March 12, 2008
Upgraded King County Aquatic Center hosts NCAA men’s swimming, diving championships
New features at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in
Federal Way will greet the nation's best collegiate athletes who are
coming to this world-class facility March 27-29 for the NCAA Division I
Men's Swimming and Diving Championships.
Four
new diving boards, new lane lines, enhanced sound system, coats of
paint inside and out and floor coverings are among the improvements
that help the facility maintain its world-class status. The most
notable feature will be the new LED scoreboard that features twice the
screen resolution but uses just 1/12th the electricity and reflects the
center's ongoing resource conservation efforts.
"The
King County Aquatic Center is one of the nation's top swimming and
diving facilities, and is just one of only a handful in the country
recognized as a world-class venue for international competitions," said
Mike Dunwiddie, aquatic center director.
Since
opening in 1990 for the Seattle Goodwill Games, the aquatic center has
hosted events of all sizes – from international opens to Olympic
trials, to high school and college championships. The facility
maintains one of the most active competition schedules in the country,
hosting more than 50 events annually.
More than 500,000 people each year visit the facility, which features an
eight-lane, 50-meter Olympic-size pool, a separate diving tank with
five platform levels, a 25-yard warm water recreation pool and an
11,000-square-foot conference center.
The NCAA Championships are hosted by the Seattle Sports Commission and the
University of Washington. More information regarding is available at
www.swimanddivechamps.com.
King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 25,000 acres
of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as
Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of
regional trails, plus pools and a world-class aquatic center. By
cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and
community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while
reducing costs. Learn more at
www.metrokc.gov/parks.