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Marlins' Votes Make a Splash
Thanks to the campus community, the VWU natatorium won the Great UV Giveaway Contest
University News | February 6, 2020
By Laynee H. Timlin
VWU's natatorium recently won the most votes in Evoqua Water Technologies' Great UV Giveaway Contest and will be awarded an Energy Technology System- Ultraviolet (ETS-UV) Disinfection System for the natatorium in the Jane P. Batten Student Center!
Mike Ginder, head coach for men’s and women’s swimming at VWU, entered the facility into the contest last fall after seeing it advertised on SwimSwam, a swimming news website.
The contest was conducted via social media where Marlin fans and supporters had the opportunity to vote every day during the November voting period.
And vote they did! Enough times to be declared the winner of a system that will further inactivate harmful pathogens, ozone destruction and total organic carbon reduction.
“Thank you to all of the current Marlin swimmers, their families, the Athletic Department, and the VWU community for voting every day during the competition,” said Ginder. “Without this outpouring of support, this achievement would not have been possible.”
Ginder, VWU’s very first swim coach, notes that with the increased use of the facility since the start of the men’s and women’s intercollegiate swimming program in 2017, it’s vitally important to continue to provide a safe and comfortable environment for everyone who uses the pool.
“While we already have great air and water quality without many of the typical issues of an indoor facility, a UV filter will greatly assist our existing system in eliminating irritants that can cause skin, eye, and lung irritation,” said Ginder.
Associate Director for the Batten Center Willy Harrell agrees.
“This system will increase the overall usage health of our aquatic facility,” says Harrell. “We are excited to have won.”
The new system is scheduled to be installed in the next few weeks.
Read more about Virginia Wesleyan aquatics and the Men’s Swimming and Women’s Swimming Programs at VWU.