Tribute: Jon Urbanchek Inspired Entire Swimming Community to ‘Keep it Moving’
by DAVID RIEDER – SENIOR WRITER
13 May 2024, 05:20am
Jon Urbanchek Inspired Entire Swimming Community to ‘Keep it Moving’
Last week, the U.S. swimming community lost a legend when Jon Urbanchek died at age 87. Over the next few days, tributes poured in from across the swimming community, athletes who swam for Urbanchek at the University of Michigan or as professionals as well as from other coaches. Almost all of the memorials invoked Urbanchek’s favorite phrase, his approach for life both in swimming and outside the sport: “Keep it moving!”
Nearly each comment can summed up as such: great swimming mind but a better person.
Katie Ledecky, who swam in Urbanchek’s group during training camp prior to her first Olympics in 2012, said, “he has been a coach, a mentor and a friend since then. I learned so much from his kindness and care, and I know all of my coaches have learned much from him, too.” Emily Brunemann Klueh, a former U.S. National Team swimmer and current mental health staffer with the organization, wrote, “The impact you had on me, my career, my family is like none other.”
A powerful statement from Katie Hoff, who swam for Urbanchek at a USA Swimming training center in Fullerton, Calif., asked rhetorically, “how do I articulate the joy and meaning that you’ve brought to SO many lives, including my own?” Hoff added, “Thank you for always caring about me as a person first and athlete second.” Hoff recalled how Urbanchek would pretend to forget the assigned workout twice per week” and how he provided “infectious energy that made me want to stay in the sport even when I was going through it.”
At Michigan, Urbanchek led the Wolverine men to an NCAA team title in 1995, and following his retirement as head coach in 2004, successors Bob Bowman and Mike Bottom both begged Urbanchek to stay on as an assistant. Bowman and Bottom each publicly shared their remembrances, with Bottom’s statement calling Urbanchek “the Yoda to world swimming, add on the sense of humor and occasionally needed warm hug. His wisdom grew and spread over the decades.”
So few people are universally beloved, but Urbanchek was part of that exclusive club, a genuinely kind man to all. Even as one of the sport’s elder statesmen in recent years, he brought a youthful joy and energy to all sorts of pool decks as decades leading Michigan led into six years assisting the Wolverines, the stint coaching professionals in Fullerton, some time assisting Dave Salo at the University of Southern California and finally a few years as USA Swimming National Team Technical Advisor.
There were hundreds of championship meets over that time, but perhaps none were less significant than his appearance at U.S. Masters Nationals in Riverside, Calif., in April 2017. That was the meet where Ryan Lochte, then training with Salo and Urbanchek at USC, made his first racing appearance since the infamous gas station incident at the Rio Olympics. Lochte was still serving a USA Swimming suspension at the time, but USMS allowed him to race, and Urbanchek followed.
Were these the most competitive swimmers in the world? Of course not, but Urbanchek was in his element. “We have tremendous competition in the pool and good vibrations all over this deck,” he said. “It still feels like I’m in Coachella Valley right now, all the vibrations coming over here.”
Urbanchek set up a tent in one corner of the deck marked off with caution tape and a sign reading “Jon’s Gang.” It was an exclusive group, but maybe not considering all the people on deck who knew the coach.
I interviewed Urbanchek at that meet mostly about Lochte’s return to swimming, but the conversation delved far beyond that. He mentioned how he enjoyed assisting his successors at Michigan, Bowman and Bottom, “because the buck stops with the head coach. If something goes wrong, go see him! I’m just an assistant.”
Urbanchek recalled how he ended up on deck part-time at USC: Salo knew he was living in Los Angeles and asked for help, and Urbanchek’s wife, Melanie, had graduated from USC. Urbanchek recalled her saying, “You gave your life to Michigan. How ’bout giving the remaining of your life to my school, to USC?”
He shared how the “Keep it moving!” mentality was infectious among the swimmers he was working with at the time. “I go to USC and see all these people, young and enthusiastic. I suck it all in and shove it right back to them. They always ask me, ‘Jon, what makes you so happy?’ I say, ‘I have caffeine, and I also have your energy.’ Usually I have a quad latte. That’s four shots,” Urbanchek said.
