Lineberry Natatorium

The Grace H. Lineberry Natatorium is home to the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams and club water polo teams. The facility houses a 50-meter L-shaped pool that includes a 25-yard, eight-lane competitive area, two 1-meter and one 3-meter diving boards, a varsity team meeting room and seating for 375 spectators. The natatorium uses movable bulkheads and is one of only two natatoriums east of the Mississippi River with a retractable roof. The entrance for teams is through Huntington Gymnasium, while the entrance for spectators is at the south end of Lineberry where parking is provided.

Grace H. Lineberry Natatorium was dedicated Sept. 21, 1974. It was funded by a generous donation from her estate as directed by its administrator, Lester D. Stickles ’18. At the opening of Lineberry, Colgate was one of only 20 colleges and universities in the nation with a 50-meter indoor swimming facility. The varsity swimming and diving teams shifted to Lineberry from the four-lane James Colby Colgate Pool that was constructed in 1927 and located in Huntington Gymnasium.

Lineberry has seen many updates during the past few years. The Mark S. Randall Room was transformed into a lounge and study space for the swimming and diving programs with the addition of couches and work spaces. The bleachers were replaced in the winter of 2017 and now read GATE when closed. A new record board was installed in the summer of 2017.

The first men’s home meet at Lineberry was Nov. 30, 1974, with a 69-44 win over Williams. The first women’s meet was a January 1975 win over Syracuse by the score of 83-44.