McHugh Natatorium, the facility that houses Clemson’s women’s diving program, has been a staple of Tiger athletics for decades. It was named for long-time swimming and diving coach Carl McHugh, who worked at Clemson for 23 years. Currently, the facility supplies Tiger divers with state-of-the-art equipment and a top-notch place to hone their skills and compete at the highest level of collegiate athletics in front of over 1,000 spectators.
McHugh Natatorium features a refurbished 13.5-foot-deep diving well that allows for divers to both train and compete on a variety of boards and heights. There is a brand new platform covered in rough-tex surface that includes one-meter, three-meter, five-meter, and 7.5-meter boards. There are also two springboards at both one meter and three meters, all of which are Duraflex-modified maxiflex model “B” diving boards. All boards have water agitators underneath them.
Surrounding the pool are five deck-level somersaulting stations, an on-deck shower tower, and three heat lamp outputs. New audio/visual aspects have also been installed in the natatorium. There is a Colorado Time System Full Color LED matrix display board within the facility, and a surround sound system extends audio to all corners of the building. The audio capabilities also extend beneath the surface, as underwater speakers have been installed in the pool.
One of the most important recent developments at McHugh Natatorium is a dry-land facility that is among the most comprehensive in the country. The structure includes a pair of trampolines: an Elite 7′ x 14′ non-folding trampoline with an Aussie String Bed and a Nissen 7′ x 14′ folding trampoline with an HP Poly Bed and a spotting rig. In addition, there are two dry-land diving boards and three stall bar stations, two landing pits, four 6′ x 12′ x 2′ stretching mats, and a number of folding and non-folding practice mats. There is also an open-air sun deck adjacent to the diving well that is available for outdoor dry-land and conditioning activities.
Student-athletes are also given access to equipment that can help them view and analyze recordings of their drills and dives. The Clemson diving program has three Tivo video analysis stations and two iPads that are equipped with extensive video analysis capabilities. There is also a shatterproof mirror for divers to utilize to model drills.
McHugh Natatorium’s relationship with Fike Recreation Center also gives Clemson divers an advantage in terms of access. Student-athletes can take advantage of Fike’s multi-purpose rooms, top-of-the-line cardiovascular machines, indoor track, and various other weight-training and physical fitness locations.
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