“They ask, ‘Jon, what makes you so happy? It’s 5 a.m, 5:30.’ ‘Heck, I’ve got my juice. I still enjoy it. Probably keep doing it as long as I’m healthy. Just because I’m retired, my wife says it doesn’t mean you stop coaching. ‘I want you out of the house for three days a week.’ I’m doing it.”
And at one point in the conversation, Urbanchek actually took credit for Lochte breaking the world record in the 200 IM, albeit in a joking manner, harkening back to when Lochte qualified for his first Olympic team in 2004 and he swam in Urbanchek’s group leading up to the Games.
“We’re doing some IM work, and I see him doing an old pivot turn on IM from back-to-breast. I said, ‘What the — how the hell did you make it to this level if you don’t know how to do a crossover turn?’” Urbanchek said.
“Katie Hoff was on the team, so I said, ‘Hey Katie, how about showing Ryan how to do the crossover turn?’ And she couldn’t get it. Ryan couldn’t get it. So I’m on deck just like this with my board shorts on. ‘(Gosh darn) it! I’ll jump in and show it to you. (Darn)!’ Finally, he set the world record for 200 IM — I guess he still has the record. I said, ‘Ryan, you owe me five percent of that. That was my turn!’
That conversation on a sunny spring day in Southern California was classic Urbanchek: begin with a few specific questions, and end up spending 14 minutes laughing and smiling at Urbanchek’s spirit and zeal. He was the first coach to receive the International Olympic Committee’s Lifetime Achievement award, and the reasons go far beyond his ability to write a workout. Simply, the man could inspire.
Happy Birthday Dick Kimball!!
Dick Kimball (USA)
Honor Coach (1985)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: NCAA CHAMPION: 1957 (1m,3m springboard); U.S. OLYMPIC COACH: 1964, 1980, 1984; WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COACH: 1978; 1972 “Mike Malone Memorial Award”. 1972, 1976 “Fred A. Cady Memorial Diving Coaches Award”; Past president American Diving Coaches Association; US Diving Olympic Committee; Rules Committee of US Diving; NCAA Chairman of the Women’s Diving Rules Committee; Diving Coach at the University of Michigan for 25 years; NCAA Women’s & Men’s Diving Coach of the Year 1984; Big Ten Women’s Diving Coach of the Year 1984.
While Dick Kimball was a double N.C.A.A. Champion in 1957, he never reached his diving peak until six years later, when he won the Professional World’s Championship. He was considered the all-time world’s greatest acrobatic diver. Kimball, also a trampoline champion, was the first to put a spotting rig over a diving board. He developed many new dives, first using the mini-tramp, then the mini-board and ultimately off the tower. He was the first to develop many of the newer dives in today’s optional list.
Likewise, Kimball’s divers learned new dives in the process of winning it all. Micki King and Lani Loken were the first women (9167) to do a complete men’s list off the women’s tower. They, along with Phil Boggs and Ron Merriott, were among the Kimball divers to do a new dive first. Kimball’s divers won the Olympic gold three times–Hall of Famers Bob Webster ’69, Micki King ’72 and Phil Boggs ’76.
Twenty-five Kimball divers have represented the United States on international trips. His men and women have won 13 national Collegiates, 37 U.S. and A.A.U. Nationals, three Olympics, two Pan Americans, three World Championships and one World Student Game. His divers finished second in these various championships 54 times.
As a show diver, Kimball became the straightman for comic Hobie Billingsley after the tragic death of Bruce Harlan. When Billingsley retired four years later, Kimball teamed with Ron O’Brien. Presently Kimball runs a successful summer diving camp in Brandon, Florida. Two of his world class divers have been his own son, Bruce, and daughter Vicki.
Happy Birthday Sharon Wichman!!
Sharon Wichman (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1991)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 gold (200m breaststroke), bronze (100m breaststroke); AAU NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3 (100yd, 200yd breaststroke).
If you had two wishes that might come true, what would they be? This was the question Sharon was asked on a guidance questionnaire in 1965 at Chester T. Lane Junior High School. Sharon’s first wish was, “To get a gold medal in the Olympics.” Little did she know that her wish would come true.
Unlike most of us who have blown our big chance because we didn’t prepare for the unexpected, Sharon was ready to take the reins when world record holder and teammate Catie Ball, became very ill and could not compete at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. Sharon won the 200 meter breaststroke in Olympic record time and became the first American woman in
the history of the Olympic Games to capture the 200m breaststroke title. She also won the bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke, barely out-touched by gold medal winner Djurdica Bjedov of Yugoslavia by three tenths of a second.
