Featuring a 50-meter, nine lane pool, accompanied by two 3-meter diving boards and two 1-meter springboards, the Aquatics Center at the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center is the first and only 50-meter Myrtha pool in the state of Maine.
"The size of the Aquatics Center alone will enhance the student-athlete experience for Colby swimmers and divers. With 18 short course lanes, we will now have the space to adequately train the team of 64 student-athletes at the same time. The pool will also allow us to run swim and dive practices simultaneously and the additional lane space will allow us to provide more specialized training for our athletes. The ability to train long course will also provide our athletes with additional benefits in their training from both the physiological and skill development aspects" - Tom Burton, Associate Director of Athletics and Head Coach of Swimming and Diving
The new facility utilizes state of the art technology in air handling so that there are less harmful chemicals in the air and it is easier to breath. The pool meets NCAA, USA and YMCA standards in water depth in the racing course which will result in faster swimming at meets and will also allow Colby swimmers to practice start techniques for speed. The Myrtha design and technology provide the fastest racing course.
The Aquatics Center at the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center is poised to become the center for swimming and diving in Maine with expanded regional reach.
Now, with the size and technology of the facility, Colby is a contender to host competitions collegiately as well as on a local, regional, national and international stage.
- The Mules are set to host the next New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship meet and will be on the conference rotation to host the men's and women's championships every five years.
- Colby is now equipped to host NCAA Diving Regionals in future years.
- The Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center enables Colby to place a bid to host USAswimming Regional Championship. Such events include Sectionals and Zone meets which cover New England and the full North Atlantic Region. Colby will also bid to host a USAswimming Zone Camp for the top swimmers in New England.
- Colby now also has the capacity to host events on an international level, and the facility is already under consideration to host a world competition for Artistic Swimming.
- Locally, the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center will host USAswimming and the YMCA state championships as well as invitational events for the MidMaine Dolphins.
