Mercersburg Academy held an opening ceremony for its new 41,000-square foot Lloyd Aquatic Center earlier this fall October 11. The school community celebrated with a ceremonial pouring of water from the Flanagan Pool into the new Furnary Pool, followed by a ceremonial swim and relay race featuring—among many—returning Olympic swimmers Betsy Mitchell ’83 and Geri Mewett ’92, Kim Lloyd ’90 and Bebe Lloyd ’94, former Board of Regents president Denise Dupré ’76, Tony Furnary ’76, members of the current Mercersburg swim team, and Head of School Katie Titus.
Photo Courtesy: Mercersburg Academy
The facility, which has a projected cost of approximately $16 million, is located on the east side of campus, adjacent to Nolde Gymnasium and between the Hale Field House and baseball field. It includes the 50-meter (Olympic size) Furnary Pool, which can be configured through a system of movable bulkheads for competitions and training sessions at 25-yard (short course) and 50-meter (long course) distances, and to host official USA Swimming and USA Diving events.
A diving well (as part of the configuration) serves as a home for Mercersburg’s diving program, and the multiple configurations will allow for maximum flexibility and use by all members of the school community, from competitive swimmers and divers to athletic training and recovery workouts, kayaking and other instructional courses, and as a hub for the fitness of students, employees, and families.
The Lloyd Aquatic Center is named for Board of Regents member Philip A. Lloyd ’65, his wife, Peggy, and their daughters, former Mercersburg swimmers and divers Kim ’90 and Bebe ’94. The Furnary Pool honors Tony Furnary ’76, a leading cardiothoracic surgeon who was a standout swimmer and student at Mercersburg.
Construction on the facility began in spring 2018.
Photo Courtesy: Mercersburg Academy
“The Lloyd Aquatic Center is a game changer for us,” says Rick Hendrickson, Mercersburg’s director of athletics. “It provides us with a premiere facility to go along with premiere coaching for our athletes, and it opens up so many possibilities for formal and informal use by our school community. We will be able to host significant meets in this building and be a good community partner for our local area.”
In fact, for the first time in February 2020, the Mid-Atlantic Prep League—of which Mercersburg is a member—will hold its league meet somewhere other than the Peddie School (in Hightstown, N.J.). The Lloyd Aquatic Center will host the 2020 MAPL Swimming and Diving Invitational February 1.
“Phil Lloyd and the Lloyd family have been committed to the research and development for the right facility for Mercersburg,” Hendrickson says. “We didn’t just decide that we had to build a 50-meter pool. This facility is the result of several years of planning and evaluation and discussions about the role it will play in our community.
“We’re grateful for the strong alumni and donor support we’ve had from our community, and there are so many people that deserve credit—including the Lloyds; [Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations] Maria Kimsey; Betsy Mitchell ’83, one of our Olympic gold medalists, who has been such a great resource for us; and obviously the leadership of former Head of School Douglas Hale and now Head of School Katie Titus for bringing it all together.”
“This building signals our commitment to having the best program we can have,” Mercersburg Head Swimming Coach Glenn Neufeld says. “You want to know that the school you send your kids to will support whatever your kids want to do—whether it’s a sport, the arts, or anything else. This facility is living proof of our commitment. It will impact prospective students and will enhance what we can do for our current students.”
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Mercersburg Academy. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.