Swarthmore’s Plans for a Sport Facility Revamp
Swarthmore College already boasts impressive athletics facilities: a newly turfed field, two outdoor tennis courts, one indoor tennis center adorned with an indoor golf simulator, Ware Swimming Pool, and baseball and softball fields. But for years, one piece of the puzzle has been lagging behind: the Lamb-Miller Field House. Home to team locker rooms, the basketball and volleyball gym, athletic training and sports medicine offices, and the central athletics lobby and offices, the current fieldhouse feels outdated when compared to the rest of the college’s newer athletics spaces.
As a part of President Val Smith’s Swarthmore Forward initiative, the fieldhouse is slated for a complete revitalization. Plans are in the development phase, with a goal to meet the needs of students while investing in sustainable and advanced infrastructure. As stated on the Swarthmore website, “Swarthmore has long valued the importance of educating the whole student. The College’s commitment to that ideal is a critical element of Swarthmore Forward, which articulates a vision for finding new ways to nurture all aspects of students’ physical, emotional, and social well-being, and creating spaces that foster health, wellness, and community engagement. Revitalizing our athletics and recreation facilities by replacing Lamb-Miller Field House and renovating Cunningham Fields is central to this work.”
Though this project is still in its early development, Swarthmore has emphasized a collaborative and thoughtful design process. Decisions about the functionality and design of the space were guided by community input (through SAAC, the Student Academic Advisory Committee), budgetary considerations, and the evolving needs of the college’s athletic, physical, and recreation programs. Sustainability and cutting-edge modernity are central to its new fieldhouse vision. While details about the design are still emerging, early glimpses suggest a dramatic departure from the current space. In a meeting between student-athletes and the architectural firm leading the redesign, members of SAAC were shown inspiration cards illustrating aesthetic visions of a spacious and welcoming space for athletes and staff. Student-athletes can expect a space that supports community-building between teams and fans and a space to provide performance and nutrition resources. This might mean larger, newer locker rooms, new study or lounge areas, or upgraded practice or video spaces—maybe even a cafe—to reflect the caliber of academic and athletic excellence at Swarthmore.
Although the project is still in early stages of planning, the efforts by the college present new opportunities for the future of Swarthmore athletics.
Swarthmore Women’s Lacrosse Beat McDaniel College
This past Saturday, April 12 at Clothier Field, the Garnet met the McDaniel Green Terror and bested them, 15-9. This was a pivotal Centennial Conference matchup and the Garnet delivered a commanding winning performance. This victory improves the Garnet’s conference record to 3-2 and 10-3 overall, thus far. The game was tight, back-and-forth through the first half, with the Garnet holding a narrow lead of 5-4 going into the second half. The tide turned in the third quarter when Garnet scored 5 goals in a row, transforming a 6-6 tie into an 11-6 advantage, with little time remaining. This offensive decision and aggression proved to be decisive for the Garnet’s win. Senior attacker Isabela Bloomquist ’25 led this offensive charge, scoring four goals and one assist, and three ground balls. Following her lead, Annabel Stifler ’26 scored four goals and contributed one ground ball. Freshman Claire Long ’28 had a stellar performance and contributed two goals. Sophomore Brooke Carrier ’27 also contributed with many pivotal saves in goal.
With this victory, the Garnet are solidifying their position in the Centennial Conference standings, holding one of the final playoff seeds with three games remaining. The team’s resilience and balanced play were on full display this past weekend, highlighting their potential for a strong postseason run. As the regular season winds down, Swarthmore’s focus remains on securing a playoff berth and making a run for the Centennial Conference Tournament title.
