The ISHOF Aquatic Awards, presented by AquaCal (2023-present)

There is probably no one more knowledgeable about swimming than Mike Unger. If there was such a thing a “Mr. Swimming”, Mike would hold the title, well, he might have to share it with his good friend, Rowdy Gaines.  

Mike began his swimming journey in New Jersey, where he was an above average age group swimmer.  He went on to swim in college under Jack Pettinger at the University of Wisconsin, and even dabbled in a little coaching.  It wasn’t until 1993 and the great Ray Essick hired him as a young man, that Mike Unger’s  true journey really began.  It was one of the best decisions Essick ever made for the world of swimming. After Essick, Mike went on to work for Chuck Wielgus for many years.

Unger eventually worked his way into the role of USA Swimming’s Chief Operating Officer for the last 18 years of his tenure at USS.  He was the Assistant Executive Director and the interim Executive Director, stepping into the leadership role when longtime Executive Director Wielgus was battling cancer and then after Wielgus passed away in April 2017. When the third Executive Director was hired during Mike’s tenure, he continued to serve as a key figure in the leadup to the delayed Tokyo Olympics.

In Unger’s time at USA Swimming, American swimmers won an astonishing 212 Olympic medals over seven Olympic Games, the most of all sports from all nations.

In his role as COO, Unger has also worked as National Events Director, Marketing Director and National Team Coordinator, and he oversaw all major USA Swimming-hosted events, including the Olympic Trials, Nationals, Golden Goggles, the Duel in the Pool and, in 2014, the Pan Pacific Championships. He has played a role in just about every department at USA Swimming at some point during his long tenure with the organization.

Under Unger’s leadership, USA Swimming elevated its Olympic Trials from a 4,000-seat arena at the IUPUI Natatorium in 2000 to a 10,000-seat temporary venue in a Long Beach, California parking lot in 2008 to the major sporting event that it  is today. Four straight Trials have been held inside an Omaha, Nebraska basketball arena that can seat approximately 14,000 fans when set up for swimming, and Unger has been among those whose efforts have helped grow the sport and put on an event of significance.

Unger has also been involved in all major swimming telecasts since the 1996 Olympics and has worked “on loan” to NBC. He has worked as a producer or co-producer in the truck and has been a voice in the ear for commentators Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines for seven Olympic Games (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020). Unger’s work on the Olympic swimming coverage earned him three Emmy awards and five nominations. 

After spending 28 ½ years at United States Swimming, in December of 2021, Mike was hired as a Senior Advisor at World Aquatics (formerly FINA), based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Over the past (almost) two years, Unger has helped lead World Aquatics efforts at all major aquatic events such as the World Championships and the Olympic Games.

This past Summer, Mike was selected as the 2023 USA Swimming Award recipient, an award, given out annually, that honors “exceptional contributions to the sport of swimming and to USA Swimming.”  The award is USA Swimming’s highest honor.

Mike and his wife, Lisa, an engineer for the town of Castle Rock, Colorado, have two daughters, Nicole, a senior at DePaul University,  Natalie, a junior at Wisconsin.

The sport of swimming is thankful to Mike Unger for all the he does and all the he will do inthe future for all of the aquatic sports.

She has not even turned 30 years old yet, and Ellie Smart is the CEO of more organizations or institutes than most people will ever hope to be in a lifetime.  Described by a former FINA official as a “great entrepreneur” and “the Number one Ambassador for the sport of High Diving,” Ellie Smart has gotten more things already done for the sport than probably anyone else.

Smart began diving when she was just five years old and instantly fell in love with the sport. She dove collegiately at University of California, Berkeley before finding “cliff diving” also known as high diving.  

Smart made her debut on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series circuit in 2017 and earned a permanent place in the women’s line-up for the 2019 season with a third-place finish at the FINA World Cup.  She finished the 2022 season ranked #1 in the USA and #3 in the world.  Ellie currently represents Team USA internationally and is a permanent diver on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series while also running her businesses. Smart moved to Fort Lauderdale in March 2023 to continue training at the International Swimming Hall of Fame and to continue growing the sport of high diving.  

In 2021, she won the FINA Award in Abu Dhabi, an award  presented to athletes who excelled during sporting events in that year. Smart was recognized for her incredible achievements, hard work and dedication to the sport.

Also in 2021, Smart created the International High Diving Institute (IHDI), of which she is also the Chief Executive Officer.  The IHDI which was founded to develop the sport of high diving by providing training opportunities, host events, and create a community for athletes, coaches, and fans. It supports junior and senior development in addition to technical and freestyle disciplines of high diving. The Institute partnered with the Utah Olympic Park to construct the United States’ first high diving training platform. Ellie has been the CEO of the IHDI since it opened in September 2021. She and a few others are also working to get the sport of high diving included into the Olympic program, hopefully by 2028.   

Smart has been the biggest promoter of high diving to date.  She is also the CEO of SKYFALL,  a groundbreaking high dive competition, pushing the boundaries of human achievement in acrobatics.  In the world of extreme sports, few activities captivate audiences like high diving. The combination of athleticism, grace, and daring maneuvers creates a spectacle that leaves spectators in awe.  The Skyfall tour has two stops this Summer on its innagural tour, Salt Lake City and Fort Lauderdale. 

For the environmentalists, Smart founded Clean Cliffs in 2017. Clean Cliffs started with a simple idea, let’s keep doing what we love while leaving a positive impact on the environment.  Their mission is to raise awareness about global pollution and promote sustainability through adventure activities.  Ellie’s concept is simple really; She travels the world and dives in some of the most beautiful locations around the globe. Sometimes they get crowds of thousands to watch them dive.  Ellie and her group want to make sure once the event is over, not only do they leave the water, as well as the beach and surrounding area clean, but leave it cleaner than it was before they got there.  So, she calls on spectators, locals, divers, anyone who wants to help and to leave a positive impact on every place they visit.

Maria José Bilbao Bruñel has been involved with synchronized swimming for most of her life.  She began as an athlete in her home country of Spain and retired after a successful career. She then began to coach, which eventually led to judging.  She was the founding member of her club, CN. Kallipolos in 1968. 

She began as a Catalan judge, graduated to national judge and then became an international judge in 1998.  She was appointed as a member to the FINA Artistic Swimming Technical Committee, 2009-2022. She was named a FINA Assessor in 2013, and a FINA Referee in 2014.  She has been involved in most every type of Artistic competition there is, including the World Championships and the Olympic Games.

She was FINA Evaluator in 2019 at the World Championships, in 2020 at the Olympic Games, in 2022 at the World Championships in Budapest and in 2022 at COMEN in France as well as many other national and international competitions.  Brunel is currently the President of the FINA Innovation Committee, in charge of drawing up the 2022-2025 regulations.

Mark Koganov began his career in the sport of water polo as an athlete between the years of 1982-1990 and as a member of National team of Azerbaijan.

He later became a water polo referee, and between 1998 and today, he has officiated in approximately 300 international games, more than 1500 collegiate games in different conferences, including officiating in six NCAA Finals, for both men and women.

Koganov has held numerous aquatic positions, including Water Polo Competitions Director, Aquatic Competitions Manager and has held administrative positions in the sport.

He is currently the Vice President of Azerbaijan Swimming Federation, a position he has held since 2012.  He is also a LEN TWPC Member, a position he began serving in 2016 and he was the Vice Chairman of the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee, 2017 – 2022.

Koganov has refereed LEN Champions League, Super Cup Finals, and Championship Finals.  He has been a neutral referee for the Asian Games, World Championships, and the Olympic Games.

Sofia Forte is a P.E. Middle School Teacher at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida.  As the P.E. teacher, Forte chooses the curriculum for her middle-schoolers.  Since they are lucky enough to have E.H. McLin Pool across the street from the school, swimming is always at the top of her list!  Sofia knows that drowning is the number #1 cause of deaths in children in the state, not to mention, she sees her kids get healthier by the time the semester is over.

