![Mount Mercy baseball player Michael Barbato uses a batting cage in the new Rinderknecht Athletic Facility that was unveiled Friday at the Grand Opening. The batting cages feature HitTrax technology that provides analytics to the hitters. (MSR photo by Margaret O'Banion)](/images/resized/images/photos/mtmercy/baseball/06_07_2019_mmu1_thumb200__310_230.jpg)
Mustangs open Rinderknecht Athletic Center
The Mount Mercy University athletic department took another leap forward Friday with the Grand Opening of the Rinderknecht Athletic Center.
The transformed warehouse, located at 939 17th Street NE in Cedar Rapids, is a state-of-the-art wellness and athletic performance center. The building houses batting cages for baseball and softball, a golf hitting area and putting greens, a 60-meter sprint track, an athletic training room, fitness/cardio/weight equipment, a dynamic movement area for yoga and more.
Renovations to the building include a new HVAC system and new flooring, roof, siding and windows that look onto Mount Mercy's Plaster Athletic Complex that is located across the street. A neighboring facility, formerly the Barry K. Wendt building, houses new administrative offices for the athletic department.
The renovation was made possible through a substantial lead gift from John Rinderknecht, a Mount Mercy trustee and president of Ram Development Company.