The site of the Cal Poly swimming and diving team’s on-campus pool is in the process of being retrofitted.
The day when the Cal Poly swimming and diving team can compete on campus in an Olympic-size pool is finally becoming a reality.
Anderson Pool, located behind Mott Gym, is being replaced with a new pool that will meet Division I regulations.
Construction on the new pool was originally planned for January 2008, but the entire process took longer than expected, head coach Tom Milich said.
Now, with construction under way, the pool is planned to open in May 2009, although Milich said the contractors believe they are ahead of schedule and could actually finish in April.
The total cost of the project is expected to be $2.39 million. The money was allotted to Cal Poly from the state for the replacement of the natatorium at Crandall Gym.
Nothing will be torn down to make room for the pool, which will double in size.
“It basically fits in the same footprint of the existing pool area,” Milich said. “It is just that the pool will take up pretty much the entire pool area.”
The new pool will consist of eight 50-meter lanes, or if lane lines are put in the other direction, 18 25-yard lanes. It will be the same depth throughout, allowing diving and swimming to take place at the same time at opposite ends.
Team workouts have been altered due to construction.
This season’s home meets will be at Sinsheimer Park.
The team practices at the Rec Center’s pool in the afternoons and takes to the weight room in the mornings. A group of distance swimmers have a morning practice once a week at Sinsheimer Park as well.
Milich said one reason the old pool didn’t meet Division I standards was that it had only six lanes instead of eight, and they were less than 7 feet wide instead of 8-foot-2.
More lanes will help practices become more efficient, allowing the team to split up for different stroke work with fewer people in each lane.
“It was very difficult to get the work in that you needed to do because there were so many people in one lane,” senior swimmer Amy Speer said. “There was so much wake from everyone else.”
Fellow senior Brent Summers agreed.
“You had to make sure you weren’t going to get run over or run someone over,” he said.
As if that weren’t enough, the pool had no lines or crosses on the bottom to let the swimmers know where they were. The markings are critical to swimmers going into their flip turns in order to know their distance to the wall.
Perhaps most importantly, a new pool will allow the team to host meets on campus.
“I think the student body will support us if it’s convenient and can come walk on campus,” Milich said.
The program is now actively recruiting Olympic Trials swimmers, he added.
“I am excited to see what it is going to do for this program,” Summers said. “We are finally going to be able to bring in recruits and it will be a nice facility, and we will be able to compete with some of the other schools that have nice facilities.”