Dec. 6, 2011

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LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Sports Turf Managers Association named Ludwig Field the top field in the college soccer division Monday.

A panel of six judges independently scored each entry based on the playability and appearance of the playing surfaces, innovative solutions employed, effective use of budget, and the development and implementation of a comprehensive, sound agronomic program.

"The Field of the Year Award validates the intense dedication of our members," says Kim Heck, CEO of the Sports Turf Managers Association, the sponsoring organization of the award. "Each year STMA awards no more than 14 Fields of the Year, so a very small percentage of our members are winners. Jeremy Menna and his crew are very deserving of this prestigious award for Ludwig Field," says Heck.

The winning fields will also be featured in a 2012 article in SportsTurf Magazine, the industry's premier publication.

"This honor is a direct reflection of our incredible grounds crew and our department's commitment to soccer here at Maryland," men's soccer head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "We feel very fortunate to call Ludwig Field home."

Award winners will be presented with their award during the Annual Awards Banquet on Fri., Jan. 13, 2012, which is held every year at the Annual STMA Conference and Exhibition. The 23nd Annual STMA Conference and Exhibition is Jan. 10 - 14, 2012, at the Long Beach Convention Center and Hyatt Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif.

"As an ACC school, we play in climates which are much more suited to growing Bermuda grass than we are," women's head coach Brian Pensky said. "Yet that is a non-issue. Our grounds crew consistently provides us with one of, if not the, best surface in the league. This is a reflection that we have one of the top playing surfaces in the country."