Men's swimming will complement the College's existing women's swimming program and will give Juniata 23 varsity intercollegiate sports. &ldqo;Logistically, this will help Juniata compete in the Landmark Conference. We already have a swimming facility in place and because many of our conference schools already support men's swimming teams, it will become easier to schedule meets and other events at our pool,” says Greg Curley, Juniata athletic director and head coach for men's basketball.
“Fielding a men's swim team has the potential for great impact both athletically and from an enrollment perspective.”Matthew Damschroder, vice president for student life and dean of students
Previously, Juniata competed in men's swimming from 1986 through 1995.
“Having a men's swim team has the potential for great impact both athletically and from an enrollment perspective,” says Matthew Damschroder, vice president for student life and dean of students at Juniata.
The potential enrollment gain from having complementary swim teams could be more than 20 students, because, according to NCAA statistics, the average size for a men's swimming team is about 17, while other statistics reveal that women's teams from colleges sponsoring men's teams average 18 members. Juniata's women’s team has averaged about 11 members.
Current Juniata swimming coach Nathan Smith, who came to the College in 2013, will add coaching the men's team to his portfolio of duties. Smith came to Juniata after coaching a private swim team, the Brentwood Barracudas, of Nashville, Tenn., and at DePauw University.
