Just too pool for school
Liberty University begins construction on a new natatorium for fall 2017
BUILD — Construction began on the natatorium.
Photo Credit: Michela Diddle
The Liberty University swimming and diving team competed in the last meet at the LaHaye Aquatics Center Jan. 20 against Campbell.
The women’s swimming and diving coach Jake Shellenberger said the race was a “flood of memories” from the last seven years, reaching all the way back to the first meet at LaHaye, which was also
against Campbell.
From now on Liberty’s swimming and diving team will compete at the new natatorium, built on the side of Liberty Mountain conjoined to the new indoor track facility, which the Liberty athletics department is hoping will increase recruitment and influence the quality of athletic competition.
Liberty invested approximately $18 million into building the new indoor track and field facility and natatorium.
The natatorium is currently not completed, but is expected to be ready for use by November 2017, according to Brad Butler, the planning coordinator for Liberty Planning and Construction.
The 75,000-square-foot facility will be the home of the already-established women’s swimming and diving NCAA Division I team, the new men’s swimming and diving club team and the men’s water polo club team.
Lee Beaumont, senior vice president for Auxiliary services, told the Liberty Journal earlier this month that, “(The natatorium) will be one of the top swimming facilities on the entire east coast.”
The eight swimming lanes are 50 meters in length and nine-feet deep, making the pool Olympic-sized.
STROKE — The women’s swim team beat Campbell University in the LaHaye Aquatic Center Jan. 20.
Photo Credit: Jessie Rogers
There is also a separate diving pool that is 17 feet deep and allows for many divers to practice and compete.
The NCAA requires that there be at least 1,200 seats in the natatorium, and Liberty’s facility exceeds that requirement.
Shellenberger said the natatorium will be the “best racing atmosphere in the country.”
Shellenberger said he believes Liberty needs a better diving facility than the one located in the LaHaye Aquatics Center.
The six pool lanes and the small amount of locker room space at LaHaye was outgrown by the women’s swimming and diving team alone and was not impressive to recruits.
Not only do the aquatic teams need space, but they also need a home.
The women’s team has been sharing part of the LaHaye locker room since 2010 and has not had its own team room.
Women’s swimming and diving, men’s swimming and diving and men’s water polo require their own team rooms and facilities, logistically, mentally and emotionally.
When asked why the track and field facility and natatorium were conjoined, Butler said, “It’s just the way it played out. Having both the Indoor Track and the Natatorium side by side offered an interesting symmetry architecturally, as well as athletically, for these two Olympic sports facilities.”
The natatorium will have more locker rooms, a protein shake bar and an infinity pool.
Both the track and field team and the aquatic teams will reside in the space, but with very separate training facilities.
As for now, the pool at LaHaye will stay open for recreational use, such as student free swim and exercise classes, and will be more accessible to students with the absence of official swim and water polo practices.
