The University of Iowa’s gymnastics and spirit squad teams have a home of their own. After 13 months of construction, the Nagle-Duda Gymnastics and Spirit Squads Training Center opened its doors on Jan. 29 and will provide adequate space and resources for the respective programs, who used to practice at the Iowa Field House. 

Located at 2811 Prairie Meadow Drive, the 21,000 square-foot facility is across the street from the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex and adjacent to the Iowa women’s soccer team facility. The center cost $20 million, with money derived from athletic department revenue and private donations. UI alumnus Mary Lee Nagle Duda provided a $5 million gift and bears recognition in the title. 

Back at the Field House, the spirit squad, composed of the cheerleading, dance, and mascot teams, practiced four times a week on the basketball courts below the fitness loft. With mats laid down on the hardwood, the team would often perform alongside games of pickleball, volleyball and other activities occurring on the adjacent courts. The gymnastics team practiced in a different part of the Field House. 

“The building is definitely an incredible opportunity for the athletes that we have,” head cheerleading coach and spirit coordinator Gregg Niemiec said. “The opportunity to be safe and not have volleyballs, pickleballs, random kids running around. It’s nice to have a facility that we can focus on our athletes and what we do, where they can feel like they’re at home.” 

Avery Stahr was an Iowa cheerleader from 2011-15 before becoming the assistant cheerleading coach in 2019. When the team practiced in the new facility for the first time on Jan. 30, the closed doors and private rooms created an unfamiliar quiet. 

“We’re used to all the distractions, and now to not have any, it was very, like, ‘We got to have music on or something. It’s too quiet in here,’” she said. 

Featuring locker rooms and storage spaces, the center contains two dedicated rooms to each sport. The gymnastics part contains multiple springboards, balance beams, and a foam pit, which the cheerleading team uses to practice tumbling. The spirit squad room contains a 54-by-54-foot marley floor for the dance team as well as 54 by 42 foot cheer mat. The section also contains mirrors, a sound system and an overhead camera for filming practice. Beforehand, the spirit squad would rely on a bluetooth speaker and an Ipad, Niemiec said. 

A general meeting room for both teams features two TV screens and a snack cart. For second-year cheerleader Jenna Francois, having a dedicated facility without distractions not only allows for better communication in practice, but also symbolizes the dedication Iowa athletics has to the respective teams. 

“I think it’s just really cool that they were able to do that for us,” she said. “And it shows a lot of gratitude and appreciation that they’re giving to us.”