants to play in a quality program, but the same player also wants to play in a quality environment. And this complex provides just that.”
Fran Bushman Tennis Courts
