Ouachita dedicates Hickingbotham Family Track & Field

Ouachita Baptist University dedicated its new Hickingbotham Family Track & Field in
a ceremony at the facility on Monday, Aug. 25. Attendees included the venue’s namesake,
Frank D. Hickingbotham and family, who provided the capstone gift enabling the project’s
completion.

The journey to the new complex began in 2019, when Steve Guymon, head coach of Ouachita’s
cross country and track & field teams, was hired to lead the university’s cross country
athletes, which included seven women at the time. Six years later, Guymon has helped
add multiple teams and now leads 130 student-athletes.

With the rapid growth of the program, construction of a home facility was essential.
Ouachita began a multi-year development project, turning existing intramural fields
into state-of-the-art track surface, field event area, bleacher seating and a press
box.

During Ouachita’s Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 12, 2024, Dr. Ben Sells, Ouachita
president, announced the university had met its fundraising goal, thanks in large
part to the gift from Hickingbotham. At that same meeting, Sells revealed the new
track & field complex would be named after the Hickingbotham family. The facility
finished construction during the Spring 2025 semester and hosted its inaugural track
meet – the Tigers’ first at home in over 30 years – on March 20.

Terry Peeples, vice president for development, welcomed guests to the dedication and
offered opening remarks. David Sharp, director of athletics, delivered the opening
prayer. Coach Guymon then provided an overview of the project, paying special attention
to how the new complex has made his tightly knit teams even more united.

“People ask, ‘How do your athletes keep so close?’” Guymon said. “They are a big family.
They’ll go around and pull for each other during practice. We were separated all over
Arkadelphia before. But when they got this facility, the students were here every
night. That has been a huge blessing for them to be together.”

Dr. Keldon Henley, vice president for institutional advancement and chief of staff,
remarked on the historical significance of the track site and program. He acknowledged
the versatility of the land housing the facility, noting that it had been used as
the college farm, a pecan orchard, a hay meadow and, most recently, intramural fields.
Henley also discussed the track & field team’s roots tracing back to 1928, when the
Tigers first competed in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference.

“The dedication of this facility represents not just a beautiful track surface, field
and stands,” Henley said. “It represents renewal. It symbolizes the return of a sport
that has shaped lives on our campus for nearly a century, and it declares Ouachita’s
dedication to new generations of student-athletes who will run, jump and throw here
in pursuit of excellence.”

Members of the Hickingbotham family gather by the new complex’s signage.

Another individual recognized for adding to the site’s history of excellence was Win
Whipple. An Arkadelphia native and the uncle of project contributor Ross Whipple,
Win developed into a standout track & field athlete by practicing near the complex
site. Thanks to the efforts of Ross and his wife, Mary, a plaque is dedicated in Win’s
honor at the Hickingbotham Track & Field, which will host high school athletes from
across Arkansas during the inaugural Win Whipple Invitational next spring.

Kate Nachtigal, a national qualifier in the steeplechase and a senior business administration/entrepreneurship
major from Rogers, Arkansas, spoke on behalf of Ouachita’s cross country and track
& field athletes.

“In those early years, it wasn’t easy,” Nachtigal said. “But what we lacked in facilities,
we made up for in determination. We always had the drive – we just needed the track.
To Mr. Hickingbotham and all the donors who made this possible: we thank you. You
haven’t just given us a facility. You’ve given us a home.”

Sells talked about the challenges and triumphs of building the program and venue while
facing the COVID-19 pandemic and price inflation that followed. In addition to thanking
Guymon and other Ouachita personnel, he highlighted the role donors played in keeping
the dream of a track & field facility alive.

“Every gift mattered,” Sells said. “I remember those gifts would come at such crucial
times. It’s particularly noteworthy that most contributors weren’t former athletes
themselves, but alumni and friends inspired by our students and coaches, what the
program means to the university and what the facility will do for our college and
community.”

The Ouachita president also brought attention to the contributions of the Board of
Trustees.

“They supported this project with their words, with their prayers and with their resources,”
Sells said.

In his own address, Hickingbotham expressed gratitude for the new venue and the visionaries
behind it, including Guymon, Peeples, Sharp and Sells.

“Dr. Sells had a dream for Ouachita when he came here,” Hickingbotham said. “All you
have to do is step across this campus, and you’ll see what giant work God has done
through him and his wife, Lisa.”

Hickingbotham saved a special group for final recognition.

“Most of all, we’re grateful for the vision of these students, who stepped out on
faith to come here and be a part of this great program,” Hickingbotham said. “You
are the reason we have this track. Thank you for letting my family be a part of it.”

The Hickingbotham Family Track & Field is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entry
is free and open to the public, though the track is closed for team practices (usually
2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and events. Visiting groups of more than 10 people should coordinate
with the director of athletics. For more information, contact David Sharp at 870-245-5000
or [email protected].

Lead photo by Brian Ramsey