Featured Installation: Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) in Walnut, California is the second largest community college in the state, serving over 28,000 students. Known for its strong athletic program, the college has won 90 state championships, including 59 titles since 2000. In 2023, Mt. SAC’s new 110,000-foot Athletics Complex East designed to serve students, athletes and the community with a state-of-the-art aquatics complex, gymnasium, and wellness center, accommodating a range of athletics.

GearBoss is proud to have provided storage solutions to help organize and protect equipment throughout the beautiful new facility. Ryan Grant, athletic equipment tech at Mt. SAC, says it GearBoss has proved to be the right choice. “All our GearBoss products meet high standards for robustness and practicality, which I appreciate,” Grant explains. “I pay close attention to detail; I thoroughly test whatever we purchase so I know everything about it.”

GearBoss products included in the athletics complex include:

Ventilated lockers. “We have AirPro lockers in 18 locker rooms; the largest locker rooms have approximately 150 lockers each,” Grant says. “Unlike the metal lockers used in most high schools, the AirPro lockers have excellent ventilation, which prevents odors from lingering.” For easy cleaning, dust and debris fall through the metal grate of the locker’s bottom storage cubby; the elevated design also facilitates sweeping or mopping.

Rugged storage carts. To meet Mt. SAC’s diverse storage needs, GearBoss X-Carts were selected for their versatility and durability. “I appreciate how rugged and robust these carts are, even when holding heavy items,” Grant says. “They are very impressive.” The five X-Carts are used for multi-purpose storage, including two for concession stand supplies such as cases of Gatorade and water bottles, often stacked high. He claims that Mt. SAC’s storage units from a competitor are not as sturdy and would bend under such weight.

Flexible shelving. The GearBoss shelving units installed in three of the four equipment rooms provide a highly efficient, flexible and strong storage solution according to Grant. “It’s awesome!” he says, adding that he appreciates the hanger bars for air-drying uniforms. The ample tabletop surface facilitates sorting gear and assembling travel bags; the adjustable height enables flexibility such as for putting laundry carts underneath.

Wenger, maker of GearBoss, salutes Mt. SAC’s commitment to athletic excellence that guided this facility’s development and is proud to supply reliable, effective GearBoss storage solutions that help support the Mounties’ ongoing success.

Featured Installation: Melissa High School, Melissa, Texas

Speaking with Athletic Director Duke Sparks about the school’s new facility:

Background/planning: “Whenever I have the opportunity to talk about this facility, I always start out with a quote from famed football coach Lane Kiffin: “To do the impossible, you must see the invisible.” I tell everybody, “You’re standing in the invisible.” That’s how remarkable it has been here in Melissa, Texas. We started planning for this athletic facility six years ago, without any idea how it was going to happen. But we knew it had to happen. We were building a new high school; we moved in four years ago. Our school is growing on pace to become 6A in Texas in six years; that’s the highest level. We currently have over 1,600 students, more than 300 of them involved in football alone.

We knew the athletic facilities needed upgrading; we were running out of space. So we started planning for this championship center: an indoor facility for all athletes—boys, girls, everybody. We knew adequate storage was important; you can never have enough storage. We planned for several different storage areas but weren’t sure what type of storage equipment to use. Maybe we’d use lots of shelving like in our old facility.”

Discovering & ordering GearBoss high-density storage systems: In our research process we visited seven other high schools, along with three D-I colleges. One of the high schools had the GearBoss cart system. During my 53 years in education, I’ve been involved in a lot of construction projects. I knew about Wenger equipment for band, orchestra and choir, but nothing about the GearBoss line. Our band director gave me the name of our Wenger sales rep. Based on the sizes of our storage rooms, she calculated what we needed and gave us several options, including both carts and shelving. The storage areas also give us room to grow into. Wenger quickly created the project drawings and we gave the go-ahead. Installation by the Wenger crew went smoothly—the entire process was probably the easiest aspect of the entire facility.

Daily use: “The GearBoss system is amazing. It has revolutionized storing, issuing, and caring for equipment. I would not build a new athletic facility without it; it’s incredible. For issuing equipment we can pull carts out into the hall for easier, faster access. Everyone isn’t cramming into one storage room. Equipment management is so critical. For football alone we have between 300 and 350 sets of shoulder pads, and more than 500 helmets, both white and black. We have three sets of varsity football uniforms—red, black and white—which are used in different jersey/pants color combinations. I’m not even counting the equipment of our JV and freshman teams.

With the GearBoss system, our equipment is much more organized and it’s so easy to access what we need, from both the carts and the shelving. It makes a former equipment manager like me, and our current equipment manager, very happy. Our equipment is also protected and secure, so we don’t have to worry about it. It’s a blessing for athletic directors.

The GearBoss carts and shelving are sturdy and durable—built to last like our entire facility. I don’t have to worry about them; they’ll last at least 50 years. I don’t want to have to replace things in five years.”

Why Schools Choose GearBoss for Equipment Storage and Management

No matter the size of an athletic department or its budget, GearBoss products deliver innovative locker room and storage solutions that maximize the space, capabilities and operational efficiencies available. From fully custom state-of-the-art college locker rooms to streamlined storage solutions for high schools and community centers, GearBoss solutions combine the highest quality materials and workmanship with smart design to take athletic spaces to the next level of functionality.