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At a ceremonial groundbreaking on May 16, ������ (������) announced the official name of a new facility: the Kip Thomet Memorial Fieldhouse. Construction of the $3.5 million project, which is fully funded by private donors, will begin in June and is expected to be completed in December 2025.

In 2024, ������ announced a $1 million lead gift from Klamath Falls residents Glen and Sherry Thomet to launch the fieldhouse campaign. The new building is named in honor of their son, Kip, who passed away in 2019. At the May 16 event, ������ President Dr. Nagi Naganathan thanked the ������ Foundation for their fundraising efforts and officially announced the naming of the building in Kip’s memory.

“We are grateful to the Thomet family and to all who contributed to the Kip Thomet Memorial Fieldhouse,” said President Naganathan. “The Thomet family shared that Kip was an avid outdoorsman and adventurer, with a life full of trailblazing and exploration. He holds a special place in his family’s heart, and through this fieldhouse, his legacy will continue to inspire excellence, teamwork, healthy living, and wellness.”

The campaign has gained significant momentum thanks to additional major gifts from the Klamath Community Development Corporation, John Stilwell, and other generous contributors.

The 8,500-square-foot indoor facility adjacent to ������'s Athletics building will provide year-round practice and workout space for student-athletes. In addition to supporting athletic programs, it will also serve as a venue for academic offerings in the university’s health science and technology programs, community events, and health and wellness programs.

“This project reflects the generosity of our community and the strength of ������’s partnerships,” said ������ Foundation Executive Director Dr. Ken Fincher. “The fieldhouse will be a resource that strengthens our academic mission and supports the well-being of our students and neighbors.”

Bob Kingzett, an ������ Foundation board member, is serving as fundraising champion for the project.

“There’s no university in Oregon like ours in terms of what our student-athletes accomplish on and off the field,” said Kingzett. “Support for these student-athletes from donors has been strong, and we’re excited to see this vision coming to life.”

Softball centerfielder and junior in the Echocardiography program Malia Mick shared that during the winter months, the softball team shares a practicing venue with all of Klamath Falls, and while it was nice to get to know community members, they are excited to have a home on campus.

“This fieldhouse isn’t just a building, but it’s a sign that our college and our community believe in us,” said Mick. “I can assure you that this facility will be well-loved.”

Eli Stevens is a junior in Mechanical Engineering and a three-time NAIA national qualifying decathlete on the Men’s Track and Field team. He shared that ������’s track is perfect for training in the fall, but when winter comes, the team must transition to indoor strength and weight training alone and can lose their edge for their technical events.

“Where the true improvement comes is with full reps into a pit and doing real jumps, and so this facility is going to be incredibly valuable as a training tool for our athletes,” said Stevens.

Along with Mick, Jacob Cook is from Klamath Falls. He is a junior studying Business Management at ������ and spoke as a representative of the baseball team. “I’m looking forward to seeing this facility and being able to use it,” Cook said. “I know that we couldn’t be any more thankful for the generosity and donation to us.”

Before the official tossing of dirt, Glen Thomet closed the event by thanking those who supported the project and came to celebrate. “I think this will help an excellent athletic program become even better, and I’m so thrilled to be involved in the way that I am. Kip died very unexpectedly at age 57, and I’m sure he would be proud to be part of ������.”

To learn more about how you can help support students at ������ through charitable contributions, contact Mira Wonderwheel, Assistant Vice President for University Development, at mira.wonderwheel@oit.edu.

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