But it isn’t always easy. Sofia pushes her school to work in conjunction with the City of St. Petersburg, who makes its certified lifeguards available as instructors. And the State of Florida helped by passing legislation supporting the work of the “Every Child A Swimmer” program.  Children are tested on the first day, then placed in the appropriate level – beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Each child will get a minimum of eight lessons over a two-week period. “Most kids can’t swim on the first day,” said Forte, who has been the driving force behind the program for eight years now. “We want them to be able to save themselves.”

“It is part of our state curriculum, but it is not pushed. Not at all,” Forte added.

Forte and her kids are lucky that they can walk to and from Campbell Park. “If a school has the ability to do it, there’s everything to gain and nothing to lose.”

But you can bet without Sofia Forte spearheading this, this program would not be happening!

Cullen Jones is a two-time Olympian, competing in 2008 and 2012, with four Olympic medals, two gold and two silver.  He will forever be remembered as part of one of the most exciting relays in the history of swimming, when he, Garrett Weber-Gale and Jason Lezak overtook the French team to help Michael Phelps win medal #2 on his incredible journey of eight gold medals in Beijing.

Jones is a freestyle sprinter who almost drowned as a child while playing at a waterpark but had a mother who was smart enough to know what to do and enrolled him in swimming lessons.  He immediately developed a passion for swimming. 

Cullen attended North Carolina State University and quickly became known as one of the greatest sprinters of his time, winning the NCAA Championships in the 50 freestyle his senior year.

Throughout his swimming career, Cullen realized that he could impact the lives of others beyond his tremendous swims in the pool. He also realized there was an absence of diversity in swimming. So, Cullen decided to build a career while changing the landscape of the sport.  He understood the power that the story of his life had, so he began giving talks focusing on motivation and inspiration.  The pursuit has grown into a successful career in public speaking with notable company’s such as Deloitte, Boeing, Bank of America, CitiBank, Phillips 66 and many universities.

From the time he was a member of the National Team for USA Swimming, Cullen has advocated for learn to swim programs for children.  When he is teaching children, he tells them his story, about how he was afraid of the water, making himself more relatable to each of them in their learn to swim lesons.

Jones helps children from all walks of like.  He is an ambassador for African American swimmers, he likes to show children that black kids can be just as good at swimming as anyone! Cullen was one of the first to help shatter that stereotype when he became the first African American to break a World Record in swimming and let’s not forget he has four Olympic medals from two Olympic Games!

Jones is involved in numerous different initiatives aimed at promoting water safety.  He is an Ambassador, Board Member and co-creator of  the “Make a Splash Initiative”, USA Swimming Foundation’s non-profit campaign, to teach all children to be safer around water. In the ten years of his involvement, eight million children have learned to swim.

Cullen is the co-chair of TeamBlac and a Board Member of Diversity in Aquatics, both aimed at promoting water safety nationally.  In addition, he is a member of the Goldfish Swim School.  He has been featured on the Today Show and other national programs promoting the importance of water safety for children.  He makes his way around the U.S. offering opportunities to children from all backgrounds, the opportunity to learn to swim.

And The statistics are still staggering.  More than one in four children die from drowning which makes it the leading cause of death.  4,000 fatal unintentional drownings occur each year; that makes 11 drownings that will occur each day in the U.S. alone.  70% of African American children, 60% of Latino Children and 40% of Caucasian children have very little if any swimming ability.  It is Cullen’s wish to combat these statistics and he will continue the fight until maybe one day, it is just as commonplace for every child to learn to swim, as easily as it is to read and write.

Cullen has been recognized and honored for what he has done promotion of learn to swim.  He received an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Humane Letters from Amhurst College (2014), he won an ESPY in 2009, was inducted into the North Carolina State University (2018) and was Captain of Team USA Swimming Team (2015). The one reward Cullen receives that is most important is seeing the children who have learned to swim after one of the swim lessons; and without Cullen Jones, there would be a lot less children out there swimming.

Kent G. Williams is a longtime advocate of swimming. He is a past competitive swimmer, swim coach and American Red Cross swim instructor, pool industry educator, writer, consultant and pool operator education advocate. 

After graduating college with an engineering degree, Kent served our country for several years as a jet pilot in the United States Air Force. He then worked as a research diver and industrial-waste-water contractor.  

We were fortunate to have Kent return to the aquatic community in 1974, where he worked for many years for Stranco, the company that placed automatic pool water chemistry controllers on the map. He continued to help develop the automatic pool water treatment industry progress. He developed one of the first public pool operator training courses (Stranco Public Pool Operator Course) and was a contributing editor in their publications. 

Kent then worked with the National Swimming Pool Institute developing pool standards and several state health  codes. He helped write some of the first pool industry training manuals and taught early operator training  courses. Kent’s passion and expertise was well known throughout the industry, and he taught many Certified Pool  Operator’s (CPO) courses for the National Swimming Pool Foundation. 

The National Recreation and Park Association solicited Kent to help develop the original Aquatic Facility Operator  Course (AFO) and he wrote the very first Aquatic Facility Operators manual and several subsequent editions. Kent  taught countless AFO courses in addition to training many AFO instructors. He was involved in certifying literally  several thousand pool operators, pool managers and many county health officials in pool operation. 

Recognizing the need for additional and continuing pool operator education, Kent founded, and was the CEO  of the Professional Pool Operators of America, publishing dozens of “Pump Room Press” periodicals updating  operators of new technology and publishing many credible and interesting pool industry articles. Kent was often  pursued for his legal opinions on pool operation. 

Kent was a co-author of the Advanced Pool Operator manual and course which is still taught almost every year at  the World Waterpark Association’s international conference. 

Kent’s passion and dedication to the safe and efficient operation of swimming pools became internationally  known. No individual has ever influenced the development of swimming pool operator training more than Kent.  Throughout his work, he always drove home the concept that even with all of the fancy, micro-processor, automatic,  chemical and pool controllers in use, nothing can replace a trained CPO or AFO operator.  

He now resides on top of a hill in Newcastle, California, enjoying the wonderful view with his lovely wife Margie,  when he is not playing with his extensive antique bottle and music collection.

Dr. Arturo Abraldes is an example of a person that successfully mixes theory and
practice in water safety, both nationaly and internationally. He has served in the field
of lifesaving as an academic, author, researcher, lifeguard, instructor, sport coach,
journal editor and conference facilitator for the last 25 years.

His qualifications are both academic and vocational. He received a Master’s degree
in Physical Education, Sport and Health Education and a PhD in Physical Education
with a thesis on lifesaving. He holds 14 certifications in swimming, lifesaving,
first aid, lifeguarding, instructor, coach, referee, and national assessor from seven
organizations (Spanish Lifesaving Federation, Galicia Lifesaving Federation, Rescue
3 International, Spanish Association Emergency, Spanish Swimming Federation,
Spanish Lifesaving Referee Committee and Spanish Association Club Lifesaving),
having practiced all these subjects.

Like his studies, work has always been related to lifesaving professionally. After working for many years as a
lifeguard and then sport lifesaving coach, he was instrumental in the formation of sports lifesaving of the Lifesaving
Federation of Galicia, as the Secretary, Manager and Vice President at different times. He also acts as a board
member of the Lifesaving Federation of Galicia and Spanish Association of Lifesaving Clubs.

In terms of academic work, he works as a teacher and researcher at the University of Murcia (Spain). His main
interests are based on all aspects of lifesaving. Since 2008, he has been the Chairman of “FEGUI Journal on
Lifesaving and First Aid”, the only national journal on this subject. Arturo has acted as the organizer of six national
and international conferences on lifeguarding that were endorsed by many prestigious professional organizations
and academic institutions.

