Like several other Penn programs, swimming and diving is entering a new era.
On Nov. 8, Sheerr Pool celebrated its reopening after a yearlong renovation — its first since opening in 1967 — with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house that preceded the Penn men’s swimming and diving season opener.
The event was held at Pottruck Health and Fitness Center and hosted by the Penn Champions Club, which is Penn Athletics’ fundraising and alumni engagement arm. Notable guests in attendance included Penn President Larry Jameson and Athletic Director Alanna Wren.
Sheerr Pool reopened to the Penn community on June 9 after closing at the beginning of July 2024. The improvements to the pool itself included a new bulkhead, gutter system, pool entry stairs, pool deck tiling, diving boards, starting blocks, lane lines, and improved lighting.
RELATED:
Kayla Fu breaks pool record in 100-yard butterfly to open Penn women’s swimming and diving season
Penn women’s swimming and diving’s Kayla Fu breaks second pool record of week against Villanova
“[The new pool lighting] is one of the things most people mention when they walk in, especially if they had known the previous pool,” senior project manager of design and construction at Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services Jim Palka told Penn Today. “Everyone seems to respond to that immediately.”
Notable additions to the pool area consisted of a full glass entry wall on the main level of Pottruck and an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant viewing platform and pool entry stairs. $14 million was budgeted by the University for the updates.
In addition to the pool and surrounding structures, the locker rooms, team rooms, and coaches’ offices were also updated, funded by alumni donations.
Jameson, Wren, Penn swimming and diving coach Mike Schnur, and 1976 College graduate and former Penn swimming and diving member Ethan Lerner spoke preceding the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Jameson indicated that the pool reopening meant a lot to him personally, as his son swam for the Quakers from 2013-17.
“This is really a fantastic day. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. [My wife] and I spent many, many hours upon these hard seats. … The pool is faster, and there’s going to be records set here left and right. It’s fun for me to be back in this room … see[ing] the photograph of Chris Swanson up here [and] Matt Fallon,” Jameson said.
“I just want to give a lot [of] ‘thank-yous’ for something that’s going to be impactful for our student-athletes for decades.” Schnur added.
Lerner, who is an alumnus of the swimming and diving program, also had a son swim on the team. He personally contributed $1 million to the project.
Since the event was held on Homecoming weekend, many other Penn swimming and diving alumni returned to the pool to celebrate, including 1965 College graduate Louis Kozloff and 1967 Nursing graduate Rene Kozloff, who donated over $1 million to endow the program’s head coach position.
Last year, Penn swimming and diving bounced between two practice sites: Drexel’s pool and the West Philadelphia YMCA pool. Both the women’s and men’s team schedules consisted of away meets, except for one “home meet” in November held at Drexel.
Both teams returned to normal schedules this season. Eight pool records have been broken so far this season across the men’s and women’s teams, with one being broken twice in a week.
