Noordhoek donates new diving board to FHSU
05/22/12 jgm
HAYS, Kan -- A new diving board donated by Dr. Lyle Noordhoek, Hays Medical Center pathologist, was recently installed at the Fort Hays State University pool. The board cost about $12,000.
"Our previous diving board was hand-made by a retired maintenance and facilities worker several years back, but this board is the top-of-the-line product," said Ron Haag, director of intramurals. "It has given the students the ability to jump off the same kind of board used at regional, state and Olympic competitions."
The new board is a Duraflex board that allows for a small amount of adjustment in tension and height, unlike the previous one.
Duraflex diving boards are well known worldwide and continue to be the standard in the diving industry. It has been the only diving board used in the Olympics and all major international competition since the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Noordhoek swims at the FHSU pool on a regular basis and is a big supporter of the Hays and Thomas More Prep-Marian high schools' swim teams and Hays Young Swimmers.
"As a member of the Hays community, I spent the last 25 years assisting with the Hays Hurricanes and the high school teams," said Noordhoek. "The diving board was starting to age and needed to be replaced soon. I thought that it would be nice for the kids to be able to practice on a competition-quality board and for continued support swim teams."
"I would like to recognize Dr. Noordhoek's support of swimming in the Hays community and what he has done in improving our facility for FHSU students and the community organizations that use our facility," said Glen McNeil, chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance. "It will greatly enhance our current swimming and diving programs as well as those within the community."
"I would like to thank Dr. Noordhoek for being so generous and such a big supporter," said Haag. "We really appreciate his gift to improving our facilities, and we thank him for caring for FHSU pool users and students."
"The installation of the new board was something we normally would not have been able to do without Dr. Noordhoek's donation," said McNeil. "His donation increases the opportunity for our students, users, outside groups and provides a tremendous upgrade for our for our facility."
Noordhoek took the first dive off the new board at its dedication on April 26.