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When Carleigh Vedder �Ӱ�ԭ��24, �Ӱ�ԭ��25 M.S. first walked into the University�Ӱ�ԭ��s new , she says she felt starstruck. The talented athletes who were training here weren�Ӱ�ԭ��t world-famous athletes �Ӱ�ԭ�� they were her fellow Chargers. And Vedder herself.

A Minnesota native, Vedder is a member of the . The PPC serves all student athletes, offering a world-class facility for them to train individually and as teams.

�Ӱ�ԭ��I�Ӱ�ԭ��m big on working out, and it�Ӱ�ԭ��s my passion,�Ӱ�ԭ�� she said. �Ӱ�ԭ��A facility like this is beyond my wildest dreams. Having this space for student-athletes and the sense of community it offers is great.�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��T�������Ӱ�ԭ��s nothing like this�Ӱ�ԭ��

Officially opened earlier this summer, the PPC offers a multitude of opportunities for the University�Ӱ�ԭ��s more than 500 student-athletes to up their game. Staff saw more student-athletes working out on campus over the summer, and they were charged up to be using the new space.

The new facility offers a world-class weight room full of natural light and stocked with top-of-the-line equipment, from dumbbells emblazoned with the Charger logo (the logo rotates so that the Charger is always upright, no matter how the weights are stacked) to a Charger blue and gold turf area. Student-athletes can also get in their cardio on the second level, where they can run on treadmills overlooking the weight training area.

Jonathan Mays, Ph.D., interim director of athletics, was a part of the design process. He says being in the facility now is even better than he�Ӱ�ԭ��d ever imagined. It�Ӱ�ԭ��s a space that, he says, is inviting, motivating for student-athletes, and exciting for prospective students.

�Ӱ�ԭ��Compared to the rest of our conference and the region, there�Ӱ�ԭ��s nothing like this,�Ӱ�ԭ�� he said. We�Ӱ�ԭ��ve had Division I transfers and other recruits come through here. It�Ӱ�ԭ��s state-of-the-art. It�Ӱ�ԭ��s not just weights, but it�Ӱ�ԭ��s sports performance. It�Ӱ�ԭ��s everything that goes with being a better athlete.�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��A place to train at a high level�Ӱ�ԭ��

The facility, which includes offices for athletics administration and coaches, also offers state-of-the-art sports medicine space, as well as a nutrition center. Giye Jenkins �Ӱ�ԭ��25 has already been using the space. As a member of the , he believes the PPC is well-equipped to enable him and his fellow Chargers to build their strength even faster and to develop the intricate muscles they�Ӱ�ԭ��ll need to excel on the gridiron.

Jenkins lights up as he describes the new football locker room, a space he describes as �Ӱ�ԭ��amazing,�Ӱ�ԭ�� �Ӱ�ԭ��beautiful,�Ӱ�ԭ�� and �Ӱ�ԭ��first class.�Ӱ�ԭ�� It�Ӱ�ԭ��s easy to get charged up for a game there, he says, with the TVs, speakers, and Bluetooth technology.

�Ӱ�ԭ��After practice, our energy and morale are so high,�Ӱ�ԭ�� said Jenkins, a computer science major. �Ӱ�ԭ��This top-notch facility is a dream. I�Ӱ�ԭ��m living my college football dream.�Ӱ�ԭ��

Every square inch of the facility was methodically thought out, says , head strength and conditioning coach who worked closely with the building�Ӱ�ԭ��s architects. He says that throughout the design process, they had three important rules to follow when it came to every square inch of space: No short cuts, only the highest-quality materials and equipment, and rules one and two were nonnegotiable.

�Ӱ�ԭ��After two and a half years of designing this space, seeing the students�Ӱ�ԭ�� faces and what the space will offer them is so rewarding,�Ӱ�ԭ�� said Faugno. �Ӱ�ԭ��It�Ӱ�ԭ��s fun �Ӱ�ԭ�� and they can�Ӱ�ԭ��t believe the size and the detail. From a recruiting standpoint, it�Ӱ�ԭ��s a Division I-level space. It�Ӱ�ԭ��s a place to train at a very high level. Coaches are experiencing the changes too, as we can recruit athletes we never could before.�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��Our vision�Ӱ�ԭ��

The space is not yet complete, as construction continues on the third level. When it�Ӱ�ԭ��s finished, it will offer a team meeting room that can be split into thirds, enabling nearly 200 athletes to collaborate. That�Ӱ�ԭ��s also where coaches will have offices, and there will be additional bathrooms. The University is also enhancing the adjacent .

