Lancaster Aquatic
Center
The University of Kentucky's Lancaster Aquatic Center, which opened March 29,
1989, represents the finest in collegiate swimming and diving facilities.
The facility was used as a training site for the 1996 United States Olympic
Diving Team for one week leading up to the Olympic Games.
The natatorium is named for Harry C. Lancaster, former Athletics Director
(1968-1976) and an assistant basketball coach (1946-70) to Kentucky's legendary
Adolph Rupp.
The indoor facility is 25 yards by 176 feet with a movable bulkhead which
can be set at 25 yards, 25 meters, 50 yards and 50 meters. The movable bulkhead
allows the facility to be used for a number of activities other than swim meets
and practices, including recreational swimming aquatic classes, swimming and
diving lessons, scuba instruction, handicapped swimming and other
aquatic-related activities.
Racing lanes can be set up in five configurations: across-the-pool racing at
25 yards, 25 meters, 50 yards and 50 meters. Two 25-yard courses can be utilized
for large swim meets. Eighteen swimming lanes are available while diving events
are in progress. Long course racing will have eight full-size lanes for the
50-meter distance.
The swimming tank, which holds 1,025,000 gallons of water, has a raised deck
gutter with a large overflow. This gutter design is similar to the Indianapolis
Natatorium design. Pool depth varies from 4.3 feet to 6.5 feet at the shallow
end utilizing a movable floor of 35 by 75 feet. Water under the diving boards
and tower is 17 feet deep. The natatorium features Daktronic automatic timing
for swim meets. A 16 by 23 foot wall mounted scoreboard containing 15,360
individual "Glo-Cube" pixels allows full display of information for eight lane
and 16 lane swim meets. The scoreboard can also display graphics and animation
sequences.
The diving facilities are among the best in the world. The facility has two
1-meter boards and two 3-meter boards set on concrete platforms. Each platform
is eight feet wide with lengths from 23 feet to 28 feet.
Winner of the 1990 Association of General Contractors Award for Structures,
the tower also has the only operating "force plate" in the world on the 10-meter
level. This electronically measures the force exerted by the divers as they
leave the platform. The University and U.S. Diving Inc. conduct research
utilizing the force plate.
There is a 40-foot dryland diving area permanently set up with a trampoline,
Portapit diving board and two diving/tumbling harnesses for somersaulting and
twisting practice.
The Aquatic Center has a full training room equipped with two treatment
tables, EGS and ultrasound machine, hydrocollator, and ice machine. There is a
trainer on duty at all times during practices.
The Aquatic Center has a weight room for the swimmers and divers equipped
with Cybex weight training machines. In the adjacent Seaton Physical Education
building are exercise physiology labs which are utilized for the testing of
swimmers and divers.
The second balcony of the Aquatic Center accommodates up to 750 spectators
and has a concession stand area.
In addition to hosting the 1996 U.S. Olympic Diving Team, the Aquatic Center
annually hosts the premier swimming and diving events in the state of Kentucky,
including all UK home meets, the Kentucky State High School Championships, the
Kentucky USS Championships, Zone and Regional Age Group and Senior Diving
meets, Kentucky Special Olympics, and Bluegrass Games Diving meets. Highlights
at the Aquatic Center have been the 1991 Southeastern Conference Championships,
the 1995 Southeastern Conference Diving Championships, the 1995 NCAA Zone B
Diving Championships and the 1990 World Games Diving Team Trials.
