Northfield Mount Hermon’s New FieldTurf Surface Prioritizes Performance and Sustainability

Prestigious boarding school continues to trust artificial turf supplier on campus’s McLamore Field

The following story was originally published in the Spring 2025 Edition of NEPSAC News.

Northfield Mount Hermon, the coeducational boarding school in Massachusetts’ Connecticut River Valley, promotes an inclusive, diverse community that empowers its over 650 students to follow their passions as they embark on a journey of self-discovery. That mindset extends to NMH’s diverse athletic offerings, which reflect its belief in nurturing the whole person and giving students every opportunity to be their best selves.

Ensuring that students have access to top-of-the-line facilities is crucial to the effectiveness of this endeavor. Now, with the introduction of new FieldTurf artificial turf at the campus’s McLamore Field, student-athletes have another trusted solution that promises to enhance their participation in sports.

“The turf project at McLamore is a key part of our larger plan, as we maintain and upgrade our athletics facilities and provide our scholar-athletes with the resources they need to succeed,” said Interim Director of Athletics Michael Shelton. “That effort has included, in recent years, the construction of NMH’s Draper Riverhouse, the Calagione Fitness Center, and the Li Wrestling Center. Work is now underway on a new hockey arena, The NMH Ice Barn, with a new field house to follow.”

NMH boasts a serene, wooded 746-acre campus that provides students with a scenic locale bordered by the Connecticut River to the East. It is the ideal environment for young minds to find the inspiration and direction vital to helping them realize their goals. The campus also fosters inclusivity, a core principle since the school’s founding in 1879 that has been essential to encouraging collaboration and collective strength. That spirit has consistently shone through in the dedication shown by its scholar-athletes and NMH’s support of their aspirations.

“It was a great experience working with Northfield Mount Hermon from the initial contact all the way through construction,” said Jonathan Luster, FieldTurf Regional Construction Manager, New England. “Their team’s commitment to quality, sustainability, and collaboration made this project especially rewarding.”

The new turf, installed in June 2024, replaced a previous FieldTurf surface that was introduced in 2008. McLamore Field is located at the southern edge of the NMH campus and is home to varsity field hockey and boys’ varsity lacrosse. FieldTurf, part of Tarkett Sports, is also used on Thorndike Field, where the girls’ lacrosse team competes.

FieldTurf collaborated with NMH throughout the fall and winter to plan the replacement process, which took approximately one month to complete once summer arrived. FieldTurf and NMH approached the project with a commitment to promoting sustainability and limiting environmental impact by repurposing and recycling as many materials as possible.

The multi-phase process began with the FieldTurf team assessing the existing turf system to ensure that the stone base beneath it was still draining properly. The evaluation also required laboratory testing of infill samples to determine if it could be reused in the new field. Results showed that the infill, comprised of sand and rubber, was suitable for reuse in the new turf system and that the stone base maintained favorable infiltration rates. For NMH, the findings had the dual benefit of reducing the project’s carbon footprint and providing significant cost savings.

Through its ‘Sustain the Game’ program, FieldTurf offers several environmentally conscious solutions that prioritize circularity and waste reduction. In addition to reclaiming and reusing infill, the company also recycles the carpeting from aged turf systems to be used in manufacturing other products.

“Sustainability is one of NMH’s core values. It’s embedded in everything we do, from our curriculum to our campus operations,” said Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations Mary McEneany, noting that the school’s recent construction projects have received LEED certification. “It was important to us that the McLamore project was consistent with that commitment.”

When construction began at McLamore Field, the first step was removing and bagging the infill for reuse. The old turf carpet was then cut into sections, rolled up, and transported to a recycling facility. In preparation for the new surface, the field was laser-graded to ensure a smooth surface and proper elevation without significant high or low points that could adversely impact water flow.

The new surface, which features inlaid lines for boys’ lacrosse and field hockey, and a 48’ x 19.5’ “NMH” logo at its center, was then laid in place, followed by the reclaimed infill. The field also now has lines for girls’ lacrosse and soccer. The project was completed on schedule, making it available in time for NMH’s athletic summer camps.

“It’s been exciting for our student-athletes and coaches to have this new surface to play on,” said Rick Hendrickson, NMH special advisor to athletics. “It’s one more step toward achieving our ambitious vision: to develop the most innovative, inclusive, and successful athletics program in New England.”

The first official contest on McLamore Field’s new turf was a scrimmage hosted last September by the varsity girls' field hockey team, which competes in the prestigious NEPSAC Class A. The boys’ lacrosse team also competes in NEPSAC Class A and has built a reputation for producing elite players who go on to compete at some of the most respected college programs in the country.

The new turf comes at a crucial time as both programs look to build their on-field momentum while continuing to nurture academic excellence and a culture centered on hard work and leadership.