Swimming into a New Future at Westmont
Student athletes seeking to swim at the NCAA Division II level while obtaining a high-quality Christian liberal arts education now have more reasons than ever to explore Westmont’s growing aquatics program.
The college recently received a $3 million gift from the Names Family Foundation to enhance its aquatic facilities and support the continued growth of the Warrior swimming program. In the future, the gift will help fund the construction of a new pool designed to match the caliber and ambition of Westmont’s athletes. It will also enable the college to expand the women’s swim team and explore new opportunities, including the potential launch of a men’s swimming program.
Established in 1996 by Scott and Evelyn Sis Names, the Names Family Foundation provides grants for non-profit organizations that promote physical activity, sports and movement. Sisters Erin Shagren and Monica Names King serve on the board of directors of the family-oriented, community-minded foundation.
In 2018, Erin and Monica donated the funding to launch women’s swimming at Westmont, making a $1.7 million gift through the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation. As board members, they saw the contribution as a meaningful way to honor their parents, Tom and Meg, who passed away in 2016. Erin and her husband, Mark, are the parents of alumna Megan Shagren ’18.
With the original grant, Westmont hired Head Coach Jill Lin, recruited the women’s swim team and improved the facilities. The grant also funded a new strength-and-conditioning facility, Westmont’s first weight-training and exercise room dedicated to student-athletes. This addition has helped student-athletes better prepare for competition in NCAA Division II.
The investment in women’s swimming generated a return right away, with a program featuring student-athletes of high character achieving competitive and academic excellence. Since the program’s inception in 2019, Lin’s athletes have earned 34 All-American and 85 All-Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference honors. In addition, her teams have received CSCAA Scholar-Athlete Team honors nine times.
In 2024, Westmont expressed its deep appreciation by naming the aquatics center the Tom and Meg Names Aquatics Center at a pool-side dedication, which Erin, her husband, Mark, and Monica and her husband, Steve, attended with the entire swim team present.
The team’s competitiveness and momentum spurred Athletic Director Rob Ruiz, Coach Lin and President Gayle D. Beebe to envision an expanded program and additional enhancements to the swimming facilities to position the team for greater success. Asking what investments and improvements could propel the Warriors to new heights, the existing pool stood out as creating a definite drawback for practice and competition.
“The generosity of Erin and Monica made our early successes in swim possible, and we’re deeply grateful,” Ruiz says. “The most recent Names Family Foundation grant will enable our scholar-
athletes to excel in competition and continue to grow holistically through an excellent aquatics program.”
With the pool design underway, the college will determine a timeline for construction. “Our women’s swimming program has set a standard for excellence, and we’re proud of what they’ve achieved,” Ruiz says. “We’re excited about the renovation plans, which will benefit generations of Warriors to come.”
The New Pool Dimensions Will Meet Official FINAL Standards
Length: 50 meters (164 feet)
Width: 25 meters (82 feet)
Depth: Minimum 2 meters (6.6 feet); often 2.5–3 meters (8–10 feet) for wave reduction
