It was a "wow" moment for past and present members of the San José State University men's and women's water polo teams at the August 31 "Open House" at the new home for the Spartans in the Student Recreation and Aquatic Center (SRAC).
Located across the promenade from the Provident Credit Union Event Center to the south and east of the 7th Street garage, the SRAC's pool for Spartan men's and women's water polo and women's swimming and diving was a sight to behold.
A near capacity crowd filling the SRAC's grandstands were entertained by master of ceremonies, San Jose State Sports Hall of Fame member, and Spartans' men's water polo head coach Bruce Watson.
"For the last three years, we traveled to West Valley College (for practice and matches)," said Watson, who also recounted his playing days when there were separate pools for the men's and women's teams. He even made references back to the first season of the men's program in 1935.
"It was a labor of love for three long years – the short-term pain for the long-term gain of this absolutely beautiful facility," said San José State University director of athletics Marie Tuite about the teams making the 25-to-40 minute drive each way for practice or competition from 2016 to the spring of this year.
"It (the new pool) can change forever the way people see our men's and women's water polo programs."
There were thanks to Susan Walton, widow of San José State Sports Hall of Fame water polo player and coach Lee Walton; Jane Hind, wife of Spartan great Greg Hind; benefactor Bill Simpkins; new SRAC aquatics director Roger Calderon; Suzy Tully, widow of Lou Tully, the Spartans' first women's water polo head coach; and San José State deputy director for athletics advancement Josh Thiel and event organizer Lauren Avina.
Hall of Fame members from the 1971 men's water polo team which finished second at the NCAA Championship, individual Hall of Fame enshrinees like goalkeeper Steve Hamann, Bill Gerdts, Jack Likins, Bob Likins, Ed Samuels, and Juliet Moss, the first Spartan from the women's water polo program to be named to the San José State Sports Hall of Fame were introduced and recognized. Women's team All-Americans Liz Garcia, Inna Fedoseyeva, new women's team head coach Beth Harberts, Dani Curran, and Tanya Torres literally had their moment in the sun.
Finally, the 2019 San Jose State men's team and the 2020 women's team lined up at the pool deck with their new home behind them to a hearty round of applause.
"It's unbelievable. It's really exciting to see the teams finally have a home," said Fedoseyeva, a 2001 first-team All-American, about the new on-campus facility.
And it won't be long before the men's team has hosts its first match, Saturday, October 5, against Cal, in a 1:00 p.m. contest. The women's team will open the SRAC's doors to the public sometime in January 2020 when its season begins and concludes the campaign hosting the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament at the end of April.