The University of Evansville swimming and diving teams will make Tri-State history on Saturday, November 6, as UE will host the first-ever competition at the new Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville. UE will host Saint Louis University and Arkansas-Little Rock in a triangular meet which will begin at 1 p.m. and is open to the public, with admission being $5.
The $30 million state-of-the-art facility opened to the Evansville public on October 4, 2021. It features a stretch 50-meter competitive pool, plus a separate diving well with one-meter and three-meter springboards. The Deaconess Aquatic Center features raised spectator seating for just under 1,000 people, with the ability to accommodate over 1,000 bleacher seats on the pool deck, to make it one of the top competition pools in the region. It is located at 1700 North Main Street in Evansville and is adjacent to historic Bosse Field.
“The City of Evansville and the Deaconess Aquatic Center are thrilled to roll out the red carpet for the University of Evansville swimming and diving teams, as well as its competitors from Saint Louis University and Arkansas-Little Rock,” said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “This showcase facility will give swimmers and divers a venue in which to perform at the highest possible competitive level.”
“We’re thrilled to begin hosting important local and regional competitions like this,” said Jennifer Brown, COO of the YMCA of Southwestern Indiana. “Ongoing partnerships with organizations like UE are crucial in elevating awareness and interest of all things aquatics within our local community, which has always been our goal.”
“I am excited for UE, the team, and our fans to get a chance to swim and host our meet at the Deaconess Aquatic Center,” said UE swimming and diving head coach Stuart Wilson. “The community is really going to enjoy watching the first meet ever to compete in the facility. With it being our ‘Senior Recognition Day,’ it will also be a great way to thank our seniors for their sacrifice and commitment to competing for UE.”
“We are excited to be able to make this meet a reality for our swimming and diving programs, and for the opportunity to compete in this new, world-class venue,” said UE Director of Athletics Mark Spencer. “It will be especially fun to be able to share this experience with our fans, family and friends in such a wonderful facility in a safe manner.”
UE was originally scheduled to host Arkansas-Little Rock on November 5 and Saint Louis on November 6 on campus, but the meets were combined in order to be a part of Evansville history. Every first-place time in the triangular meet will be the new pool standard at the Deaconess Aquatic Center, which will begin hosting more competitions at various levels this winter.
The November 6 meet will also be “Senior Day” for the UE swimming and diving programs, as the Purple Aces will honor eight senior males and seven senior females prior to the meet. The meet will be open to the public, with admission being $5.