Sharon began her career at Club Olympia in Fort Wayne, Indiana at age eleven. In 1966, Sharon’s father was transferred to Mexico City and she missed the expert coaching of breaststroke specialist and Hall of Famer, Stefan Hunyadfi. Despite the advantages that could be obtained from high altitude training, Sharon’s training was minimal and she returned home one month early to train with Hunyadfi for the U.S. Summer National Championship of 1967.
Although she returned to Mexico to compete in the Olympic Games in 1968, Sharon was a scared and homesick sixteen year old. It was the Olympic training camp in Colorado Springs and the encouragement from Olympic Coach Frank Elm, that prepared Sharon for the competition. “He said just the right thing because his words were all I though of the last length,” said Sharon.
Having continued success in 1969, Sharon captured the national short course title in the 100 meter breaststroke and placed in the top three in all national competitions. She went on to win international titles at Bremen, Germany in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke events. Sharon’s attitude was not so much to beat someone, but to have a good race, and she had many good races.
Happy Birthday Anne Ottenbrite!!
Anne Ottenbrite (CAN)
Honor Swimmer (1999)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m breaststroke), silver (100m breaststroke), bronze (4x100m medley relay); 1982 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (100m breaststroke), bronze (200m breaststroke); 1982 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (200m breaststroke), silver (100m breaststroke); 1983 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (100m breaststroke, 4x100m medley relay); CANADIAN GAMES: gold (100m and 200m breaststroke, 4x100m medley relay); 5 CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3 short course, 2 long course (breaststroke).
You could say that Canada’s Anne Ottenbrite was born to swim the breaststroke. At age 3, she learned to swim in her backyard pool in Whitby, Ontario and immediately started using a whip kick. It came very naturally to her and by age 12 she was swimming competitively at the Oshawa Aquatic Club.
Her phenomenal flexibility allowed her to use an undulating upper-body movement in her stroke, long before it became the popular technique. Being tall and lanky at 5’8 ¾” and 132 pounds, her double-jointedness lent itself to use this technique. Her first coach, Lynne Trimbee, brought Anne along gradually with heavy emphasis on stroke technique. It was not until age 15 that she began to significantly lower her times.
In 1981, she moved to the Ajax Aquatic Club and coach Paul Meroneu who intensified workouts and stressed quality pool and dry land training. In less than a year, she turned into one of the world’s leading breaststrokers. Between 1981 and 1984, she won the silver and bronze medals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Guayaquil 1982 World Championships, the gold and silver medals in the 200m and 100m breaststroke at the 1982 Commonwealth Games and 5 Canadian National Titles in the breaststroke. She was twice named Canada’s Female Swimmer of the Year.
Because her undulating body motion caused her legs to break the water’s surface, she was disqualified in a few international invitationals resulting in a slight kick-stroke change to assure not being disqualified in the Olympics. But her biggest problem before the Los Angeles Olympics occurred when she accidentally dislocated her knee. Being loose jointed, she didn’t rip any tendons. But she couldn’t kick and was forced to do only pulling in workouts. Her tremendous flexibility helped her rehabilitation (she could turn her feet around completely backwards and twirl her arms at the elbows).
Competing in the Olympic Games of 1984 was her goal. She had won the gold medal in the Pan American Games the year before and was Canada’s top breaststroker for the medley relay. Her dilemma was that her bad knee prevented her from swimming in the Olympic Trials. Fortunately, Canadian Technical Director and Head Coach Trevor Tiffany declared that Anne would be added to the team, irregardless of the complaints of coaches who said she never officially qualified for the team. Trevor knew that Anne was one of Canada’s best chances for a medal. His foresightedness paid off when 18 year old Ottenbrite became Canada’s first-ever gold medalist in women’s swimming by capturing the 200m breaststroke. Just after Alex Baumann’s 400m I.M. swim, she was Canada’s third gold medalist in swimming behind Alex (1984) and George Hodgeson (1912). She also won the silver in the 100m breaststroke and bronze on the 4 X 100m medley relay.
