Northern Arizona University broke ground on what will be the new home of its swimming and diving program today.
The Western Athletic Conference team will get a new training and competition home within the University’s North Campus Athletics and Recreation Center, which will house the swimming and diving and tennis programs along with student rec life facilities.
The photos above and below are artist renditions of what the facility will look like. You can see the planned 10-lane, 50-meter pool as well as the diving well with platforms.
Courtesy of Andy Johns.
Courtesy of Andy Johns.
You can read more about the new facility on the school’s website here. Head coach Andy Johns is quoted in the story expressing his excitement about the program’s new home.
“This is a tremendous day for NAU Swimming & Diving, NAU Tennis and really for the entire university and community,” Johns said. “This facility is going to serve so many people in such a great way. I’m so thankful to the administration and everyone who has put in so much hard work to make this happen. Now we just have to sit back and watch this grow.”
Anyone know what the chances of NAU offering a mens NCAA swim program in the near future,…2017 or 2018 or…?
Firstly, Coach Andy Johns and his Lady Jacks (2014 WAC Champions!!) are deserving of a state-of-the-art natatorium at 7,000-feet. Furthermore, Andy Johns, as a highly respected coach and physiologist, is one of a select few, nationally and worldwide, who has figured out how to train athletes at altitude without either deconditioning or burning them out. The new venue, as well, will provide a significant boost ($$$) to the Flagstaff economy by attracting swimming, diving, triathlon, and Modern Pentathlon teams from around the globe. ~~Go Lumberjacks!!
Great news for my good friends, and fellow former Clemson Swimming & Diving assistants, Andy & Nikki!
Looking forward to seeing you guys, and your new hole in the ground, May 23-24.
Couldn’t be happier for Andy Johns and NAU with this facility. Amazing people collaborate in this town to make it home for many international athletes. Looking forward to hearing all the new stories that this pool will bring for NAU and all the international swimmers who call it their second home.
NAU will have more cred with the swimming community when they restore men’s swimming.
Exactly.
This is a long over due upgrade to a program and community that are very deserving. With tennis finally getting their own home facility (no longer being a nomad for home matches, or even not hosting any home events), how great will it be for the tennis team have their own facility, where they can attract fans, host events and train! They deserve it.
Flagstaff and NAU have attracted some of the top international talent in the world for many years. With the pool sitting at 7000ft, its a desirable location, However, the facility was always a drawback to domestic athletes due to the lack of options when working with configurations. The current facility is 8 lane 50 meter, but… Read more »
This sounds like an amazing facility for the Lumberjacks. I do find it a little suprising that in this day of athletic facility cutbacks and general belt tightening that they are building this facility to support a program that does not have a mens program. Could a mens program be coming in the future?
DC Guy…my question as well.
There is quite a bit of interest in getting that program started up again – there are a number of pretty good players already on the campus who would jump at the opportunity.
This will be a great addition. All you Masters swimmers, though, who want to get one last swim in the famous Wall Aquatic Center on the NAU campus should come to the Fast Times in the Cool Pines meet being planned for June 21st. Check out http://www.azlmsc.org so that, next year when you come again to swim in the new pool, you can brag to your friends about your war stories of swimming in the ‘old pool.’