West Virginia University students are getting in shape in record numbers.

The University’s state-of-the-art Student Recreation Center has seen two consecutive months of record-setting attendance in January and February, boosting its overall attendance to more than 1.7 million visitors since its opening in July of 2001.

In January, the Recreation Center had 77,747 visitors, or 7,000 more than last January, according to director Dave Taylor. February brought 90,741 visitors, nearly 16,000 more than last February. Up until this year, February of 2003 held the record with 75,172 visitors.

February is always a big month,he said.It is the first true winter month students are here for the whole 29 days.

Taylor also attributes the jump in attendance to New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and get healthy and the Recreation Center’s unique features.

The 177,000 square feet of interior space makes the Recreation Center one of the largest of its kind,Taylor said.

The center’s features include fitness and leisure pools, 17,000 square feet devoted to weight lifting and fitness equipment, a three-lane walking/jogging track, basketball and badminton courts, a 50-foot climbing wall, outdoor recreation center and afree zonewhere visitors may tour the facility.

The Recreation Center also adds equipment based on trends and requests, Taylor noted. In the past, this has included table tennis and boxing bags.

It is also home to a variety of popular programs. Among these is an intramurals program that offers competitive sports in season league and tournament formats.

The intramural basketball league has more than 130 teams this year,Taylor said.

The Recreation Center also sponsors a lecture series that has brought in such speakers as Billy Carlton, a nationally-recognized wellness expert.