Since 1988, Anne has been coaching swimming, currently as the University of Guelph Assistant Coach and Guelph Marlins Swim Club Head Age Group Coach. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California (1984-1986) and Wilfred Laurier University (1987-1990) in Ontario. She and her husband Marlin Maylaert have a son, Cameron.
Happy Birthday Gunnar Larsson!!
Gunnar Larsson (SWE)
Honor Swimmer (1979)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1972 gold (200m, 400m individual medley); WORLD RECORDS: 3; WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1973 gold (200m individual medley); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m freestyle; 200m medley; 400m individual medley), silver (200m freestyle); SWEDISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 21; NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2.
Gunnar Larsson failed to make a final in the 1968 Olympics then came on like a surprise bombshell to be the best swimmer in Europe two years later. At Barcelona in 1970, he set World Records in the 400m freestyle and 200m medley plus another gold medal in the 400 I.M. and a silver in the 200 freestyle. In the 1972 Munich Olympics he won the “decathlon” events of swimming coming from behind to win gold medals in both the four-stroke 200 and 400 individual medleys over Tim McKee by two thousandths of a second in the 400 and by 1.2 seconds in the 200 in World Record time. Once more Gunnar pulled it off in the First World Championships in Belgrade in 1973. Larsson’s best time before the meet was unlikely to make the finals but he again won the 200 individual medley. Coached by Don Gambril at Long Beach State and Harvard and by Lars-Erik Paulsson at home, Larsson must rank with Arne Borg as one of Sweden’s two greatest all-time swimmers.
Happy Birthday Grant Hacket!!
Grant Hacket (AUS)
Honor Swimmer (2014)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (1500m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay); 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (1500m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle); 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver (1500m freestyle), bronze (4x200m freestyle relay); FIVE LONG COURSE WORLD RECORDS: 1 – 200m freestyle, 1 – 800m freestyle, 1 – 1500m freestyle, 2 – 4x200m freestyle relay; TEN SHORT COURSE WORLD RECORDS: 2 – 400m freestyle, 2 – 800m freestyle, 2 – 1500m freestyle, 4 – 4x200m freestyle relay;1998 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (1500m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle); 2001 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (1500m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle, 800m freestyle); 2003 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle), bronze (200m freestyle); 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle), silver (200m freestyle), bronze (4x200m freestyle); 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (400m freestyle); 2001 GOODWILL GAMES: gold (200m freestyle, 1500m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle); 1998 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (1500m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle); 2002 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (1500m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle); 1997 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle), silver (4x200m freestyle); 1999 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (1500m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle); 2002 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle), silver (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle)
This swimmer joins a list of Australians who have won more Olympic gold medals in the fifteen-hundred meter freestyle than any other nation – starting with Andrew “Boy” Charlton in 1924. Following Charlton were Murray Rose-1956, Jon Konrads-1960, Robert Windle-1964 and Kieran Perkins in 1992 and 1996.
Grant Hackett was born in Southport, on Australia’s Gold Coast. He joined coach Denis Cotrell’s team in 1992, at the age of 12. In 1999, he broke his first world record, surprising everyone by beating Hall of Famer, Giorgio Lamberti’s 200 meter freestyle record, while swimming the lead-off spot for his club at the Australian Championships.
In his specialty, the 1500 meter freestyle, he was unbeaten from 1997 to 2007, winning every major world competition. His four World Championship gold medals in this event make him the only swimmer to have won a world title in one event four times, and in total, he has won ten World Championship gold medals. In 2001, at the FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, he set a world record that lasted over ten years, finally broken by China’s Sun Yang, in Shanghai, at the 2011 Championships.
Hackett is best remembered for winning back to back gold medals in the 1500 meter freestyle at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and the 2004 Games in Athens.
It was during the 1500 freestyle at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, where Hackett may have given his most impressive performance. He was suffering from respiratory problems, a partially collapsed lung, but he still overcame the tough competition to win the gold medal in back to back Olympic Games. His Olympic career spanned from 2000 to 2008, all totaled, he won three gold, three silver, and one bronze medal in the freestyle events.
During his career, he set a total of 15 world records, 5 long course and 10 short course and still holds the world record in the 1500 meter short course event that he set in 2001.
Happy Birthday Andrea Pollack!!
