Carroll Community College's track-and-field athletes used to travel to South Carroll or Winters Mill high schools just to get in a practice. Now they walk out their own doors to a brand-new $5.6 million athletic complex, complete with a synthetic turf field and a regulation eight-lane track, that the college says is meant to serve both its Lynx teams and the wider community.
A New Era for the Lynx
The college held the grand opening of the James D. Ball Athletic Complex, named in honor of Carroll's President Emeritus Dr. James D. Ball, according to carrollcc.edu. The first phase centers on the Lynx Athletic Field, which includes a Beynon 400-meter, eight-lane regulation running track, the college notes. CBS News Baltimore's Around Town segment visited the Westminster campus, with WJZ chatting with the track team about the new digs, as reported by CBS News Baltimore.
Reporting on the exact opening date varies. The Baltimore Sun reported the new turf field and track opened on September 18, 2026, while a separate account from Stadium Journey places the grand opening a day earlier, on September 17, 2026. WJZ's cameras visited the facility.
Built for Every Event on the Track
The Lynx Athletic Field was designed with more than just sprinting in mind. The college says it includes dedicated areas for hurdles, long jump, high jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, javelin, hammer throw, and steeplechase, giving Carroll's program a full slate of event spaces it never had before. The complex also includes bleacher seating and lighting for night competition, the college's report notes.
College officials describe the new synthetic surface as a turning point for how Lynx athletes train and compete, saying the turf changes practice and competition conditions for the better. Before the complex existed, the team had nowhere on campus to call home. “Before, we would go down to South Carroll to practice. On some days we'd go up to Winters Mill,” one account from the college recalls, underscoring just how makeshift the old arrangement was.
Paid for By the College and the County
The $5.6 million project was funded by $3.2 million from the college's foundation and $2.4 million from Carroll County, according to Westminster Wire.
The finished complex combines an artificial-turf field with a regulation track and multiple event areas.
Recruiting Boost and What Comes Next
Track-and-field coach Mark Reedy said the new facility is already paying dividends off the track, calling it “an intricate part of the recruiting package” for the program.
Community access remains a question. The complex includes areas for throwing events. The college is expected to have priority access, while outside groups will likely need to go through Carroll County Recreation and Parks to book the fields, per the same Westminster Wire reporting, though the formal arrangements for that community access are still being worked out.