With over 180 publications, Arturo is one of the most prolific water safety authors in the world. He has co-authored
over 20 lifesaving related books, numerous educational DVDs, and has been a speaker at national and international
conferences. For his contributions to the field of water safety he has been honored several times as well both
locally and nationally. He has created websites dedicated to the sport of lifesaving and swimming and most of his
publications can be accessed online at www.abraldes.org.

Al Beaird was the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s executive director for 24 years, from December 1997-June 2021. Beaird’s position was established as a result of the federation’s continued growth and emerging tradition of NCAA and national championship caliber play in Division I-Olympic sports. 

MPSF teams won over 80 NCAA Championships during his tenure, including a perfect 20-for-20 in women’s water polo and a perfect 29-for-29 in men’s water polo.  

Beaird, who formerly served on the athletics staff at his alma mater, UC Davis, had overseen the administration of all federation sports. He worked closely with administrators and coaches from more than 50 different universities over the course of his administration including numerous coaches, officials and athletes who competed with USA National and Olympic teams. 

He presided over the transition of the Federation from what was initially a scheduling alliance to what is now  nationally recognized as one of the most successful NCAA Division I Olympic sports conferences.  

In 2004, Beaird completed a four-year term, three years as chair, on the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championships  Committee and one year as chair of the inaugural NCAA Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Rules Committee. He was  also a finalist for the USA Water Polo CEO position in 2006. 

Beaird had also been called upon to serve as liaison to the national governing bodies for amateur athletics in the  United States and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. 

Beaird received his baccalaureate degree in Physical Education from UC Davis followed by an MBA from California  State University, Sacramento. After a stint in television advertising and as a stockbroker, he embarked on a career in  intercollegiate athletics at his alma mater before joining the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.  

At UC Davis, he was Director of Youth and Community Programs where he oversaw sports camps, including water  polo. There he co-founded an award-winning NCAA sponsored National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) which was  instrumental in teaching over 2,000 under-served youth the fundamentals of swimming as a lifetime sport.  

Actively involved with sports in his local community, Beaird founded golf tournaments supporting school and  sports organizations, served on the board of the Vacaville Police Athletic League and other non-profits, and as chair  of the Woodland Parks and Recreation Commission. He also coached youth softball, basketball and soccer at the  club level and co-founded the Woodland Dynamix Volleyball Club. 

In his retirement, he still serves as a consultant to the MPSF.

Marg MacLennan has done it all – athlete, coach, judge, and administrator. Marg  

etched her place in FINA history when she became the first woman to serve on the  

FINA Bureau from 1988-1996, breaking that “glass ceiling”. 

She began her synchro journey in Vancouver, Canada swimming for several  

Synchronized Swim Clubs (1959-1965). Her highest achievement was placing second  

in the duet event at the Canadian National Championships. Marg moved from the  

pool to the deck, founding and coaching several synchronized swimming clubs (1960  

-1973). 

As an administrator, Marg served as Treasurer of Synchro Canada (1970-1973), Vice  

President of Synchro Canada (1973-1974), and President of Synchro Canada (1974- 

1978). During her tenure as president, Canada hosted an international conference, in Ottawa, with participants  from all over the world in 1974. Marg also served as Director of the Aquatics Federation of Canada (1975-1983).  

Marg has officiated at the highest levels. She was a judge at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, 1984, Seoul, 1988,  Barcelona 1992, and she was Technical Delegate in Atlanta at the 1996 Games. On the World Championship level,  Marg acted in many different roles, beginning with official. She began in Belgrade, 1973, Cali, 1975, West Berlin,  1978, and as an advisor in Guayaquil in 1982, Madrid, 1986, Salerno, 1991, Bureau Liaison, Roma, 1994. On the Pan  American level, Marg officiated in Mexico City, 1975, San Juan, 1979, Caracas, 1983, Indianapolis, 1987. In 1991, she  served as ASUA Executive Liaison in Havana, Cuba.  

An international leader, Marg served as Chair of the ASUA Technical Synchronized Swimming (1979-1983). Marg  was on the FINA Technical Synchronized Swimming Committee (TSSC) (1980-1988), and served as Honorary  Secretary of the TSSC (1980-1984). Marg served on the FINA Bureau for eight years, and in 1992, was named Bureau  Liaison to the TSSC. During Marg’s tenure as Chair, ASUA TSSC the first ASUA Age Group Championships were  held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 

Marg was a clinician in Cuba in 1975, on the coaching and judging aspects of synchronized swimming. In 1986,  Marg authored the “Conduct of International Synchro Championships, Olympic Games, and FINA Events”. In  1978, Marg represented Canada at the workshop to develop an International Synchronized Swimming Judges’  Training Manual, in Squaw Valley. 

Marg has received numerous honors for her service to synchronized swimming. In 1999, she was presented the  Synchro Canada Bridge Builder Award, a special recognition award given to a person who works today in order  that those who follow tomorrow will find safety, strength and success in the sport of synchronized swimming, who  demonstrates vision and flexibility for the future, as well as respect for Synchro Canada’s rich past. In 1980, she  received the Synchro Canada Distinguished Service Award, and in 1998, the Canadian Herstorical Breakthrough  Award.  

Marg has a son Doug, a daughter Ann and a grandson Logan.

Julie Ahlering grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated from the University  

of Miami Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. At the U, she  

was a 4-time All-American Diver and Scholar Athlete, coached by Tom Gompf and  

Steve McFarland. She was a finalist in over 25 National Diving Events including the  

Olympic Diving Trials.  

After college she returned to St. Louis and raised four sons. But diving was not at all  

forgotten. She was asked to become a FINA Certified Diving Judge to help provide  

needed expertise in the sport. In 2010 she became FINA certified and immediately  

became known as one of the best diving officials in the United States. She judged 10  

NCAA, ACC, and PAC-12 Championships as well as three Olympic Diving Trials. 

Soon, Julie Ahlering became among the most respected international Diving judges in the world. She judged two  FINA World Cups, two FINA World Championships, two Commonwealth Games and served as the Olympic Judge  from the United States in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

Julie’s love for diving and her dedication to judging found a partner in arms with former Paragon winner, Cokey  Huffman (2016). Together they, and other like-minded colleagues, established the United States Diving Judge  Education and Certification Program. Today it is one of the top programs of its kind in the world. Julie Ahlering’s  contribution to the sport of diving and her commitment to fair play will continue to live on through this program  and her example of giving back to the sport she loves!

Ellaine Cox, like many swimming parents, began her swimming journey as a taxi driver for her daughter to and from swim practices, then as a spectator at swim meets.  

Graduating from timer to stroke and turn judge was a logical step. Officiating at local and then state and zone events, Ellaine was helpful and welcomed.  

Representing the Michiana Marlins swim club from South Bend, Indiana Ellaine was soon invited to attend monthly board meetings of Indiana Swimming often held in Indianapolis. Over the years she would assume responsibilities as the Age Group Chairman and then the Administrative Vice Chairman of Indiana Swimming and serve as a member of the Board of Directors. Not long after, she was invited to and attended USA Swimming national championship events, committee meetings and the annual United States Aquatic Sports convention. 

As a representative of Indiana Swimming, Ellaine served on the USA Swimming Site Selection and Facilities  Committee for a number of years. Her enthusiasm and diligent work was noticed by others including Carol Zaleski,  one of the few women making waves as a member of the USA Swimming Board of Directors. In 1986, Zaleski,  a future USA Swimming President, asked Ellaine if she would consider chairing the Awards Committee for USA  Swimming.  

This role would be just one of the volunteer responsibilities that Ellaine took on in an extremely dedicated way. She  would attend most National Championships and the US Olympic Trials, overseeing the recognition of athletes at  these key events. Collaborating with a variety of different committee members during her 34 year tenure, one of the  most important responsibilities was the nomination of and selection of the USA Swimming Award recipient which  was presented on an annual basis. 