Andrea Pollack (GDR)
Honor Swimmer (1987)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1976 gold (200m butterfly; relay), silver (100m butterfly; relay); 1980 gold (relay), silver (100m butterfly); WORLD RECORDS: 7 (100m, 200m butterfly; 4 relays); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1978 silver (100m butterfly; relay), bronze (200m butterfly); USA INTERNATIONALS: 1979 gold (100m, 200m butterfly); 1980 gold (200m butterfly); DDR-USSR: 1977 gold (100m butterfly); 1978 gold (100m, 200m butterfly); 1979 gold (100m, 200m butterfly); 1980 gold (100m, 200m butterfly); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1977 gold (100m butterfly; relay), silver (200m butterfly); EAST GERMANY RECORDS: 9 (100m, 200m butterfly).
Andrea Pollack was the first girl in the world to break a minute for the 100 meter butterfly. She did it as the youngest member of the GDR 400 meter medley relay in Montreal. She had helped the relay qualify for the finals by swimming the freestyle leg to give a rest to 1976 Olympic superstar Kornelia Ender. Ironically, the woman who swam the butterfly in the preliminaries was her dynamo sports club mate Rosemarie Kother-Gabriel, herself queen of the fly and world record holder since 1973.
Not since Alice Jones had been the best swimmer in the world of fly and had given way to Deena Dierdorf, her Cincinnati Marlin teammate in 1967, had a world record holder in her prime done so much to train a younger teammate to take her place. Like Dierdorf, Pollack was a 15 year old “little squirt” when Gabriel blew her horn. Born in Mecklinburg-Schwerin, Pollack had gone to Berlin as a nine year old and literally grew up chasing Gabriel and Ender in the butterfly and crawl until she emerged at Montreal with two gold medals and two silvers. “Without Gabriel, there would be no Pollack,” Andrea said. “Rosemarie taught me everything.” And in 1987 Andrea followed Rosemarie in the International Swimming Hall of Fame by one year.
Doping Disclaimer: In a German court of law, after this swimmer was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, team officials confessed to administering performance enhancing drugs to this swimmer, who therefore obtained an illegal and unfair advantage over other athletes. For more information, click here.
Happy Birthday Brooke Bennett!!
Brooke Bennett (USA)
Honor Swimmer (2010)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (800m freestyle); 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (400m, 800m freestyle); 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze (800m freestyle); 1998 WORLD CHAMPI-ONSHIPS: gold (800m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle relay); 2000 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (25m): silver (800m freestyle); 1995 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (400m freestyle), silver (800m free-style); 1995 Pan PacificChampionships: gold (400m, 1500m freestyle); 1997 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (800m, 1500m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle); 1999 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m, 800m freestyle); 13 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2-400m freestyle, 2-500y freestyle, 3-800m freestyle, 2-1000y freestyle, 2-1500m freestyle, 2-1650y freestyle.
Growing up in Plant City, Florida on a farm surrounded by a menagerie of animals, Brooke loved the water and swam a length of the family pool at the age of two. By age six she was a local swim club champ.
Swimming for the Brandon Blue Wave, she took to the distance freestyle events and at age fourteen, she won the bronze medal in the 800 meter freestyle at the 1994 Rome World Championships. A bit cocky and eager to win, she used the 1995 PanAmerican Games gold-medal win in the 400m freestyle as a stepping stone to win the 1996 Olym-pic 800 meter freestyle gold medal which she repeated in 2000 win the 1996 Olym-pic 800 meter freestyle gold medal which she repeated in 2000 at the Sydney Games. Following in the footsteps of her rival but friend, Janet Evans, it was only the second back-to-back 800m freestyle win in Olympic history just as Janet had done in 1988 and 1992. With a time of 8:19.67, she broke Janet’s 12 year old Olympic record in the process.
Brooke Bennett had become one of the world’s greatest female distance swimmers. She also won the 400m freestyle gold medal in Sydney and the 800m freestyle gold at the 1998 World Championships. Three of her 13 U.S. National Championships were in the 800m freestyle. All totaled she had three Olympic gold medals from two Olympic Games; a gold, silver and bronze medals from two World Champion-ships; gold and silver medals from one Pan American Games and a silver medal from one World Championships short course.
She was the 1995 USOC Sports Woman of the Year for Swimming. Serious operations on both her shoulders in 2001 limited her participation in ensuing years.
Happy Birthday Randy Reese!!
