Bryan Wells
News Reporter

As one of Mesa State College’s most utilized facilities, the El Pomar Natatorium can be quite crowded at times. But adequate space is not the problem.
According to Director of Campus Recreation and Athletic Facilities Michael Wells, any problems or crowding are due to scheduling, not people jostling elbows in the pool.
“The challenge for me as the facility director is that everyone wants to use the pool from two to six in the afternoon,” Wells said. “From eight in the morning to two in the afternoon, it sits virtually unused.”
It’s a point of pride for Mesa State that the pool can handle so many groups. Wells said that even with all the groups that use the pool and at the busiest hours, his main concern is to ensure that there are always lanes set aside for open swim.
“Rarely do we ever have so many groups in the pool at one time that we just can’t take anymore,” said Wells. “We can usually work everything out through scheduling.”
Considering the number of individuals and groups who use the pool on a regular basis, running the schedule smoothly is a top priority of rec services at the Natatorium. The pool hosts college teams and clubs as well as community groups.
“We have the swim teams, water polo, kayakers, Scuba classes and other groups from outside the college who like to get in the water,” Wells said. “We even have groups from the middle schools and high schools. We work to make sure that Mesa students have the first priority, but people have to realize that the local community was responsible for a large amount of the funds that made this facility possible and that we service their needs as well.”
Wells explained that one of the benefits of hosting other groups, including swimmers from the high schools and middle schools, is offering them a chance to enjoy the facilities they will use regularly if they become MSC students.
Curtis Rauen, an MSC engineering major, swims regularly.
“It’s big enough that I’ve never really had to worry about it being too busy. I can’t really think of how it could be much better,” Rauen said.
While many students are happy with the natatorium as it is, teachers in the natatorium are also satisfied.
MSC scuba instructor Mike McGuire also uses the pool regularly.
“I’ve taught scuba classes for over 20 years,” McGuire said. “I’ve taught in some pools that were okay all the way up to some of the nicer pools in California, so when I saw this facility come together and turn out so well, I immediately got back into instructing and put my bid to teach at Mesa in. It’s the jewel of pools on the Western Slope.”

bwells@mesastate.edu