After being inactive for 13 years, Kean University's swimming program will be resurrected as a women's varsity sport for the first time since 2003. The program will begin at the start of the 2017- 2018 academic year.
"This is a perfect time to add a sport to the Kean University Athletic Department, and women's swimming will be a great fit with our campus and community," said Jack McKiernan, director of athletics.
The last time the Kean University Athletic Department added a new sport to its long list was in 2011 when it added the men's volleyball team. The team has had a successful six years since it began, winning five conference championships and earning the number one national ranking in 2015.
Now, along with the women's swimming team, Kean University offers 14 varsity division three (DIII) programs, which include basketball, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, football and tennis. This also adds to the long list of women's programs, making it eight total sports that female students can choose from like softball and volleyball.
The last two sports resurrected after a few years on hiatus were the women's tennis team and the women's lacrosse team. Both were added prior to the 1996 season.
The women's swimming team will join the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and compete against other New Jersey universities and colleges who offer a DIII swimming team, including The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), Montclair State University, Ramapo University, Rowan University and William Paterson University.
"We have strong swimming programs locally and within the state [of New Jersey] and the addition of women's swimming demonstrates our willingness to seek out and meet the needs and desires of our students," McKiernan commented. "We have had tremendous accomplishments with our women's athletic programs and feel that women's swimming will be another successful sport for Kean Athletics. We look forward to welcoming these student-athletes to our Kean Cougar community."
For more information about the women's swimming program, visit the Kean Athletics website or call the office at 908-737-0600.
