By Brandon Terlecky
Jambar Contributor
Youngstown State University will be adding a men’s swimming and diving program that is set to get underway in the fall, along with women’s lacrosse in 2020.
YSU has not witnessed a men’s swimming and diving team since 1984 and is looking to bring light to the sport as a whole. This will be another Division I sport offered by the YSU Athletic Department.
Trevor Parks, Director of Athletics Communications, said he thinks this will not only be better for the sports to receive recognition, but to push both programs to become better.
“We always believed if you have a men’s and women’s program, you will naturally become better as a whole. It’s that support factor that comes into play,” Parks said.
The men’s swimming and diving team will have a 20-25 man roster that is set to begin this fall. Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo, told the Tribune Chronicle he is ecstatic to be able to acquire talent in Ohio to attend YSU and attempt the reach their athletic and academic achievements.
“We’re excited about this new opportunity to recruit high school students from Ohio, the region and internationally to pursue their academic and athletic goals at Youngstown State in both sports,” Strollo said. “Our swimming facility is one of the best in the area and we look forward to showcasing it with both our men’s and women’s programs.”
The men’s swimming and diving program returning to YSU just makes sense. The locker rooms are built for 200 students and only 20-25 students are putting it to use. The facility itself is immaculate and always being renovated.
“High school students are always using this facility. There is so much time in the day for it to be used, it just logical to have something there and putting this beautiful pool to use,” Parks said.
Women’s lacrosse is set to take place at Farmers National Bank Field located at the Covelli Sports Complex and like the swimming and diving team, the roster size will be around 20-25.
The men’s swimming and diving program will be the seventh Horizon League Conference team. These universities include: University of Oakland, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Illinois at Chicago.