In 1998, Ellaine’s organizational skills were put to the test when she was appointed as the Convention Coordinator  for the United States Aquatic Sports (USAS) annual convention. Ellaine was able to persuade the most amazing  group of volunteers to join her in this effort including Bob and Helen Brown, Margaret Donofrio, Deb Turner, Penny  Taylor, Paul and Mary Beth Windrath and Gay Wright. “This was the best bunch of brains and talents one could  ask for,” said Cox.  

In 1999 they were responsible for our first USAS convention in Burlingame, California. They established a strong  relationship with Hyatt Hotels enabling the committee to keep the hotel rates well under prevailing rates, so that  the delegations of volunteers from all the aquatic sports would attend with regularity.  

Under Ellaine’s leadership the USAS Convention committee organized the annual meetings for each of the aquatic  disciplines. Sport leaders were able to focus on the priorities of their respective organizations while the USAS  convention committee managed the logistics in a very efficient way. More than one million dollars in resources  were made available to USAS to support the athletes and the national governing bodies attending the FINA World  Championships. 

Ellaine was presented with a USA Swimming Lifetime Membership by Indiana Swimming in 2002, honoring her  years of exceptional work and selfless service.  

Ellaine was presented with the USA Swimming Award in 2014, a surprise to her even as she oversaw the selection  process for so many deserving recipients for more than 30 years. The USA Swimming Award is regarded as the  organization’s highest honor in the sport of swimming and is only presented to the individual or organization  that has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of swimming. Ellaine Cox was and continues to be a most  deserving recipient.

Dave Burgering was the 2008 USA Olympic Diving Coach in Beijing, China. On his path to the Olympics, he coached over 1173 junior national finalists, and 51 senior national finalists including 30 gold medalists at the junior nationals and 11 senior national gold medalists. He has been a member of the USA Diving Coaching staff for Grand Prix and World Series events and also the 2017 Junior Pan Am Games.

Dave is a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.S. degree in Education. He began his coaching career with the Mission Viejo Nadadores in Southern California, where his team won two junior national championships back-to-back (1988 and 1989). He followed his former coach, Ron O’Brien, to South Florida, to the newly built Mission Bay Aquatic Center, where he coached their Junior National Makos team to the championship title, making it his third straight junior national diving title.

Unfortunately, Mission Bay was short lived and the facility soon closed. Burgering was hired by Coral Springs Aquatics, where he spent the next 13 years. In 2007, he became the Director and Head Coach for the Fort Lauderdale Diving Team at the world-famous Swimming Hall of Fame Pool in the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center, where he still coaches today.

His long history with diving dates back to his start in 1967. He was selected an All-American in 1972, while attending Lansing Sexton High School and attended Michigan State University the next four years. Dave was Big Ten Conference champion in 1976 and 1977 on the 1- and 3-meter springboard and in 1990 was inducted into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame. He made the 1980 Olympic team, which the USA boycotted. Dave was the 1983 Pan America Bronze medalist, a two-time All-American and a member of the U.S. National Team from 1972- 1984.

Today, Burgering’s coaching prowess continues. His Fort Lauderdale Diving Team has had a Junior National Champion for the past five out of six years (pre-covid) and has placed higher than any other team in the state four out of the past five years (pre-covid).

Dave Burgering became active with the USA Diving Board of Directors in his younger days as an athlete representative. He climbed to the top in 2002, when he was elected president of United States Diving and served a two year term.

Betty Hazle has done it all – athlete, coach, judge and sport administrator. Betty began her synchro journey as a member of the Garland Garlettes, Houston Corkettes, and San Antonio Cygnets. She served as an Athlete Representative from 1977-1980. Between 1978 and 1995, Betty gave back to the sport by coaching with the Walnut Creek Aquanuts, Irvine Meraquas and the Santa Clara Aquamaids. She was subsequently a member of the USA National Team coaching staff between 1989-1991 and 1994-1995.

As an administrator, Betty has served the Pacific Association in various positions, including as its technical chair, secretary and administrative chair. USA Synchro has benefited greatly from Betty’s extraordinary attention to detail and administrative skills. She has chaired both the rules, governance and international relations committees. Betty served on USA Synchro’s Board of Directors as Technical Vice Chair, Administrative Vice Chair and as the organization’s president. She has served as editor for the USA Synchro Rule Book for the past 20 years. Betty has served United States Aquatic Sports as Assistant Chef de Mission and Chef de Mission for the FINA World Championships for 14 years (2003-2017).

In 1982, Betty became a national judge and was certified as a FINA judge in 2001. She organized FINA Judges Schools in 2010 and 2014 and judged at the 2020 Olympic Games. Betty has chaired the UANA TASC Judges’ Subcommittee since 2015. She is currently serving as the UANA TASC Honorary Secretary.

Betty served as Administrative Support Coordinator for Synchronized Swimming, VII FINA World Cup (1995). In 1996, she served as the Secretariat Coordinator for synchronized swimming at the Olympic Games. Betty has managed the 2005 and 2009 UANA Junior Synchronized Swimming Championships. In 2005, she was awarded the Lillian MacKellar Award. In 2008, she was inducted into the USSS Hall of Fame and in 2011, Betty was presented the President’s Award from United States Synchronized Swimming.

During her tenure as chair of USA Synchro’s International Relations Committee, Betty has championed the club option program. This program promotes exchanges between USA clubs and those of other countries. Betty believes that these exchanges are important not only for the promotion of the sport, but to also promote a greater understanding and appreciation of different cultures.

Lynn’s storied career and leadership features experience at all sport levels including youth sports, NCAA DI, DII and DIII and international competition.

She was an All-American water polo player and swimmer at Slippery Rock University where she earned her BS and MS Degrees in Physiology and Education. She was a 10-year member/captain of the United States National Water Polo team as a player, coach, and a member of the USA Water Polo’s Executive Committee.

She held various coaching positions at Bucknell University, including serving two decades as the head coach for the men’s and women’s water polo and swim teams.

Lynn served as the Athletic Director at Saint Mary’s College for 10 years and moved on to become the Vice-President/General Manager of the South Bend Silver Hawks baseball team. In her position as General Manager, she became the first female to serve in that role for any minor league baseball team.

Lynn also worked at the University of Notre Dame and served as the National Outreach Director for Play Like a Champion Today. She has been inducted into six Athletic Halls of Fame including the United States Water Polo Hall of Fame, Collegiate Water Polo Hall of Fame, Bucknell University Hall of Fame, and the Slippery Rock University Hall of Fame.

Lynn is currently recognized as a renowned global speaker and educator on leadership, cultural change embraced by empathy, character development and vulnerability. She currently serves as president of Equilibria in Sports and Education as well as Vice President of Equilibria in Healthcare. Equilibria is an entrepreneurial company committed to elevate personal, professional, and organizational performance through understanding, embracing and leveraging diversity of thought and behavior.

Lynn’s passion and commitment to mentoring all partners on a journey of excellence as they strive to reach their potential fuels her endless mission of developing intentional leaders and high-performance teams.

Florence Werner was an active American Red Cross Instructor for over 50 years. For Mrs. Werner, swimming was her life. And although today she is retired, “Flo” as she is fondly called, continues to offer guidance to both swimmers and instructors alike.

She began her teaching career in 1961 at the Curtis Pool, just a few blocks from downtown Miami. The most important thing in Werner’s life was teaching people to swim, young and old, and making them safe.

Every weekday for many summers, Flo would pack up the other most important things – her four children Margaret, Michael, Carol, and baby, Cindy – and head for the pool. Each of her children as well as the children of other swimming instructors wore a red heart and could take swimming lessons for free. As the years went by, Flo’s children became good swimmers.

