Walnut and Irvine, CA, January 17,
2024 -- Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) and USA Water Polo (USAWP) today
announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a
partnership, centered around use of the college's new state-of-the-art aquatics
complex.
The aquatics complex, which opened in
spring of 2023, will be home to the U.S. Men's Olympic Water Polo Team as they
gear up for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. In addition to serving as a
training hub, USA Water Polo will hold competitions and training at Mt. SAC,
including test events for both the men's and women's national team programs
against many of the best teams in the world. USAWP member events, such as the
prestigious Masters National Championships and age group national selection
camps, will also be held at Mt. SAC.
Both institutions are co-creating a
comprehensive agreement that will lay out opportunities and specifics of this
developing partnership. During the last 10 years, water polo has seen
consistent growth across America at the collegiate, high school and club level.
"We look forward to our new
relationship with USA Water Polo and are thankful to have the opportunity to
partner with them," said Dr. Martha Garcia, President/CEO of Mt. SAC.
"We are excited at what the future holds and the opportunities that await
the College and our students. It is especially exhilarating to expose our students
to these world-class athletes and for them to see their dreams are
possible."
The Mt. SAC aquatics complex, a
sprawling 110,000-square-foot facility, epitomizes aquatic excellence. It
features a versatile 59-meter competition pool, a 30-meter teaching/diving pool
with movable bulkheads, and four competition diving boards. The complex, with
horseshoe seating for 2,500 and the ability to expand with temporary seating to
accommodate more than 5,000 spectators, will serve as a hub for medal-winning
teams as well as national and international competitions. More than a sports
facility, it is a dynamic center deeply connected to the community, offering
teaching programs and immersive educational experiences for the Mt. SAC student
body.
"Mt. San Antonio College is a longtime
proponent of the Olympic movement and its new aquatics complex is consistent
with that exceptional commitment to excellence - it is truly one of the finest
aquatics centers in the world," said Christopher Ramsey, CEO of USA Water
Polo. "We are fortunate to embark in this partnership, and I want to thank
President Garcia and her colleagues for their vision of what water polo can
mean to their student body and their community. Having the men's national water
polo team training at Mt. SAC builds on their excitement in our journey to the
Paris Olympic Games. We're thrilled to adopt this MOU, which provides a
framework for discussion about future plans."
About Mt. San Antonio College
Mt. San Antonio College is the
largest single campus community college district of California's 116 community
colleges, educating about 50,000 annually and serving the residents of 20
communities at the Walnut campus. Since 1946, Mt. SAC has provided students
from all walks of life with a full range of credit programs that offer general
education and career technical education degrees and certificates that prepare
them for immediate employment and/or transfer to four-year institutions. For
more information, visit www.mtsac.edu
photo from July 8, 2023 USA vs
Croatia - courtesy Jonathan Moore/USAWP
No comments:
Post a Comment