Randy Reese (USA)
Honor Coach (2005)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 1980, 1984, and 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: Assistant Coach; 1979 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: Assistant Coach; 1987 PAN PACIFIC GAMES: Assistant Coach; Coach of 19 Olympic Swimmers Winning: 18 gold, 8 silver, 8 bronze medals; Coach of Six Swimmers Setting 16 World Records; 14 U.S.S. National Team Titles; Four NCAA National Team Titles: two men, two women; Four Times NCAA Coach Of The Year.
Once upon a time, there were two brothers, both of whom loved swimming, coaching swimming and being around the swimming pool. One brother was extroverted, jovial and quick to crack a joke; the other was introverted, serious and reluctant to lavish praise. While one was characterized as “just one of the guys”, the other was described as creating a “fearsome” presence during workouts. Whatever their methods, both brothers became very successful coaches developing Local, National, World and Olympic Champions. Older brother (by five years) Eddie, was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2002. Now it’s Randy’s turn.
Using a more serious, hard-line approach in his coaching methods, Randy, so far has placed 35 swimmers onto Olympic Teams winning 18 gold, 8 silver and 9 bronze medals. At the 1984 Olympics alone, 20 Reese-coached swimmers represented eight nations appearing on the award stand 19 times winning 13 gold medals. Were they a team, Reese swimmers would have finished 5th as a nation. His Olympic medal winners include: 1980- David Zubero (SPN) (Bronze- 100 Fly); 1984- Theresa Anderson (USA) (Gold- 100 Back, 400 FR), Tracy Caulkins (USA) (Gold- 200 IM, 400 IM, 400 MR), Frederic Delcourt (FRA) (Silver- 200 Back), Geoff Gabarino (USA) (Gold- 800 FR), Sandy Goss (CAN) (Silver- 400 MR), Mike Heath (USA) (Gold- 400 MR, 400 FR, 800 FR, Silver 200 Free), David Larson (USA) (Gold- 800 FR), Mark Stockwell (AUS) (Silver- 100 Free, 400 FR, Bronze- 400 MR), Dara Torres (USA) (Gold- 400 FR), Rafael Vidal (VEN) (Bronze- 100 Fly), Mary Wayte (USA) (Gold- 200 free, 400 FR (prelims); 1988- Duncan Armstrong (AUS) (Gold- 200 Free), Matt Cetlinski (USA) (Gold- 800 FR), Troy Dalbey (USA) (Gold- 400 FR, 800 FR), Sandy Goss (CAN) (Silver- 400 MR), Anthony Nesty (SUR) (Gold- 100 Fly), Laura Walker (USA) (Bronze- 400 FR), Dara Torres (USA) (Silver- 400 MR (prelims), Bronze- 400 FR), Mary Wayte (USA) (Silver- 400 MR, Bronze- 400 FR) and Paige Zumina (USA) (Bronze- 400 FR (prelims)).
Born in 1946 in Daytona Beach, Florida, Randy was always around water. He swam on the local team and competed for his Mainland High School team. Then it was on to Florida State University as a scholarship athlete, but when diagnosed with a heart murmur during his senior year, he switched to coaching Bim Stultz’s freshman team, during a time when collegiate first-year freshman were not permitted to compete on the varsity team. He had found his vocation. Upon graduation from FSU in 1968, he was hired as the men’s and women’s head swim coach at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida where he was responsible for coaching the high school team as well as the AAU team J.E.T.S. From 1969 to 1971, he developed numerous All-American swimmers.
In 1971, Randy was lured across town to Episcopal High School, where he coached the men’s and women’s team for another five years. His men’s team won the High School National Championship title and many of his swimmers attained All-American status. He also coached his AAU team, the Randy Reese Swim Team. Stand-out swimmers included Julie Teeters, Kris Reeves, Beth Hobart and Lauren Dupree for the women and Allan Poucher, Grey Wright, Dean Hamilton, Jimmy Dupree, Chris Hayes and John Hillencamp for the men.