Every year a new group of swimming instructors showed up at Curtis Pool to replace those instructors who had moved on to the next phase of their lives. But not Flo, she remained year after year because teaching swimming was her passion and her life’s calling. Teaching swimming was her chance to change lives, save lives, and make a difference in the world.

As the years passed, Flo’s children grew up and even had children of their own. Yet Flo kept teaching. Her life took various turns along the way including divorce, moving back to her hometown of Steubenville, Ohio and remarrying and living on a farm. But there was always one constant in Flo’s life: teaching swimming.

She was not only known as a swimming teacher, but as the best swimming teacher, according to her students. She taught everyone from “tiny tots” to adults. There were so many children who were deathly afraid of the water, yet Flo calmly, nurtured, and within a couple of lessons she had then blowing bubbles, bobbing under water, climbing out of the pool and yes, swimming!

Somehow the word spread and many adults who had been afraid of the water all their lives would show up at the pool to see Flo and to hopefully, finally, learn to swim. She never let a single one of them down. With her nurturing and assuring nature Flo coaxed these adults, most of them filled with fear and anxiety, into the pool, and in just a few lessons, they were swimming. Nobody was left behind. Each and every one of them got over their fear and learned to swim. You could tell that, for most of them, it was a life-changing experience.

But for Flo, the children were the focus and the joy. Countless children came through Flo’s lessons and learned to swim. Starting off with simply getting into the pool, then blowing bubbles, through “reach and pull”, finally being able to say with full confidence, “I can’t touch but I can swim!”

In time, Flo and her husband, Val returned to Miami. Flo began teaching swimming at A.D. Barns Pool. Flo is a legend at A.D. Barns and some of the swimming instructors there today got their first lessons from Flo.

Needless to say, Flo’s dedication to teaching swimming has touched the lives of thousands of people and has surely saved the lives of many. Her dedication as an American Red Cross Certified Instructor has spanned more than 50 years and has truly been extraordinary, which is why the ARC honored Flo for her 50 years of service in 2011.

Chief Peter Davis, a seventh generation Galvestonian, leads the Galveston Island Beach Patrol as well as the Park Board Police Department. He has been involved in lifesaving since 1983. This includes serving as a professional ocean lifeguard, but for many of those years he has acted in a voluntary capacity to develop lifesaving and reduce drowning worldwide, with a focus on Central and South America.

Peter has acted as Secretary General of the Americas Region of the International Life Saving Federation since 2008. He has visited many Central and South American countries to help develop national life-saving organizations. He is currently involved in training Mexican lifeguards and is the coordinator of a lifeguard exchange program with Galveston sister city, Veracruz. Davis has been involved in numerous international efforts to train the first open water lifeguard instructors.

He is an Open Water Lifesaving and Personal Watercraft Rescue for the USLA and Red Cross open water lifeguarding, Red Cross Emergency Medical Response and personal watercraft rescue. He is an Emergency Medical Technician, Texas Peace Officer, Marine Safety Enforcement Officer, Emergency Vehicle Operator, Swift Water Technician, and Public Safety Driver. He is also certified as a Crisis Intervention Counselor.

Davis has also served as a voluntary official with the United States Lifesaving Association since 1985, in a variety of capabilities including President and Vice-President of the Gulf Coast Region. A key project Davis has been involved, is a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to educate the Public about rip currents and rip current safety. Davis has written numerous articles and produced videos warning bathers about the dangers of rip currents.

Chief Davis was elected President of the United States Lifesaving Association in 2014 and currently serves in that capacity. He oversees the nation’s only national organization of open water lifeguards which sets the standards for beach lifeguarding in the USA.

Carvin DiGiovanni has been a PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY ANSI Standards expert with over forty years’ experience building consensus with industry business segments and government officials. He has successfully forged relationships with the CPSC, CDC, OSHA, EPA, DOE, FBI and many industry allied associations and groups including the ICC. He has assisted federal legislators in the development of the VGB Pool and Spa Safety Act.

Since 1990, DiGiovanni has been the Vice President, Technical & Standards of the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals; From 2015 to the present he has been the Senior Director, Technical, Standards, Education and Government Relations. The years 1990 through 2015, he directed the industry’s standards, technical, education and government relations programs. DiGiovanni managed 200 industry technical experts in the promulgation of 17 ANSI/APSP/ICC pool and spa standards through the American National Standards Institute process resulting in various states, local jurisdictions and national building codes referencing these standards.

On the International Code Council, he was instrumental in aligning the APSP with the International Code Council with a Memorandum of Understanding which has led to both organizations developing a new ICC Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) incorporating many of the ANSI/APSP standards. States adopting this pool code achieve APSP’s government relations goal of having the APSP standards become law. This milestone relationship brings the code officials closer to the industry to enhance public safety.

He has been involved in expert witness testimony and successfully defended the APSP by providing testimony in lawsuits where the APSP was being sued. He successfully testified before the CPSC to secure industry unblockable drain technology. Additionally, he worked with both Houses in the U.S. Congress to ensure that the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGB) was consistent with ANSI/APSP-7 Standard for Suction Entrapment Avoidance.

Carvin has worked collaboratively with industry representatives to USA Diving, American Public Health Association, National Environmental Association, World Water Parks Association, American Hotel and Lodging Association, American Red Cross, and YMCA, CPSC, and CDC. Education, Training & Certification Program Strategy-Provided leadership and direction for moving the association’s training and certification programs, DiGiovanni helped bring about a more progressive online platform comprised of learning modules. He managed the production of four industry core certification and training programs: Builder, Service, Portable Hot tub and Retail segments, including textbooks, PowerPoint slides and exams.

He has been recognized by numerous awards, including, World Water Park Association, “Al Turner Commitment to Excellence Award” (2018); APSP Fellow (2015); ICC “Industry Affiliate Award” (2014); Federal Bureau of Investigation Award for “Exceptional Service in The Public Interest” (2011); National Drowning Prevention Alliance “Community Lifesaver Award” (2009); Aquatics International Magazine “25 Towers of Power” (2006). Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.

Over the last 30 years, Greg Eggert has been one of the leading figures within USA Swimming, United States Aquatic Sports, the YMCA, UANA and FINA, in a variety of roles and duties.

Greg Eggert began as a swimmer on the Lakeland Hills Family YMCA, and later served as an assistant swim coach for the LHY team for one season. He was head coach at the West Morris YMCA for two seasons and then for two seasons as an assistant coach to Jim Wood at the Berkeley Aquatic Club in New Jersey. As an age group coach, he served as the Manager of several Eastern Zone All Star Teams and served as the Age Group Chair for New Jersey Swimming followed by two terms as the General Chair of New Jersey Swimming.

Eggert was elected to the USA Swimming Board of Directors as an Eastern Zone director and subsequently elected as USA Swimming Vice President. He served as Special Assistant to USA Swimming President Dale Neuburger. He was appointed to the International Relations Committee in 1998 and served as a member for 20 years including one term as the co-chair of the committee. He also served the shortest tenure of any member on the ISHOF Board of Directors during the transition from one CEO to the next.

Eggert served as the Press Information Manager at the 1995 FINA Water Polo World Cup and in the same role at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Appointed as a member of the FINA Commission in 2000 and in 2017, he was appointed by FINA President Julio Maglione to serve as the Honorary Secretary of the FINA Media Committee. he serves as editor for the Americas of the FINA Aquatics Magazine and contributes articles to the magazine about athletes and coaches across each of the aquatic disciplines. Since 2004, he has served as the Media Officer of United States Aquatic Sports. Eggert has worked for NBC at the US Olympic Trials and various broadcasts of USA Swimming Nationals and the Duel in the Pool, and for ESPN during the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.

Appointed as the Media Officer of UANA by UANA President Eldon Godfrey in 2007, Eggert will serve in the role through August 2019. He was appointed Executive Director of UANA in 2015 and is responsible for oversight of the aquatic disciplines at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru in August 2019.

