CLEVELAND, OH, March 1, 2016—Pioneer® Athletics proudly announces that Alden Central School has been selected as a WINNER of the 2015 Fields of Excellence® Award.

As a winner, Alden Central School will receive a certificate of recognition and a Fields of Excellence banner that they can proudly display at their winning field. Pioneer may also use their winning field picture in upcoming publications and annual calendar.

Pioneer understands that excellence in athletic field maintenance goes unrecognized and often unappreciated. The Field of Excellence Award Program honors outstanding athletic fields and the hardworking field crews who diligently maintain them. The Fields of Excellence Award Program was established in 1997 and has honored over 835 athletic fields from around the country since its creation.

Colleges, universities, high schools and park & recreation departments from all over the United States submitted photographs, letters of recommendation and application forms describing their institutions detailed athletic field maintenance program. A rigorous judging process yielded 84 winners from a pool of over 250 applicants, with two athletic fields selected as Scholarship Winner’s.

Pioneer® — The nation’s leading manufacturer of athletic field marking paint and equipment. Designed for durability and dependability, Pioneer’s line-up of natural and synthetic field paints, antimicrobial coatings, striping machines, high-quality stencils and athletic accessories are used by over 22,000 high schools, colleges and professional athletic organizations throughout North America.

UPDATE By Lyle Grant: The hard work of Buildings and Grounds crews goes mostly unnoticed in districts around the country.  The long hours that these select few go through to maintain the genuine appearance of the school along with sports fields and facilities  are few and far between.

This soccer season, the crew maintained a field that was worthy enough to win the 2015 Fields of Excellence Award.  The crew has transformed a field into a field of supreme grass.  In addition to the tremendous turf, the Buildings and Grounds department was able to construct a bulldogs logo centerfield that was top notch by the standards of all of the players and community.