Earlier this week, South Georgia State College announced that the college has suspended its swimming program. The news came as a shock to many friends and supporters of SGSC.
CM Jenkins, the team’s first swim coach who worked tirelessly to build the program into one of the best junior college swim teams in the country, released the following statement Thursday morning regarding the college’s decision. Below is his statement:
“I am deeply disappointed on hearing the news of our swim program being shut down at SGSC. I read several posts or comments about this earlier this week along with a statement issued by the college. While most have shared concerns about losing our swim team, none have addressed the primary drawbacks of the suspending of the program.
“As the coach that started the program in 2010 and built it into a NJCAA top program, I feel compelled to mention the two chief disadvantages of eliminating the program. First and foremost, over the last thirteen years the program allowed approximately 140 student athletes from all over the Southeast to attend college and earn scholarship money to compete in their sport. Also, about ten percent of that number were local students from Coffee County. Secondly, the swim team and its successes brought national recognition to SGSC. The team was a perennial top four team in the nation including finishing second in the nation six times. From 2016 to 2019 the women were runner up to Indian River State College whose men and women have won the tournament for 46 plus consecutive years. And in 2016 and 2018 the SGSC’s men finished second in the nation.
“I will not discuss in this post the many varying issues that have led to the suspending of the program. However, I would like to thank all the swimmers and their parents that committed to our program and the many people of Coffee County that have supported our program over the years both financially and otherwise.”
Though the swim program has been suspended, the pool remains open to the public for lap swim at the designated times.