By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Newport Central Catholic will replace the hardwood floor in its gymnasium this summer and a gift from one of the high school’s most famous alumni got the project started.
Dave Cowens, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame who graduated from NewCath in 1966, made the lead gift for funding the flooring project in honor of his parents, Jack and Ruth Cowens, who provided a Catholic education for all six of their children.
The installation of the floor will take place immediately after the 2017-18 school year ends and the entire process will take six to eight weeks, according to a press release from the school.
Naming rights to the floor will belong to the Cowens family.
The original hardwood floor when the high school opened in 1954 is still in the gymnasium. When it’s removed, pieces of the historic surface will be available for purchase. The design for the new floor has the Thoroughbreds logo at center court and the wood surface will be arranged in a parquet pattern.
They have the same unique floor pattern at Boston Gardens, where Cowens started his pro basketball as a center for the Boston Celtics. He helped lead that team to NBA titles in 1974 and 1976 and was named to the NBA all-star team seven times during his career. In 1991, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The following statement from Cowens was included in the press release about the new gymnasium floor: “Jack and Ruth Cowens, like many other parents, dedicated hard earned, limited resources to providing their children with a good, Catholic education. Gary, Tom, Jerry and I went to Newport Catholic, sister Susan attended Our Lady of Providence Academy and oldest brother Wayne excelled at Covington Latin School. This gift is in honor of the sacrifices our parents made for us.”
The new floor will benefit everyone involved at NewCath. In addition to being a site for playing and practicing sporting events, the gymnasium is where the co-ed school has its annual spring musical production, major fundraising events, school assemblies, all-school masses and guest speaker engagements.
“We are very blessed to have alumni like Dave Cowens and his family who support our mission of educating young people in a Catholic environment,” said David Collopy, boys’ head basketball coach and Director of Institutional Advancement at NewCath. “This new surface is a testament to the confidence our alumni have in our causes and their dedication to our students’ Catholic education. This project will not only improve the experience of our community, but bring about great excitement and momentum.”
The school is also grateful to the Most Reverend Bishop Foys, D.D. and the Diocese of Covington for supporting the project. Cincinnati Floor Company and Robbins Flooring will be providing the flooring, removal, and installation.