Thiel Gym bringing back the bolt at center court

A Galesburg symbol is coming out retirement as a result of storms that water damaged Galesburg High School’s gym floor.
The District 205 school board approved the design for Thiel Gym’s new floor at a special meeting last night after a storm in July ripped off a protective covering and exposed the floor to rain.

Superintendent Ralph Grimm says that when the floor is installed it will have a new look including returning to having a lightning bolt and Galesburg at center court.

Also the signature of John Thiel will be marked on opposite sides of the floor.

A committee made up of coaches, Athletic Director Jeff Flater, students and community members proposed the design.

Grimm tells WGIL it’s exciting to have three generations of GHS students come together to work on one of the district’s most well know symbols.

“We want that to become kind of the brand for the district, if you will,” Grimm says. “So we’re going to start putting that on as many things as we can so that people connect that to Galesburg and the board was pretty excited about that last night.”

Floor costs are at about $207,000 which will be totally covered by insurance.

New bleachers are being installed as well.

Those will cost about $420,000 covered by the district but it’s work that was a part of 10-year Health Life Safety Survey meaning the district had to overhaul the bleachers in the next few years anyway.

The goal is to get the gym ready for the girls basketball Thanksgiving tournament that starts on November 15.

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