Alumnus Kyle Overmyer took great pride in the medal-winning performances by U.S. swimmers in the 2024 Summer Olympics, because he played a role in them making a big splash in Paris, France.

The 2009 mechanical engineering graduate was project manager and lead mechanical engineer for IMEG engineering firm, which designed the infrastructure for a first-of-its-kind Olympic swimming pool inside Lucas Oil Stadium –  a venue built for National Football League games and other special events in downtown Indianapolis, which hosted the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials in June.

Overmyer’s IMEG team was responsible for determining how to fill each pool within a 12-hour window, bring two million gallons of pool water to Olympic competition temperature (77 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit) within 36 hours, and finally drain each pool in eight hours. Plans for this work started two years before the event. 

“We determined that we could fill the pools via a fire hydrant and hoses borrowed from the Indianapolis Fire Department,” he stated. “Once the pools were filled, they were treated with chlorine to make it safe for swimmers. The heating of the pool water was accomplished with two plate and frame heat exchangers. We determined the most cost-effective and energy efficient approach was to utilize the existing hydronic heating water within Lucas Oil Stadium.” 

Overmyer, a senior associate within IMEG’s Indianapolis office, noted that the company produced construction documents for the installation of heat exchangers and 8-inch diameter heating water lines to achieve the water temperature requirements. The draining of the pools allowed for the water to be dechlorinated and returned to the Indianapolis water system – cleaner than when it started. Because of this approach, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials was a zero-water-loss event. 

It took three weeks to construct the over 8-foot tall pool on the NFL stadium’s playing surface. Surrounding the elevated pool was a competition deck, creating the visual appearance of an in-ground swimming pool for the more than 250,000 fans who attended the U.S. Swimming Team’s Olympic Trials.

Watch a timelapse video of the construction. 

“Being a part of the team to create this small engineering wonder was surreal,” noted Overmyer. “It was fascinating to observe the pool consultant’s approach on building an above ground pool in an NFL stadium and the integration of the custom-raised decking system. I realized this project would be supporting athletes on their journey to the Olympics and I took immense pride in helping Team USA.” 

Overmyer’s pride in the project continued as he stated, “Watching the excitement swell within Indianapolis and the transformation of downtown in the days leading up to the U.S. Olympic Swimming trials was momentous. However, getting to witness the swimming trials as a spectator and feel the energy inside the stadium was the perfect way to wrap up the over two years of work. It was awe-inspiring seeing all the way this event positively impacted the local community and garnered national attention.”

He joined his wife, fellow alum Dianna Artigue Overmyer, who earned bachelor’s (2004) and master’s (2009) degrees in chemical engineering, and their two children in watching TV coverage of U.S. Swimming Team members competing in the Summer Olympics. 

“We cheered on Team USA every night and particularly enjoyed following all of the Indiana connections (swimmers from Carmel, Evansville, Chesterton, and Noblesville),” Kyle said. “This project was a reminder of why I ultimately chose to pursue a career in the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design industry. While project meetings and an endless stream of emails usually occupy most of my day, this project rekindled that joy of problem solving and hardly felt like work at all. Moving forward, the Lucas Oil Stadium U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials will always be included as part of my ‘greatest hits’ project list. Hopefully, we'll get to do it again for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.”

After its deconstruction, the pool will be featured as part of a new swimming facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The warm-up pool will be sent to Cayman Islands to expand swimming opportunities for children in the Caribbean region.  

Overmyer has been part of other major construction projects with IMEG. This list includes the St. Vincent Center-Indiana Pacers Training Facility (Indianapolis), Penn State Pegula Ice Arena (State College, Pennsylvania), Parkview Wabash Hospital and Medical Office Building (Wabash, Indiana), Franciscan Health Orthopedic Hospital Carmel (Carmel, Indiana), and South Bend Cubs’ Four Winds Field renovation (South Bend, Indiana). He also has been part of Indianapolis renovations to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indiana Convention Center, Victory Field, Franciscian Hospital Indianapolis, IU Health Methodist Hospital, IU Health University Hospital, and IU Health Riley Hospital.