July 24, 2026
MDCA Completes Track Resurfacing, Plans Turf Replacement and New Field House
By Kyle Coppola
MDCA Completes Track Resurfacing, Plans Turf Replacement and New Field House
Mount Dora Christian Academy has completed a resurfacing of its track, introducing a new blue surface in time for the 2026-27 season as part of ongoing upgrades to its athletic facilities.
Athletic Director Megan Ziegelhofer says safety remains the top priority behind the project.
“The safety of our student-athletes, as well as every athlete who competes on the campus of Mount Dora Christian Academy, has always been my highest priority,” Ziegelhofer says. “This newly upgraded track surface provides not only a safer environment for training and competition, but also an elite-level facility that will benefit both our athletes and the many visiting athletes who compete on our campus. We are proud to provide a first-class venue that reflects our commitment to excellence while promoting the health, safety, and success of every competitor.”
With the track project now complete, the school is turning its attention to its football field. The artificial turf, installed in June 2017, is approaching the end of its operational life.
Ziegelhofer says the program has already started obtaining quotes for a full replacement.
“The turf has served our student-athletes well over the years,” she says. “We have already begun obtaining quotes for its replacement and look forward to completing that project in the near future as we continue investing in the quality and safety of our athletic facilities.”
The school is also moving forward with plans for a new field house at the stadium. Preliminary designs call for construction to potentially begin within the next couple of years. The facility is expected to include multiple team locker rooms, a sports medicine and athletic training area, equipment storage, an officials’ changing room, and office space for athletics staff.
Ziegelhofer described the field house as “an important step in our long-term vision to enhance the experience for our student-athletes, coaches, officials, and visiting teams while continuing to invest in the future of MDCA Athletics.”
Photos by: MDCA Athletics
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