Born in Washington, D.C. Bill Farrar graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in General Studies, majoring in Economics and Business Administration. He received his Juris Doctor with Honors from the National Law Center of the George Washington University.

Bill Farrar has served USA Diving in a variety of capacities for nearly three decades.

As a long-time member of the Board of Directors, Farrar spent time as both Vice-Chair of Administration and as Law and Legislation/Governance Chair. He has also served as USA Diving General Counsel, and has been involved in the Board of Review Committee, the Long-Range Planning committee, the Business Affairs Committee, the Rules Committee and the Member Services Committee.

Farrar began his service with USA Diving in 1990, when he attended his first annual meeting as a delegate from the Potomac Valley Diving Association. At that meeting, he was elected to the Law & Legislation Committee as the Zone A member. He has been involved with USA Diving ever since.

He went on to serve ten years as Law & Legislation/Governance Committee Chair and six years as Vice Chair of Administration, resulting in 16 years on the Board of Directors.

In 1999-2000, he chaired the Long-Range Planning Committee, which led to an eight-year long range plan adopted by the membership in September, 2000.

Farrar was a member of the Business Affairs Advisory Committee from 2005-2008, with that committee recommending significant and substantive changes to the structure of USA Diving. He served on the selection committees that recommended Debbie Hesse as the first President and CEO of USA Diving as well as Linda Paul, who was Hesse’s successor.

During his many years of service, he has reviewed and drafted many contracts of various types and has provided legal counsel to the Board, the Executive Director and the Presidents. He led the Bylaws Committee that created the Amended and Restated Bylaws of USA Diving in 2017.

In 2014, he received the Glenn McCormick Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to the sport of diving.

Bill continues to serve USA Diving whenever called upon. He resides with his wife Karen in Beaufort, SC.

Don Holbrook has worked as a water polo coach, official, supervisor and commissioner for over 40 years. He has worked in these different positions not for fame or glory but for the sport he truly loves.

Holbrook coached boys’ water polo starting in 1972 at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights, California, for well over 10 years and came back to coach the girls inaugural water polo team at Los Altos for five years.

Don became active in officiating at the high school, community college and college level shortly after coaching the boys at Los Altos.

He then became the head referee at the USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics for age groups 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U and worked for over 15 years in this capacity. As the tournament increased in the number of teams allowed to qualify, the tournament increased to over 200 teams for both boys, girls and co-ed for the 12U and Holbrook’s involvement increased as well. They utilized over 25 sites and had well over 100 officials for each session (boys and girls). Holbrook dealt with travel compensation, hotels, ground transportation and the assigning of the numerous games each day. He held clinics each night so the officials from all over the United States could have a knowledge clinic to add to their on-deck mentoring experiences.

On the local level, Holbrook worked as the liaison between the officiating governing BOD and the sports governing board for interscholastic athletics in CIF-SS. He was a member of this Officials Association BOD for over 15 years and he also worked as the representative on this board for the collegiate officials.

Today, Holbrook works with the governing association in dealing with their championship weekend for water polo. He oversees the field of play personnel for this event.

In addition, he is the supervisor of officials for the Southern California Community Colleges, three conferences (excluding San Diego), and has done this for approximately 10 years. Holbrook mentors and evaluates all officials working for these conferences.

He is also the supervisor of officials for the Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and has held this position for 15 years.

On the high school level, Holbrook also assigns the high school officials in his local area in Southern California.

Dr. Igor Kartashov was a competitive swimmer. He was educated at Volgograd State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport (1972-1976) and then entered graduate school at the Leningrad State Institute School of Physical Culture and Sport of Lesgaft (1980).

While in Leningrad, Kartashov worked with the great swim coaches Igor Koshkin and Genrih Yarotsky, where he developed training programs and analyzed equipment used to evaluate them. Kartashov developed and patented approximately 20 modifications of simulators for swimming. After completing graduate school, he remained in Leningrad to work at the Department of Swimming under the direction of Arvid Kozlov, father of Olympian Anna Kozlova (United Team ‘92 and USA 2000 and 2004).

In 1983, the Sport Research Support Group of the National Synchronized Swimming Program was created and led by Igor Kartashov. The ideology of the program was the organization of sport as “Synchro as a Gold Medal Factory”. The principle is constant controlled pressure and monitored competition of young athletes based on the results of famous athletes. It also supports the development of young coaches. The concept of the “factory” is “stiff competition, full control and deliberate correction.” This program was supported at the highest level of the Ministry of Sports of the USSR. Kartashov also identified model characteristics of the world’s leading synchronized swimmers based on testing at international competitions.

In 1984, Kartashov introduced video tutorials. At this time the program Reserve-92, Hope-96 was created for young synchronized swimmers. Russian junior athletes first entered the European Junior Championships and made the podium in 1985 (Bulgaria). In 1986, at the European Juniors in Holland, the Russians swept the gold medals. Many of the athletes on that team won the gold medal in the 2000 Olympic team event. They have remained undefeated in Olympic events and have dominated the World Championships as well. The Russian synchronized junior swimmers have been undefeated at the World Championships ever since. The senior national team has been undeated at the World and Olympic Games since 2000.

Igor Kartashov’s challenge and dream of creating a Gold Medal Factory has been accomplished. Today, many of his pupils are coaching in countries all around the world, elevating the technical levels of synchronized swimming.

Kartashov has also held the following positions of leadership in synchronized swimming: President, Russian Synchronized Swimming Federation (1992-97 and 2000-2005). Member, LEN TSSC (1994), serving as Vice Chairman (12 years); Member, FINA TSSC (1996-2017), serving as Vice Chairman.

He has also produced movies on the analysis of sculling for both FINA and LEN.

Today, Kartashov continues to serve as vice president of the Russian Synchronized Swimming Federation training the leaders of today and tomorrow.

Frank Busch was the National Team Director for USA Swimming from 2011 through 2017. Prior to that appointment, Busch had a 31-year coaching career, leading his collegiate and club teams to national championships seasons.

Busch began his club-coaching career in Northern Kentucky in 1974 and his NCAA career at the University of Cincinnati in 1980. Subsequent to his hiring at the University of Arizona in 1989, Busch went on to win Division I titles at both Men and Women’s National Championships. His club

affiliate, Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics, also earned National Championship titles under his leadership.

During his coaching years, Busch was named to numerous coaching staffs for USA Swimming, including Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008. In addition to his contributions to American swimming, Busch has coached athletes from over a dozen other countries to international success.

Busch has been the recipient of multiple coaching awards including United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and USA Swimming Coach of the Year. He is a six-time NCAA Division I Coach of the Year and earned the Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year award 11 times. He was inducted into the American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) Hall of Fame in 2008.

As National Team Director, Busch was responsible for providing the overall vision and leadership for the USA’s top coaches and athletes. He was directly involved with developing talent, mentoring coaches, and managing international relations efforts. In London 2012, Busch led a successful campaign with 31 medals, and 33 medals at the Rio Olympics in 2016. In both of these summer games, USA Swimming’s success represented 30% of team USA’s total medal count.

Frank received his B.S. in Education from Loyola University in Chicago.

Dr. Ben Rubin got involved in the sport of diving 40 years ago, when he became the team doctor for the Mission Viejo Natadores in California. As an Orthopedic Surgeon, he cared for the athletes on the team and as his expertise in diving injuries became more widely known, he began treating athletes from other diving teams from around the country.

As knowledge of his success kept spreading, he then started using his magic touch on divers from around the world.

During this time, Dr. Rubin began working with USA Diving and was asked to assemble the first ever Sports Medicine Team to provide treatment and care for the U.S. National Team and all the athletes participating in the National Championships, as well as at the World Championships and the Olympic Trials.

