Upgraded King County Aquatic Center hosts NCAA men’s swimming, diving championships

New features at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way will greet the nation's best collegiate athletes who are coming to this world-class facility March 27-29 for the NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships.

Four new diving boards, new lane lines, enhanced sound system, coats of paint inside and out and floor coverings are among the improvements that help the facility maintain its world-class status. The most notable feature will be the new LED scoreboard that features twice the screen resolution but uses just 1/12th the electricity and reflects the center's ongoing resource conservation efforts.

"The King County Aquatic Center is one of the nation's top swimming and diving facilities, and is just one of only a handful in the country recognized as a world-class venue for international competitions," said Mike Dunwiddie, aquatic center director.

Since opening in 1990 for the Seattle Goodwill Games, the aquatic center has hosted events of all sizes – from international opens to Olympic trials, to high school and college championships. The facility maintains one of the most active competition schedules in the country, hosting more than 50 events annually.

More than 500,000 people each year visit the facility, which features an eight-lane, 50-meter Olympic-size pool, a separate diving tank with five platform levels, a 25-yard warm water recreation pool and an 11,000-square-foot conference center.

The NCAA Championships are hosted by the Seattle Sports Commission and the University of Washington. More information regarding is available at
www.swimanddivechamps.com.

King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 25,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails, plus pools and a world-class aquatic center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at www.metrokc.gov/parks.