PEPPER PIKE, Ohio — Thursday marks the 10-year anniversary of the devastating tornado that ripped through the campus of Ursuline College, but a decade later, the school has not only weathered the storm—they've thrived along the way.
See News 5's initial coverage of the tornado below.
When you walk through the Jane and Lee Seidman Gymnasium at Ursuline College, it's hard to tell what happened 10 years ago.
"It's just kind of crazy to think because this place, it just looks so amazing right now. And just to imagine nothing being here and to see this school totally different, it's just really weird to think about," said senior Emma Randall.
But for people who were at the school in 2013, it's hard to forget.
"I didn't even realize until someone called me that a tornado had hit here. And I only live about 15 minutes from here. So I got here as quickly as I and I couldn't believe it. What I was thinking was not what I saw. It was devastating," recalled Athletic Director Cindy McKnight. "I got in my car, came over here, and literally, there was no gym wall."
An EF1 tornado with winds reaching 110 mph tore through the campus, downing trees, scattering debris—and destroying the gym.
Luckily, no one was injured.
But the damage was everywhere. The school's many sports programs were left without a home.
Add to that; the tornado struck just a week after Ursuline College had successfully gained NCAA Division II status. What should have been a happy time for the school's athletes was surrounded with question marks. However, McKnight never lost faith that they'd land on their feet.
"It never crossed our mind to pause the year because we didn't have a facility. I knew there are enough people in the area that, fortunately, I had good relationships with that I knew would help us," she said. "I reached out to some people in the area, you know, 'Could you help us?'...John Carroll helped us a lot. Laurel School helped us a lot. Other facilities in Northeast Ohio opened their doors to us and said, 'You're welcome. We'll work with you.'"
With help from the community, Ursuline College's programs went on without missing a beat.
The school rebuild the gym and added buildings. A hall of fame, a new fitness center and an athletic training center now await students at the college. And the sports not only continued, they thrived. Since the tornado, Ursuline College has won championships, recruited top talent and even added two sports to its programming.
"We've had multiple young women make the NCAA track championships. We've won five conference championships during that period of time….We were one of the founding members for the great Midwest Athletic Conference," McKnight said. "I think we’ve come a long way."
On the 10-year anniversary, memories rush through the minds of those who were with the college that day. And even after all of the destruction and uncertainty, Ursuline College has found silver linings through it all.
"It was a blessing because we have this facility," McKnight said. "Things are different over the past 10 years. But it's still a great place to work, and we're very proud of what we've done over these past 10 years."