Rubin’s Sports Medicine Team was one of the best, if not THE best group of experts ever assembled. At the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, Dr. Rubin served as the physician for the USA teams.

Dr. Rubin also served as the Head Physician for the Servite High School Football Team in Southern California and after 38 years of outstanding service and care of the athletes, their new Sports Medicine Center was recently named after him.

To this day, U.S. divers and divers from around the world, travel many miles to seek out his expertise and care. Other than his skill, one of the reasons Dr. Rubin has been so sought after is because he not only treats the athlete, but takes an interest in them personally. He is a doctor and a mentor at the same time. Being in his care is a unique experience not found with many doctors. The world of diving would like to thank Dr. Ben Rubin for his many years of outstanding services to the sport of diving and beyond.

Jill is an internationally recognized safety, risk management, and training specialist in the field of aquatics. She is the co-founder of the Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI) – a certification agency for lifeguards, swimming instructors and pool operators – and a managing partner of StarGuard Elite (SGE) – a provider of training, aquatic risk prevention, and operational support services to waterparks, the cruise industry, and aquatic venues in the U.S. and international locations. A frequent speaker at industry conferences and the author of numerous publications, Jill was recognized by Aquatics International magazine as one of the “Power 25 of the last 25 years” for her contributions and influence in the field, was selected to the World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame, and is a recent recipient of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance Lighthouse Award.

White attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, AR where she received a BSE in Physical Education; Recreation & Health Education Minors. She also attended the University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana and Chicago), where she majored in Physical Education, and was a James Scholar.

Jill was named to the World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame, October, 2014; Recognized in Aquatics International Power 25 issue, as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People in the World of Aquatics”, February, 2012; Received the World Waterpark Association Al Turner Memorial “Commitment to Excellence” Award, 2010; Named Who’s Who in Aquatics – Top 100 Aquatic Professionals. 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005; Aquatics International “Best of Aquatics – Marketing”, 1999; Named to the International Academy of Aquatic Art (IAAA) Hall of Honor, International Swimming Hall of Fame; Distinguished Performer as member of University of Illinois Chicago Aquinas, 1975; Received the IAAA Distinguished Service Award, 1981,1984,1989; and was awarded the IAAA Joyce Malone Coach of The Year, 1983.

She is co-founder and Chairman of The Starfish Center for Aquatic Safety Research, Education and Leadership, 2018; she is on the Board of Directors of the World Waterpark Association, 2014 to present and a member of the Planning Committee Chair, 2017 to present; Member of the YMCA Expert Advisory Panel, 2014 to present; Writing Committee, CDC Model Aquatic Health Code, 2008-2014; Member of the Education Committee, World Waterpark Association, 2012-2014; Chair, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) “Standard for Operational Safety and Aquatic Risk Management”; Writing Committee, 2006-2008; Board of Directors, Council for National Cooperation in Aquatics (CNCA),1981-1998; and Member of the Board of Directors, International Academy of Aquatic Art, 1979-1996.

David Bell has been a contributor to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) national aquatics program for over 40 years. During his high school and college years, he spent 13 summers on the aquatics staff at various scout camps, personally teaching swimming, water rescue, and boating skills to hundreds of youths. He became an instructor trainer for BSA camp aquatics directors in 1974 and continues to teach at those week-long schools. The hundreds of adults he has trained have in turn provided safe swimming programs for tens of thousands of youths.

The BSA uses outdoor adventure programs to support its mission of youth character development and values-based leadership training. Activities in, on and under the water are a significant subset of the programs that attract youth and retain youth in the program. For example, scouts earn over 60,000 Swimming Merit Badges per year. Since 1979, when he was asked to rewrite the Lifesaving Merit Badge pamphlet, David has supported those BSA programs at the national level. He has been an Aquatics Specialist on the BSA National Health and Safety Committee since 1996 and became a Charter Member of the BSA National Aquatics Task Force in 2005. He was a major contributor in the redevelopment of the BSA Lifeguard professional lifeguard certification in 2008.

He conceived and authored “Aquatics Supervision, A Leader’s Guide to Youth Swimming and Boating Activities” in 2009, which is the text for Swimming and Water Rescue training for adults. In 2012, he wrote, directed, and helped edit the Safe Swim Defense online training video and the associated video on Remote (Swimming) Area Setup. He designed the “Water Reality” obstacle course of large inflatables used at the 2013 and 2017 BSA National Jamborees which had over 10,000 participants over the nine-day program in 2017.

Bell’s involvement with BSA aquatics has led to interactions with other agencies. He has been the BSA representative to the U.S. Lifeguard Standards Coalition and Water Safety USA. He was a sounding board member or subject member expert for the 2007, 2012, and 2017 revisions of the American Red Cross Lifeguarding Program. He was a member of the Technical Support Committee for Lifeguarding and Bather Supervision of the Council for the Model Aquatics Health Code. He is on the Board of Directors of the American Canoe Association.

David swims a mile three times a week when not traveling. He holds current certifications for BSA Aquatics Instructor, BSA Lifeguard, YMCA Lifeguard, American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor and PADI Open Water Diver. Bell has a BS and PhD degree in Physics.

Jennifer Gray has done it all – athlete, coach, official, administrator, professor, and author.

As an athlete, Jennifer was a member of the first Great Britain national team in 1968 and ended her career after competing in the first FINA World Championships in 1973.

Professionally she served as the National Development Officer for the Amateur Swimming Association for Synchronized Swimming and Diving. From 1994-2010, Jennifer served as the Principal Lecturer/ Head of Department for Sport and Coaching Studies at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, England. Since her “retirement” Jennifer has served as an Associate Lecturer in Education at Oxford Brookes University. She also serves as a freelance consultant/coach for Artistic Swimming.

Gray is one of the most widely published authors for synchronized swimming, having published nine books on the sport, one in collaboration with Istvan Bayli, “Long Term Athlete Development for Synchronized Swimming”. She has also published two books on diving.

Jennifer is one of the most sought out presenters at conferences on synchronized swimming for both judges and coaches. Her presentations applying Laban’s Theories of Movement to synchronized swimming were the first of their kind. She has also been the keynote speaker at the Oxfordshire Coaches Association, “The Missing Link” (2010) and “Maximizing Potential” (2014).

Jennifer has been a valued member of the FINA Ad Hoc Committee on Degrees of Difficulty since its creation in 1987. Gray has conducted clinics for 23 national associations and 24 FINA/LEN clinics. She has conducted clinics on every continent.

She has judged or refereed at the FINA World Championships, Junior World Championships, World Masters Commonwealth Games, Goodwill Games and at the Olympic Games in Beijing. In addition, she is a FINA Evaluator.

Jennifer served on the FINA TSSC (2009-2012), and she is currently Vice Chair of the LEN TSSC. She has served as Vice President, South of England Aquatics and as Chairman of England Synchronized Swimming Committee. Gray has served as Chair Oxfordshire Coaching Committee, and is a former Master of the Guild of Sports Internationalists.

For her extraordinary contributions to the sport of synchronized swimming, in 2016 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded Jennifer Gray the title Member of the British Empire (MBE).

A former water polo official who is now responsible for the education of all varsity officials working for the NCAA. Dr. Corb completed his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Massachusetts and holds both a master’s degree in athletic administration, and a Masters and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Corb has been involved in the sport of water polo since 1973. A native of Massachusetts, he began playing water polo in college, first at Northeastern University and later at the University of Massachusetts. A past coach, player, referee and now an administrator, he started the New England Water Polo Referees’ Association (NEWPRA) in 1978. Also, in 1978, Corb received his first NCAA Championship experience as he officiated in the NCAA Championship play-in-game between Brown University and Texas A & M University with CWPA Hall of Fame coach Russ Yarworth.

