SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- The Summit League's Swimming & Diving Championships was hosted at the Midco Aquatic Center on February 14-17, 2018, and the consensus is that the event was a success.
"The Midco Aquatic Center and the University of South Dakota staffs did an outstanding job in hosting our Swimming & Diving Championships," Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple said. "The high caliber venue is a tremendous asset to the city of Sioux Falls. Our student athletes produced 13 league records, 45 school records, and a total of 83 NCAA B-Cut qualifying performances during the four-day event. "B-cut athletes become eligible to compete in the NCAA Championships and with that eligibility, many will be selected to compete in them."
Over 250 male and female swimmers were featured in front of more than 500 spectators from across the country. More than 5,700 people watched the event live online and this was the first time the championships were live streamed.
"We have received rave reviews from competitive swimmers and coaches from all across the nation, and we are becoming known as one of the fastest pools out there. As we have seen with the meets hosted by the Sioux Falls Swim Team and the University of Sioux Falls, individual, meet league records keep falling at the Midco Aquatic Center. That's a good thing when it comes to landing other events of this level," says Don Kearney, Director of Parks and Recreation.
The building was designed and built with both public open swimming and swim meets in mind. The Recreation Pool area is unaffected by most swim meets, and the facility was designed with a separate entrance on the east side of the building so that swim meet participants can easily access the 50 Meter Pool.
The Midco Aquatic Center is the first public, indoor aquatic center in Sioux Falls history.