Last week, the Virginia Tech Swimming and Diving Teams held their first full-squad practice in their new facility. The Christiansburg Aquatic Center (CAC) officially opened its doors to the community in July, and is a joint venture between the town of Christiansburg and Virginia Tech. As one of the newest state-of-the-art facilities in the country, the CAC boasts an 8-lane, 50-meter pool with two 6-foot moveable bulkheads. The facility also showcases a full diving set-up that includes two cement-based 1-meter springboards, two cement-based 3-meter springboards, as well as 5-meter, 7-meter, and 10-meter platforms. In addition, the CAC also received two digital scoreboards, largely due to the fundraising efforts of the Hackin’ Hokies, Too.

According to Head Coach Ned Skinner, “We are really excited to be in our new pool. It's even more impressive than we hoped, and it has been met by our team with great enthusiasm. We are really pleased with our relationship with the town of Christiansburg, and believe this facility will offer so much to all constituencies who enjoy aquatics.”

This summer, the CAC hosted the USA Diving Senior Zone A qualifying meet, along with both of the Virginia LSC Long Course Championships.

“All three competitions were a success,” commented Head Diving Coach Ron Piemonte. “Thanks to the Hackin’ Hokies, Too group, our scoreboards will allow us to run diving and swimming events simultaneously. We are very fortunate to have these new resources.”

The H₂Okies host their first NCAA dual meet this October when they square off against Radford and the College of Charleston on the 16th.

“We are looking forward to hosting some great teams here for our dual meet season, as well as our invitational at the end of the year," Associate Head Coach Braden Holloway stated. "The dimensions of the facility and pool will prove to give adequate warm up and warm down, as well as fast swimming and great diving. Our first meet in October will be an outstanding adventure into a new era.”

Aside from being a premier competition facility, the CAC also provides the local townspeople with an excellent recreational aquatics area and therapy pool. Cardio and weight room facilities are also among the CAC’s many resources.