Naquin Strength & Conditioning Center / North Oaks Nutrition Center

With a lead gift donated by Southeastern alumni Ray and Ruth Naquin, construction of the 6,000-square foot Naquin Strength and Conditioning Center was funded entirely through private donations.

After playing on the football team in 1952 and 1953, Naquin entered military service and returned to Southeastern to graduate in 1958.

Located next to Strawberry Stadium and the Dugas Athletic Center building, the center is used by student-athletes on all 16 of the university’s intercollegiate athletic teams, in addition to the cheerleaders and Lionettes.

Renovations in the Naquin Center carved out space for the new North Oaks Nutrition Center in 2018.

The nutrition center is only one piece of an entire nutritional program for the Lions and Lady Lions, developed by North Oaks Dietetic Internship Director Leslie Ballard and Southeastern Assistant Athletic Director for Student Service Brandon Albin. The program is designed to not only provide sustenance through the nutrition center but also to better educate all Southeastern student-athletes on the best dietary practices.

"Going back to developing a holistic student-athlete, it's important we also give them the nutritional resources to be successful," Director of Athletics Jay Artigues said. "They get their three meals a day, but it's also important they have the proper proteins and nutritional information to support their workouts. We're also educating them on what they should eat, what to purchase at the grocery store and how to properly prepare their meals."

Located in the Nutrition Center are detailed daily meal plans designed for student-athletes' specific needs – whether it is weight gain or weight loss. Recognizing the differing nutritional demands over a spectrum that includes about 400 young men and women, a nutritionist meets with each program separately to educate teams on the best practices for their specific sport.

Southeastern student-athletes, cheerleaders and dance team members who have nutritional concerns also have access to multiple board-certified sports dietitians for individual consultations.