Goolrick Pool at the University of Mary Washington has reopened for the spring 2025 semester, following a six-month renovation that upgraded all areas of the facility, both in function and appearance. UMW will host the first home varsity swim meet of the season on Saturday, Jan. 18, as the Eagles celebrate senior day.
“The primary focus has been on improving and extending the life of our historic facility,” said UMW Aquatics Coordinator and Pool Operator Kyle Diederich, a senior on the men’s swim and dive team. “It has long been a place of opportunity, potential and excitement for those who use it. With this renovation, Goolrick Pool has been transformed into a modernized and improved aquatic facility, continuing to serve its purpose for current and future generations of UMW students and the local community.”
The renovation to the historic facility was extensive and included the following improvements:
(1) Full replacement of the pool deck and pool perimeter lip tile, covering over 5,000 square feet.
(2) Removal of all existing in-pool tiling and underwater lighting, followed by waterproofing the pool shell and resurfacing it with quartz aggregate pool plaster.
(3) Upgraded replacement of various pool-related plumbing systems, including the main drain system, return inlets (“jets”) and overflow gutter drains.
(4) Numerous upgrades and maintenance to the pool pump room and its internal systems.
(5) Re-painting the entire facility in a new color scheme and design.
(6) Installation of new lane lines, school-branded backstroke flags, an accessible lift, and University-branded starting blocks – which will debut at the competition Saturday.
“We are excited to reopen Goolrick Pool, a facility rich in history and tradition, now revitalized for the future,” said Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo. “This renovation ensures that our swimmers and the UMW community will practice and compete in a first-class facility as we celebrate the continued success of our championship teams.”
Goolrick Pool at UMW has a half-decade history of welcoming swimmers. First opened in 1969, it has hosted aquatics sports and campus recreation, including some years with a water polo team, a synchronized swimming team, and a dive team (under prior depth regulations). While it will not host diving competitions under current regulations, the pool’s opening coincides with the return of UMW Swimming and Diving, as the women’s team has entered into diving competition in the current season.
The women’s swim team won the inaugural New Jersey Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championship meet in 2024 — and has claimed 33 total conference championships throughout team history. The men’s team has claimed 26 conference championships since 1991, with 19 All-America performances and four individual national championships.
Cheer on the UMW Eagles in the pool beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 18.
The six-lane, 179,000-gallon Goolrick Pool is also the aquatic home to Campus Recreation activities, which have included games of battleship, club swim practices, individual exercise classes and recreational swim for the UMW community and guests. The pool may also be rented out for events and local swim practices.
See the fitness class schedule and facilities information from Campus Recreation.
“This comprehensive renovation has improved the quality of the pool for swimmers and staff, allowing for a more efficient operation, including maintaining the water temperature and chemical balances,” said UMW Campus Recreation Director Michael Middleton. “We are excited to welcome swimmers back into the water!”
Goolrick Pool was previously closed in the summer of 2023 for evaluation and mechanical repairs, and had some system repairs in 2018, but has not been significantly renovated in more than 20 years. Over its operating span, it has been open 95% of the time to the campus community and guests, with the public invited for specific events. The 2024 project was completed by Millennium Pools & Spas.
Now, as the varsity swim teams dive back in, their new team shirts say it best: “Sunrises are better at Goolrick.”
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