by Connor Smith, SDA Media Relations
The Mona Plummer Aquatic Center, which is home to the Arizona State men’s and women’s swimming and diving program as well as Sun Devil Water Polo, got a slight makeover over the course of the last year. The facility, which was originally built in 1981, got a significant upgrade thanks to the generosity of several donors.
The renovation of the main building, including the lobby, took place over this past summer. The lobby was completely repainted and refurbished with added features such as a list of the All-Americans and Olympians that have come through the programs that call Mona Plummer home.
“It is an area where you can walk in and have that ‘Wow’ factor,” said Greg Werner, Manager of the Mona Plummer Aquatics Center. “The coaches can bring their recruits and alums and show off the building”.
Pictures were added to the front of the building to help identify the Aquatic Center as the home of Arizona State Swimming and Diving as well as women’s Water Polo. The training room was updated with brand new training tables and medical equipment.
“It is a state of the art training room for an Aquatic Center. Most aquatic facilities don’t even have one,” Werner stated.
The pool also received some adjusting to ensure it complied with international regulations, maintaining the possibility of hosting major events.
“We can now handle the large meets and be certifiable,” said Werner,
The remodel of the main building of the facility is not quite complete. Over the holidays, the floors will be replaced with epoxy in the high slip areas.
Along with the renovation of the building, each sport that shares the Aquatic Center was able to purchase brand new training equipment. Additional shot clocks, portable timing systems, matting and heaters were just a few things that were purchased. A whole new set of strength equipment was also acquired.
“The next step was purchasing new starting blocks, which are state of the art” Werner said. “That is a very handy piece of equipment because at the NCAA championships, International championships, and Club championships they have that type of starting block. Not every program has them so we are very fortunate to have them.”
The renovation will not stop there, as future plans are still being discussed.
“Future phases we are looking at include a remodel of the locker rooms, additional lighting, a new sound system, Wi-Fi enhancement, as well as adding meeting rooms,” Werner said. “A shade structure above the stands is important because we want to attract not just national, but global level events here.”
The second phase of the renovation is set to start in the summer after the current season ends. The facility, upon completion, will be one of the best of its kind in the entire nation.