Water damages Shepherd gym floor

December 28, 1999|By DAVE McMILLION, Charles Town

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Water from a leaking sprinkler system flooded Shepherd College's indoor basketball court Monday, causing the wooden floors on the court to buckle, a college spokeswoman said Tuesday.

About one-third of the floor will have to be replaced, although it is not known how much it will cost, said spokeswoman Valerie Owens.

It is believed a pipe fitting on a sprinkler system in the Butcher Center broke Monday morning. Water may have flowed from the sprinkler system for several hours before the problem was noticed about 10 a.m., Owens said.

Owens said she saw the gym on Monday and noticed the floor was buckling.

"There was still a lot of water laying around. They were doing a lot of mop-up," she said.

The Butcher Center is an expansive sports complex that was opened in 1989. It is on Shepherd's west campus, where the college has expanded in recent years. In addition to the school's basketball court, the Butcher Center houses sports administration offices.

Owens said she did not know how long it would take to replace portions of the maple floor.

"I don't think they have gotten that far along in the project," she said.

However, a high school basketball tournament that was canceled at the center Tuesday is expected to return to the court as early as today, college officials said.

Sports Information Director Chip Ransom said the floor could be repaired temporarily for use the rest of this season, then permanently replaced during the summer.

The City National Bank Holiday Shootout, a tournament involving high school teams from the area, was moved to Martinsburg High School Tuesday night because of the damaged court, school officials said.

Monte Cater, Shepherd's athletic director, could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

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