Swimmer Sarah Albrecht appreciates how much more room Centre College swimmers will have in the new facility. (Centre College Athletics Photo)
Junior swimmer Sarah Albrecht cannot hide her excitement over the new 10-lane, 50-meter pool at Centre College that will have a movable bulkhead along with 1- and 3-meter diving boards. The natatorium will also have seating for 750 spectators making it one of the nicest facilities in Kentucky.
Albrecht, a Lexington Paul Laurence Dunbar High School graduate, was thrilled when she got to Centre College because the size of her club team sometimes dictated practicing in an outdoor pool even in winter months.
“We would practice in an outdoor pool in neighborhoods and they would put tents over the pool in the winter. A few years in high school I got to practice at Transylvania but that was only the older kids,” she said. “Obviously, I really appreciate the new facility. Sometimes our old facility would be a little cool but I wasn’t going to complain because I was grateful for what we had compared to what I had growing up.”
Albrecht, an English major with a minor in writing and film who hopes to go into the video production side of journalism, says her best events are the 100- and 200-meter backstroke but she also swims other events as needed.
She shared her thoughts on what lies ahead for the Centre swimming program and the new facility.
Question: Did you have any idea that Centre College might be getting a swimming facility like this new one when you were being recruited to come to Centre?
Albrecht: “I’m part of the class of 2025, and I didn’t find out about the new facility until late in the recruiting process because the details were still being finalized. Knowing that a facility this nice was coming to Centre definitely helped me decide to come here. I grew up practicing in an outdoor pool all year round, so the new pool was an upgrade that I couldn’t pass up!”
Question: What has it been like watching the progress of the pool/facility and knowing not only will you be practicing there but next year Centre will be hosting meets in that facility?
Albrecht: “Watching the progress of the pool has been super exciting. A few weeks ago we got a walkthrough of the facility, so we got to see the deck, the stands, and the locker room, which made me even more eager to start practicing there. I also can’t wait to see the seating area full of people at our competitions since the facility has such a large capacity.”
Question: From a swimming standpoint, how will this help you or other swimmers improve or is it unrealistic to think the new facility itself can help you improve?
Albrecht: “It’s not unrealistic or unreasonable to say that the new facility will help our team improve. Every year since I’ve been here, the team has grown dramatically from season to season, so we need all the space that we can get in order for everyone to get the most out of their practices. Also the new pool is Olympic-sized, so we’ll be able to do some long course practices to switch up our training during the season.
“My freshman year when the team was the smallest, we would still practice in shifts at times and do sprints and distance or men and women. Sophomore and junior years we were not able to all practice together because it was nearly impossible to fit us all in without running into each other and that made it more challenging to get to know each other. The new pool is so big we can do separate practices but can still be in there at the same time.”
Question: What do you like best about the facility?
Albrecht: “I like all of the space that we’re going to have, especially since our team has gotten so big. I also like the location of the pool within Champions Hall. There’s a new grab and go snack place right by the pool, which will be super convenient if I’m busy and need to eat something quick before practices. A lot of times during the season we keep a box of snacks at practice but this will give us so many more options.”
Question: What impact will the pool have on recruiting and the overall program?
Albrecht: “I think that just the promise of the new pool has already had an impact on recruiting. For me personally, this new facility will be the nicest one that I’ve ever gotten the chance to practice in, and it’s also one of the nicest in the state of Kentucky, so it’s definitely a big draw. I also think it’s representative of Centre’s athletics department and our coaches really caring about the future of the team because so much money wouldn’t have been put into this project if the swim program didn’t have big achievements in store.
“It will definitely change things. It will help recruiting and the better we get as a team and are able to support a bigger team, more people will get to be part of the swimming legacy at Centre College. That’s the inspiring part of something that already has such a long history but not has an even brighter future.”
Question: Is this you must see with your own eyes to really appreciate how magnificent it is for a Division III school to have a facility like this?
Albrecht: “Yes. It was a surreal moment to finally see the pool full of water after looking at so many blueprints and designs over the past three years. As a Division III swim program, we are truly lucky to have a facility like this, and I hope that those who are not part of the team can appreciate it’s significance as well.”