The PPC is named in honor of David Peterson Jr. �Ӱ�ԭ��88, �Ӱ�ԭ��17 Hon., who has generously supported the development of the center. A former member of the Chargers football team and an Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Peterson is excited to see the opportunities the space will offer to today�Ӱ�ԭ��s and tomorrow�Ӱ�ԭ��s student-athletes.

�Ӱ�ԭ��I enjoy giving back to the athletics program because it makes a direct impact on student-athletes�Ӱ�ԭ�� lives,�Ӱ�ԭ�� said Peterson, a member of the University�Ӱ�ԭ��s Board of Governors. �Ӱ�ԭ��It�Ӱ�ԭ��s only been open a short time, and its already making a huge difference in their lives. The PPC is now one of top training facilities in the country, period. They will never regret saying, �Ӱ�ԭ��I worked out at the PPC today.�Ӱ�ԭ�� I�Ӱ�ԭ��m proud to be a part of this transformation. We are just getting started!�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��Alumni support is why we�Ӱ�ԭ��ve grown so much as a school,�Ӱ�ԭ�� added Jenkins. �Ӱ�ԭ��Their support has allowed us to renovate and enhance our facilities. Our alumni �Ӱ�ԭ�� especially our football alumni �Ӱ�ԭ�� have made us a pillar school. I�Ӱ�ԭ��m so grateful for that.�Ӱ�ԭ��

Several generous University alumni and former student-athletes have also supported the PPC. David Loane �Ӱ�ԭ��91 (also a football alum) and Penny Loane �Ӱ�ԭ��91, who earned degrees in general dietetics, respectively, have offered their support of the PPC�Ӱ�ԭ��s new nutrition station.

�Ӱ�ԭ��Being part of the Peterson Performance Center and adding a nutrition component to this facility was extremely important to us,�Ӱ�ԭ�� they said. �Ӱ�ԭ��When we started talking about how to help the athletes, it was always our vision to get a nutrition center with a nutrition bar, grab-and-go meals for athletes, a nutrition professional to help educate and assist athletes, and an athletic cafeteria.�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��Being a student-athlete is a unique experience�Ӱ�ԭ��

The nutrition professional is Caroline �Ӱ�ԭ��Ting�Ӱ�ԭ�� Ashworth �Ӱ�ԭ��25 M.S., who is also an experienced student-athlete. Ashworth has played soccer since she was in the second grade. Interested in ensuring that she always performed her best, she became interested in nutrition when she was a senior in high school.

After earning her bachelor�Ӱ�ԭ��s degree in nutrition sciences from Drexel University, Ashworth decided to pursue her master�Ӱ�ԭ��s degree in nutrition sciences at the University of New Haven. A sports nutrition graduate assistant, she is committed to making sure Chargers feel and perform their best. She�Ӱ�ԭ��s already been creating a wide array of tasty, energy-packed smoothies and other treats to ensure that student-athletes are fully charged and ready to excel.

Ashworth hopes to eventually expand her role beyond creating wholesome foods for student-athletes. She envisions teaching them to take their nutrition into their own hands, perhaps by offering student-athletes the chance to learn how to cook and prepare healthy foods, such as energy bowls. She�Ӱ�ԭ��s looking forward to meeting with teams and with athletes one-on-one during the academic year.

�Ӱ�ԭ��I�Ӱ�ԭ��m building a fueling station beyond proteins and bars,�Ӱ�ԭ�� she said. �Ӱ�ԭ��I want athletes to have access to whole foods such as yogurt and fruit. I think making an impact on athletes�Ӱ�ԭ�� performance, as well as their lives, is so important. I want them to know how to eat well outside of athletics. I�Ӱ�ԭ��m excited to build this from the ground up.�Ӱ�ԭ��

Vedder, the volleyball player and marketing and nutrition sciences major, is also looking forward to taking advantage of the nutrition station and to working with Ashworth when she�Ӱ�ԭ��s in the PPC. She also had the opportunity to meet David and Penny Loane at an event �Ӱ�ԭ�� and she says meeting them was a bit like walking into the PPC for the first time.

�Ӱ�ԭ��I was starstruck when I met them,�Ӱ�ԭ�� she said. �Ӱ�ԭ��Penny Loane is a dietitian, and seeing their success and the pride they had coming here was incredible. Being a student-athlete is a unique experience, and having this space for us, as well as the support of the Charger community, is great.�Ӱ�ԭ��