The Persistent Pursuit’s Paige Brown recently highlighted the leadership team from construction company Shiel Sexton, who have just constructed two Olympic-sized swimming pools inside of Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium with the help of two high-level Purdue Polytechnic alumni.
The two Polytechnic grads now working at Shiel Sexton are:
- Mike Dilts, CEO (BS construction management technology ’81)
- Tony Eisenhut, vice president of field operations (BS construction management technology ’90)
Lucas Oil Stadium, which has been the home of the Indianapolis Colts for nearly 16 years, has never undergone a conversion of this kind. The two 50-meter pools were constructed on top of the stadium’s field for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The pool deck will be constructed approximately 8 feet above the existing field.
Eisenhut told The Persistent Pursuit: “Every one of the entities involved in this project is the best of the best. It’s nice working with all ‘A’ players.” If you wanted to build an all-star team, they are all in Lucas Oil today. And you’ve got to have Boilermakers on the team, or we would be behind schedule right now.”
Purdue’s role in the Olympic Trials began 20 years ago when former Purdue athletics director Morgan Burke and former Purdue administrator Nancy Cross stepped up to pledge Purdue’s support for the 2004 FINA World Swimming Championships.
Dilts says the experience will also be unique for competitors. “When those swimmers come out, it’s going to blow them away when you walk up the stairs to the newly raised pool deck and all of the sudden 30,000 people are cheering you on,” he says. “That’s going to be quite an adrenaline rush.”
Read the full story at The Persistent Pursuit.
Additional information
- Purdue innovation takes the lead at Olympic swimming pool project in Lucas Oil Stadium (The Persistent Pursuit)
- Interview with Mike Dilts (Purdue Polytechnic People Profiles)