Still without an available full-length swimming pool to practice in, International Falls’ girls swimming and diving team will be heading to Canada twice a week for the next two weeks to use the Memorial Sports Centre pool in Fort Frances, Falls Superintendent Nordy Nelson said Thursday.
The Broncos have been using the shorter diving well for lap swimming in practice with the FHS swimming pool remaining closed. Two of the seven home meets scheduled for this season have already been moved to the opponents’ pools with another rescheduled at home for next month.
The FHS swimming pool, which had been only 3 1/2 feet deep, underwent a renovation project earlier this year following the conclusion of the boys swimming and diving season to deepen the end where the starting blocks are located to 5 feet.
The renovation work budgeted at $198,000 took place to comply with a new rule on pool depth implemented by the National Federation of State High School Associations requiring a minimum of 4 feet to be able to use starting blocks.
The pool reopened July 9, but then closed a few days later because of the problem with tiles coming off the bottom. The pool has remained closed with the water drained and tiles removed as the school district waits on test results to find out why the tiles didn’t stay in place.
Nelson said he has been informed by the pool project’s architect that the school district will be receiving a report on the test results early next week.
He said those test results will dictate how the district will remedy that problem with the pool to reopen it.
