Beginning fall 2004, Guilford will field women’s cross-country, women’s swimming, men’s tennis, and men’s cross-country teams. Randy Doss, Guilford College Vice President of Campus Life and Enrollment, made the announcement to the schools’ athletics department Friday Oct. 24, 2003. Each of the new sports teams added will compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and will be eligible for league championships.
“Guilford, as a Division III College has the smallest coeducational athletic department with only 12 varsity programs. By adding the four new varsity programs Guilford will no longer have the smallest coeducational athletic program in the ODAC,” said Doss.
Everything needed to create the four new varsity sports, Guilford has. The college has a 340-acre campus with a cross-country trail that will be used by the cross-country teams. The swimming team will use the pool, which is ready for competitive use. Not enough people were using the pool and it was difficult to get a certified lifeguard to be on duty all the time. Therefore it was either create a swimming team or demolish the pool and make it into another gym.
Until the end of 2002, Guilford sponsored a men’s tennis team. The team will compete on the 8-court facility, which is already in use by the women’s tennis team.
Athletic Director Marion Kirby said that by adding four new sports teams he hopes “to create the total educational experience by broadening the range of varsity sports. Also, it’s to create more diversified opportunities for the students, so that they can pursue something they like doing.”
First -year student Laurie Henninger, also a prospective tennis player says, “I’m going to have to go ahead and say that having a tennis team to play on would be beyond wonderful and would give me a real good chance to show my strength and to really shine at Guilford.”
Recruiting for the teams has already begun by the appointed coaches. Tom Palombo, the basketball coach will direct the men’s tennis team. Tim Kaine, Palombo’s basketball assistant, will coach both cross-country teams, and a search to hire the women’s swimming coach began last spring.