Twenty-six Winter Sports School seniors jumped into the Spence Eccles Olympic Freestyle Pool at Utah Olympic Park on Monday, Aug. 24, wearing navy caps and gowns for a ceremonial last splash before the 750,000-gallon pool closes for renovations.

The pool is scheduled to be drained this week, KPCW reported. The renovation will upgrade locker rooms, spectator viewing areas, water treatment systems and the pool's interior, according to the Park Record. The closure is expected to last up to 70 days. The work is part of broader facility improvements at Utah Olympic Park ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympics.

Senior Tyler Cruickshank, who trains at the pool each summer to practice aerial tricks, said the closing hit home.

"This is kind of where we've built a lot of our lives, and where we've built a lot of ourselves," Cruickshank said. "So jumping off here one final time before the pool closes kind of just represents the end of our time here."

Cruickshank's mother, Kathryn McClemens, helped organize the event. She said the pool has become a second home to students and parents alike, and that the splash pays tribute to the school's roots at Utah Olympic Park.

Founded in 1994, Winter Sports School spent years in a portable building at the base of UOP before opening a permanent campus off state Route 224 in 2014. The public charter school runs classes from April through November so students can train and compete during winter months. To date, it has produced 29 Olympians and 26 overall World Cup champions.

The Class of 2026 reflects that athletic ambition. Senior Caroline Pfaff said the school's schedule helped her become a more balanced person. She plans to continue skiing in college. Ryan Walden, who initially enrolled because his siblings attended, developed a passion for freeride skiing on natural, ungroomed terrain. He plans to keep competing after graduation and hopes to make the Olympics.

The 26 seniors graduate Nov. 20. McClemens said parents are planning additional celebrations before then.