When University of Florida long-time coach Bill Harlan retired in 1976, Randy took over the reigns of both the men’s and women’s teams and over the next 14 seasons achieved a dual meet coaching record of 118 wins, 7 losses (.944%) for the women and 100 wins, 21 losses (.826%) for the men, one of the highest in collegiate swim coaching history. During Reese’s tenure, his men’s and women’s teams each won two National Collegiate Championship team titles (men- 1983, 1984), (women- 1979, 1982). His women have won 76 National titles and include Tracy Caulkins (11), Dara Torres (9), Mary Wayte (8), Tami Bruce (7), Stephanie Zunich (7), Carmen Cowart (6), Renee Laravie (5), Paige Zamina (5), Lorraine Perkins (4), Theresa Andrews (3), Jennie Sawyer (3) and Laureen Welting (3). Male swimmers coached under Randy’s tenure won 15 NCAA titles and include: Geoff Gaberino (4), Mike Heath (4), Albert Mestre (3), Anthony Nesty (2), Craig Beardsley (2), Duffy Dillon (2), John Hillencamp (2), David Larson (2), Martin Zubero (1), Eric Boyer (1), Matt Cetlinski (1), Troy Dalbey (1), Keith Dickson (1), Don Gibb (1), Sandy Goss (1), Paul Robison (1), Bill Sawchuck (1), Bob Utley (1) and David Zubero (1).
All totaled in collegiate swimming, Randy had 79 women earning more than 500 All-American Honors and 60 men earning more than 200 All-American Honors. He was the 1982 and 1988 Women’s NCAA Coach of the Year and Coach of the Year for the men in 1984 and 1985.
Reese was selected assistant U.S. coach for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics as well as the 1979 Pan American Games and 1987 Pan Pacific Games.
Randy’s USS teams, Florida Aquatic Swim Team (FAST) and Holmes Lumber Aquatic Swim Team, were tops in USA club history winning 14 National Championships. His swimmers have set 16 World Records and include the Queen of the Individual Medley Tracy Caulkins (5), Rowdy Gaines (4), Martin Zubero (2), Craig Beardsley (2), Dara Torres (2) and Duncan Armstrong (1).
Long known for his innovative theories on training and nutrition, Reese’s methods are often sought by the top coaches in the United States. Over the years, his Florida swimmers stroked upstream in the nearby Ichetucknee Springs River, did pool workouts fully clothed, and crawled their way up the Florida Field Stadium entrance ramp on their hands with wheels attached to their ankles. Such unusual methods are typical of Reese’s creative ideas- which included his special arm paddles to create water resistance while correcting strokes.
Randy went into swimming retirement in 1990 and became regional president of Teamstaff Companies, Inc. in Jacksonville, responsible for the directing and training of brokers for employees leasing sales. In 1996, as owner and CEO, he set up his own Peak Mortgage Company to hire employees and oversee operations.
But “retirement” didn’t last long and he re-surfaced at Circle C Ranch Swim Team with a team that later merged with Texas Aquatics to form Long Horn Aquatics, co-coached by brother Eddie. After 35 years, the brothers were together again doing what they do best- coaching swimming. Randy has authored several articles appearing in swimming journals. He co-authored A Scientific Approach to the Sport of Swimming with John Troup and published a second book Building a Championship Season with Randy Reese.
Under his hard, outer shell on the pool deck is a coach with a great sense of humor who wants to see his swimmers succeed both in and out of the water.
Happy Birthday Ulrika Knape!!
Ulrika Knape (SWE)
Honor Diver (1982)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1972 gold (platform), silver (springboard); 1976 silver (platform); AAU NATIONALS: 1 (platform); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1974 gold (springboard, platform); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1973 gold (platform), silver (springboard); 1975 bronze (platform); NATIONAL SWEDISH Titles: 38; EUROPEAN DIVING CUPS: 1969 gold (springboard); 1975 gold (springboard, platform); Platform Diver of the Year: 1972, 1973, 1974.
Beautiful Ulrika Knape and her glamorous coach, the late Gunnel Weinas, were a class act on the world diving circuit, which they dominated for 5 years in the early 1970s. Ulrika won 38 national Swedish titles. In 2 European and 2 World Championships as well as in 2 Olympics, she won more total medals than any other diver, male or female. She was World Platform Diver of the Year for three straight years, 1972-1973 and 1974. She was the first Swede to win an Olympic diving gold medal in 60 years (since Hall of Famer Greta Johansson) and was hailed as the blonde queen of diving that the Swedes had dominated in the Olympics prior to 1912. Ulrika is married to Mathz Lindbert, Sweden’s top male diver during the same period and currently their national diving coach.