Since April 22, the San Jose State University women's swimming and diving, men's water polo and women's water polo teams are in their new on-campus home - the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center (SRAC). a $130-million state-of-the-art facility
Located at Eighth & San Carlos Streets on the University's main campus, the Spartans' new home with a 20-lane competitive pool with 1-and-3-meter diving boards at the south end that can be converted easily into a 50-meter pool for long course swimming and water polo matches. The $130-million state-of-the-art facility also includes two more recreation pools, 20,00 square feet of cardio/strength equipment, four fitness studios, three full-court gyms, a 1/8-mile indoor track, and a climbing and bouldering area.
"To be back home, to have their own locker room, when they got to go into the locker room for the first time (last Thursday, April 18), they were screaming and crying, they were so happy," said San Jose State University women's swimming and diving head coach Sage Hopkins. "This is a game-changer for the program."
"It's just amazing, we haven't been home for three years. I've been waiting for this day for so long," said women's water polo co-captain Sierra Painter, who will be a senior in the 2020 season.
"It's really an exciting for us and I'm still in awe. I really enjoy how much space we have," said Violani Auva'a of the Spartans' women's swimming a diving team.
"It's going to be a real treat to have the kids work out here and not have to go to West Valley (College in Saratoga, the former practice and match facility for the water polo teams the last three years). It's going to help them with studying and with training, the whole works," said men's water polo head coach Bruce Watson.
"I think it makes us so much better. I don't care if we have a hard practice, because we have this pool. You just have to look around and see how lucky we are," said freshman Madelyn Sailors, a teammate of Auva'a.
"It (the SRAC) will make a difference. For the last three years, we were up front and honest about our current situation about not having a pool," said Spartan women's water polo head coach Gabor Sarusi. "Now we have a pool and can show it off, bring prospects down here, see where they are going to be training and competing. It's a world-class facility."
"It's going to be a big home pool advantage (for us). It's going to be loud," added Hopkins. "We did a couple of cheers this morning at practice and got a sense of how loud it is going to be here. We're looking forward to having the house packed for home meets."
Parking close to the SRAC will be available at the 7th Street garage, one block from the facility. A gated entrance for home swimming and diving meets and water polo matches is located the equivalent of one block east of the SRAC's main entrance.
Men's water polo will be the first Spartan team to host a match in the SRAC this fall followed by the women's swimming and diving team. The women's water polo team begins its season in January and will be the host to the 2020 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship tournament, the #1 conference tournament for collegiate women's water polo.
