Topping Off ‘The Mack’

Under a clear, blue February sky, a crowd of William & Mary alumni, faculty, staff, students, coaches and friends cheered as two green and gold steel I-beams signed by donors, student-athletes and other attendees were lifted to the top of the Mackesy Sports Performance Center under construction beside Kaplan Arena.

Officially dubbed “The Mack,” the 36,000-square-foot structure will encompass new locker rooms, a strength-and-conditioning center, a state-of-the-art sports medicine facility, study spaces, a recruiting lounge and a full-size practice court. A key component of the reimagined W&M Athletics Complex, the center is expected to open by the end of the year.

The building is named for donors D. Scott Mackesy ’91 and Jennifer Tepper Mackesy ’91, both former Tribe student-athletes. The Mack represents more than a building, Scott Mackesy told the crowd: “It’s about building a culture of winning and a culture of excellence. … It’s about setting a new standard for athletics at William & Mary, and we hope these tools and resources will improve the experience for all student-athletes with the ultimate goal of creating a mindset where W&M is not just out there to compete, we’re out there with an expectation to win.”