42 SportsTurf | December 2014 www.sportsturfonline.com
Field oF the Year
ColumbuS Crew
STadium PiTCh
Category of Submission: Professional Soccer
Sports Turf Manager: Weston Appelfeller
Title: Director of Grounds
Education: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture,
Turfgrass Science, The Ohio State University
Experience: Columbus Crew Stadium, Director
of Grounds, January 2012-Present; PPL Park/
Philadelphia Union, Assistant Groundskeeper, May
2011-December 2011; Boston Red Sox, Grounds
Crew Supervisor, March 2008-May 2011; Columbus
Crew Stadium, Director of Grounds, June 2007-
February 2008; Columbus Crew Stadium, Assistant
Groundskeeper, February 2006-June 2007
Full-time staff: Weston Appelfeller, Ben
Jackson & Mitch Litz
Part-time staff: Ryan Martin, Will Forister, Gary
Rasor & Reese Overly
Original construction: 1999
Rootzone: Loamy 81%, Sand 19% Other: Clay
and Silt
Turfgrass variety: Kentucky bluegrass & peren-
nial ryegrass
Overseed: We overseed with perennial
ryegrass once a month. This varies between 3 and
6 lbs of seed per 1,000 sq. ft depending on amount
of activity expected.
Drainage: Longitudal drainage system. Water
flows through 4-inch pipes to the middle of the
field and meets the 8-inch main and flows from
the field.
TM
