In the seven short years since the Aquatic and Fitness Center became the home pool for the Virginia swimming program, the men's and women's teams already have established a legacy of success, winning eight conference championships between them. The pool is young, but already is steeped in a storied tradition that inspires the many athletes who train and compete there.
"We hate to lose in our house and rarely do," junior swimmer Katherine Stanton said.
The teams are proud to defend the AFC pool for good reason. The facility is state-of-the-art, featuring 20 swimming lanes of 50 meters each. The 1996 opening of the Olympic-sized pool represented a significant upgrade in the quality of aquatic facilities at the University. The pool at Onesty Hall, which was the previous home of the swim program, had just eight lanes and was only 25 meters long.
"If you want to recruit the top athletes, the 50-meter pool is one of the top aspects, because that is what they use in the Olympics," Associate Athletic Director Mark Fletcher said.
Virginia swimmers were appreciative of the Olympic-sized facility, but said intangibles were what gave them a home pool advantage at the AFC.
"There's nothing like swimming in a place in which you're totally comfortable," junior swimmer Ian Pritchard said. "The walls are like second nature; there aren't any surprises
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