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INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has announced a change in the venue for its inaugural GLVC Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, which will be held Feb. 12-15, 2014. The conference office recently agreed to terms with Crawfordsville Aquatics Center on the campus of Crawfordsville High School in Crawfordsville, Ind., located an hour west of Indianapolis.
The GLVC had originally planned to administer its inaugural event at Lake Central High School in St. John, Ind., however construction delays this past summer ultimately led to both parties agreeing to move the event.
“While it was unfortunate to move from Lake Central High School, a venue that was praised by our league coaches, we are thrilled to have found a home in nearby Crawfordsville,” said GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich. “Not only have we found a venue that meets the requirements set forth by our member schools, but we have also been welcomed with open arms by aquatics director Kevin Hedrick and athletics director Bryce Barton. Having already done a site visit with members of the Crawfordsville High School staff, we are convinced the Crawfordsville Aquatics Center will serve as a wonderful home for our inaugural GLVC Championships.”
The Crawfordsville Aquatics Center, which features a 10-lane, 25-yard competition pool with additional cool-down space and both 1- and 3-meter diving boards, has hosted several championship events, including the 2006 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA Division III) Championship and the 2007 USA Swimming Speedo Central Zone Section 3 Championships, as well as four Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) championship events annually.
Adding to its résumé will be its first NCAA Division II conference championship, which will include some of the top regional and national powerhouses in the country.
Seven men’s teams and seven women’s squads representing eight member institutions will vie for the 2014 GLVC Championship in February. Six GLVC schools currently sponsor both men’s and women’s swimming and diving, including Bellarmine, Drury, Indianapolis, Lewis, Truman State, and William Jewell. Missouri S&T currently fields a men’s squad and Maryville is in the midst of its inaugural women’s swimming season this year.
The Drury men have captured the last nine NCAA Division II National Championships and a total of 11 since coming on board as a Division II member in 1994, following nine national titles at the NAIA level. The Panthers have won nine NCAA crowns on the women's side and have claimed four out of the last five national titles, including the 2013 crown. In fact, the Drury women have not placed out of the top-three finishers since classifying as a Division II member in 1994. When Drury has not won the women's national title, it has often been Truman State picking up the hardware. The Bulldogs own seven national championships as a team, having most recently won in 2008 following a streak of six-straight from 2001-06.