The origins of the Monona Swim & Dive Club are lost in the mists that rise from Lake Monona on a cool summer morning, for it was in the lake, at Schluter Beach, that the team first came together to compete. Swimmers raced back and forth between two wooden piers. Shorewood, which also swam in a lake, was a frequent opponent.

Monona’s first public pool, an 8-lane metal-sided "Chester In Ground," was built in 1963. By 1965, the swim team had abandoned Schluter Beach for the pool’s friendlier confines. Jo Hanson, who worked for the then Village of Monona helped the team get established at the pool.

MO first joined the All-City League in 1965, and hosted the All-City Swim Meet in 1972, 1979, 1986, 1995, 2006, and 2018. Monona’s current pool was built in 1993, just in time for MO to host the 1994 All-City Dive Meet.

The only time MO won the All-City Meet was in 1984, when we beat Ridgewood by just six points: 1,221 to 1,215. That was the year when the MG High School football coach ordered his entire team to sign up for the swim team to stay in shape over the summer. Not only did MO’s swimmers win All-City that year, but the MG football team won the State Championship as well!

Monona Swim & Dive Club is unique among All-City teams in that we are not officially affiliated with our home pool. We are a non-profit club that rents pool time from the City, which owns the pool. MO typically has close to 300 members – welcoming families from Monona, Madison, Cottage Grove, McFarland and beyond.

They learn swimming and diving skills that will last a lifetime and they have fun being on a team that includes boys and girls of all ages. Children from kindergarten through high school are welcome to join. The only requirement is the ability to swim one length of the pool, front crawl, with their faces in the water.

We compete against other Madison area teams in the Madison All-City Swim and Dive League. Typically, dive meets are on Friday evenings and swim meets are on Saturday mornings. Competition is by age group. The highlights of the season are the All-City Swim Meet and the All-City Dive Meet at the end of the season. It's one of the largest outdoor meets in the nation and more fun than you can shake a wet towel at!

In addition to practices and meets, the club holds fun social events, where swimmers get to know their coaches better and make lifetime friends with other swimmers!

Monona Pool

The Monona Community Pool configuration is 25 meters by 8 lanes. The pool has an attached diving well with two boards, a water slide, and a separate “kiddie pool.” We are located at 1011 Nichols Rd., near Monona’s Community Center and the Monona Public Library. We border beautiful Winnequah Park which is home to the Monona Youth Dream Park, a winding lagoon, tennis courts, park shelters, as well as baseball diamonds and fields for sports such as soccer. For more information about the pool, lessons, open swim times, or scheduling, call the Monona Community Center at: (608) 222-4167.