CSM unveils newest jewel

Jessica Scott, a former water polo standout for Aragon High, College of San Mateo and Sonoma State, said her goal was, "To work at that pool." "That pool" would be the newly unveiled aquatic center at College of San Mateo, which is part of the health and wellness building and center at the school. Scott, along with former Bulldogs Samantha Seminoff and Rocio Medina, were on hand to celebrate the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new facilities. The new aquatic center brings the CSM aquatics program into the 21st century with one of the best facilities on the Peninsula. And no one is happier than Randy Wright, the Bulldogs' swim coach and women's water polo coach. Wright, who started the women's water polo program in 2003 in addition to re-starting the swim team, had a hand in the design of the new facilities, which includes an Olympic-size pool as well as a warmup pool and tons of deck space. Wright and the Bulldogs have spent the last 22 months without any facilities as the old pools were removed and the entire facility revamped. "It's definitely worth it," Wright said. "Look how pretty it is." Wright is wasting little time in christening the new digs as the Bulldogs will host West Valley in a swim meet 2 p.m. Friday. Wright said he was intimately involved in the design of the aquatic center -- to the point of submitting his own designs and sketches. Wright knows his pools. He was an All-American in high school in Southern California and was two-time national water polo champion at UCLA in the mid-1990s. He is a major force in the water polo scene here on the Peninsula. "It's what I think is the second-best facility on the Peninsula, behind Stanford," Wright said. "There are no comparisons (to other community college facilities). The potential is there for any aquatic event. You can hold major events here. "Everyone is super happy. Everyone's excited." Wright mentioned bringing the Central Coast Section championships to the facility, or holding major swim meets at CSM. As far as Wright is concerned, the sky's the limit for the facility's potential. While it is a boon for the entire CSM community, it is Wright and his programs that should benefit the most from the new facilities. The Bulldogs' water polo and swim teams have been at major disadvantages with their antiquated facilities. It didn't bother Wright not to have a state-of-the-art facility, he said, "My goal in life was to be a community college instructor. I knew I would be here whether it was the old pool or a new pool." But the new facility now gives Wright the ammunition he needs to really go out and recruit the best possible polo players and swimmers he can find. "Now I have the opportunities to bring recruits to the college and feel like I can show it off," Wright said. "It's just going to be that much better." It also allows Wright to now coach water polo, for instance, the way it should be. The previous cramped quarters meant his teams rarely had the opportunities to work on aspects of the game other than half-court situations. "Now we can work on our transitions," Wright said. The key word here is "work." Since CSM has been without pools for nearly two years, Wright has split time between Carlmont High and Crystal Springs Uplands School pools for practices, while all games and swim meets were on the road. "Without their help, we would have been in a lot of trouble," Wright said. While he is grateful for those schools allowing his teams to use their facilities for practices, it was difficult, given the travel and time limitations the schools put on him. Not that he blames them. Carlmont, for example, has its own aquatic teams that needed the pool, meaning Wright and his teams were limited to about two hours of practice a day -- and that was only during the season. There was no off-season water polo training and limited summer workouts, which put the Bulldogs behind the competition. The practices -- which are technically a class at the school -- can't be changed now, but once the regular school year is finished, watch for Wright to ramp up the workout load. "Extra work is now available," Wright said. "Weekends (to train) are now available." The new facilities bring the water polo and swim teams in line with the baseball and football teams -- two programs that are some of the best in the state with facilities that are the envy of many other programs. Wright hopes his water polo and swim teams can join football and baseball as premiere destinations for Peninsula athletes. *** While on the subject of community college facilities, hats off to Peninsula voters and the powers-that-be at the San Mateo County Community College District -- which encompasses CSM and Canada and Skyline colleges. Most of the athletic facilities on these campuses are some of the best I've ever seen at any level. From the new football stadium at CSM, to the new baseball fields at all three campuses, to the soccer facilities at Canada and Skyline, the refurbished gym at Skyline and now the aquatic center at CSM, the athletic facilities at these three schools are all jewels of which the community at large should be proud. Nathan Mollat can be reached by e-mail: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 117.