Following graduation, he traveled around the country for six months prior to coming back to Massachusetts and working for several years before making the move in 1980 to Southern California. A member of the Olympic Committee staff for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, he continued his water polo officiating role from the East Coast in his new home in California. Moving up the ranks both in USA Water Polo and on the high school and college levels, he became a FINA referee, and traveled to over ten different countries to officiate water polo. The President of the Southern California Aquatics Federation (SCAF) for three terms, and active in the USAWP referee organization, Corb was invited to officiate the first ever women’s NCAA Water Polo Championship in 2001.

Away from the pool deck, his academic career and accomplishments are equally impressive. After teaching for four years in the psychology department at Pomona College in Claremont, California, he went to work at the University of California, Riverside in their counseling center where he created and ran a successful sports psychology program for ten years. In 2008, he was recruited to return to the counseling center at the University of California-Los Angeles, where he had completed his pre-doctoral internship, to become their first ever Sports Psychology Program Director. In that capacity, he was responsible for ensuring that the behavioral health needs of the 670+ student athletes of UCLA were being met prior to his retirement.

For the past ten years, Dr. Corb has used his background as an official, training as a psychologist, and his education in athletic administration to create a national program whose goal is to improve the overall quality and consistency of officiating throughout the country. As the NCAA national coordinator of officials for both the men and women’s water polo, his initiatives in support of this goal has included the development and growth of the National Evaluator Group (NEG), currently consisting of twenty members across the US with a combined 750+ years of water polo experience. This group includes former elite level referees, coaches, and players, including two previous recipients of the Paragon Award. In addition to attending weekend training sessions funded by a grant from the NCAA to Dr. Corb, this group conducts hundreds of in-person formal evaluations each year, using a standardized online evaluation form developed by the NEG. Dr. Corb has also created the ADVANTAGE website, which is the platform for referee training, coach education, and increased communication between all the stakeholders in intercollegiate water polo. In 2016, he and the NEG created and presented the inaugural mandatory national referee school, which will be offered again in 2018, coinciding with the new two-year NCAA Rulebook. Additionally, Dr. Corb has been instrumental in increasing the collaboration between the NCAA and USAWP in the area of referee training, working toward one unified set of playing rules for all levels within the US, introducing the use of radios for officials in both game situations and training opportunities, and creating an environment where assignments for both men and women are linked directly to performance. His mantra remains, “Referees should be rewarded for applying the rules as written.”

A native of Seattle, Washington, Ron Van Pool received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Washington, followed by his Masters in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as a National Sales Manager for the Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands that was rated one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2016-2017.

Ron Van Pool is being honored for his dedication and tireless hours of service to the sport of competitive swimming. Ron has been involved with USA Swimming for over 30 years, serving as an official in capacities from age group meets to being Meet Referee for Sectional, Grand Prix, Arena Pro, Winter Nationals, Masters Nationals, Open Water Nationals, Pac 12 Championships and World Championship Trials Meets. He has officiated at every Olympic Team Trials since 1996 and continues to be active at both the LSC and the national level.

Van Pool has also served USA Swimming in many leadership roles including; International Relations (Chair), Rules and Regulations Committee (Member, Program Operations (Vice-President) and Governance Review Task Force (Chair) and most recently, the USA Swimming CEO Search (Chair). He has also served as the USA Swimming representative to the USOC and the National Governing Body Council for over ten years. He reached the pinnacle of offices in 2002, when he was elected President of USA Swimming, a role he held through 2006.

Van Pool served on the initial FINA Disciplinary Panel (2005-2009) and represented USA Swimming as a delegate to FINA General and the FINA Technical Congresses from 2004-2009. He is a Founding Director and Secretary of the USA Swimming Foundation, and was a Board of Director for the United States Sports Insurance, 2002-2015, and served as Secretary 2006-2015. Ron has also been a speaker at numerous seminars, clinics and conventions on the local, national and international level, speaking about officiating, meet directing, refereeing, as well as all aspects of running a successful event.

In 2013, Van Pool was the recipient of the USA Swimming Award, given to an individual or organization with the most outstanding contribution to the sport, an honor given to only a handful of individuals. When Ron Van Pool is not traveling to cities to officiate swim meets, he and his wife live in the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington.

Linda Paul has been a part of USA Diving for more than 16 years. She joined the organization as Director of Business Development in 2001 and since has been involved in nearly every aspect of the organization. In 2010 she was named President and CEO of the organization and immediately began organizational improvements.

USA Diving Code of Regulations: In 2012, Paul started laying groundwork to simplify and make them easier to understand. In 2014, the membership unanimously approved that the code be placed in the hands of the Board to work more like a business. In 2015, language was incorporated to support Safe Sport, an important program USA Diving and other NGB’s support along with the USOC.

Technical Rules of Diving: In 2013, Linda started the process of updating rules by putting in place a Rules Restructuring Committee. They were charged with cleaning up rules and meet management policies at USA Diving as the organization evolved from a volunteer organization to a professional staff driven one.

Board Composition: In 2015, when she discovered it was over-looked, she was able to secure support and eventually add a National Federation of State High Schools position to the Board of USAD. This was important as there are over 14,000 high school aquatic programs in the USA. This also led to the partnership of USA Diving, NISCA and NFSHS in developing a beginner diving coaches course that launches in the 2017-2018 season.

Sponsorship: While at USA Diving, Paul brought on sponsors and increased sponsorship. She first approached long time printer, Sports Graphics, followed by Innovative Edit, that produced the first website for USA Diving to be developed at no cost. Years later, through her relationships and patience, Paul added Nike, Coca-Cola, Rocktape, Airweave and Pulsair.

Financially: Following the 2012 Olympic Trials, Linda hired TSE Consulting to help devise a plan to better leverage the biggest asset of the NGB – the Olympic Trials. The result officially engaged the USOC and NGB as partners in the process. A new bid process was implemented with greater participation from more cities and a substantially higher revenue was guaranteed for USAD. It also encouraged more community support and improved participant experience, laying new groundwork for the 2020 bid process.

TV/Social Media and Membership: In 2011, after 20 years of no television coverage, Paul was able to get the Summer National Championships televised that included shots from the Goodyear blimp. Linda started working with Takeit Live to make sure that when USAD was not on TV, the events would be live streamed. In 2014, she was part of a small group that was invited to meet in Seattle for Project 32 organized by NBC. From this meeting, an idea was launched to start televising the National Championships of the various NGB’s to steadily engage the audience more than just once during the Olympics cycle. That idea has now become a reality in 2017 with the Team USA Summer Champions Series.

Numbers under Paul’s watch steadily rose as a new social media strategy was implemented. Membership numbers have also steadily risen during her tenure from 5058 in 2010 to 8930 in 2016. She also initiated a USA Diving Hall of Fame with the help of Cynthia Potter and Peter Lasser, known as the Rings of Honor.

International Success: Under Linda’s tenure, USA Diving finally returned to the podium in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Winning four medals in 2012 including gold in the Men’s platform in a thriller finish with David Boudia’s stunning win. In 2016, USA Diving returned to the podium again winning three medals that included Steele Johnson, Mike Hixon and Sam Dorman in addition to David Boudia.

Linda Paul announced her retirement in 2017, and will be remembered for assisting in the growth and success of the organization through many challenges.

In 2012, The National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) introduced its Step into Swim (SIS) program, a 10-year, learn to swim initiative to create one million more swimmers in an effort to improve public health and reduce drowning by teaching children, adults, and minority populations to swim. The campaign asks aquatic businesses, associations, and the public sector to sponsor organizations that are already teaching people to swim. To help the public and private sector understand the importance of learning to swim, the NSPF issued a white paper, which explains the benefits of creating more swimmers, and how more people swimming can relieve increasing healthcare costs propelled by physical inactivity, an aging society and troubling high drowning rates.

The National Swimming Pool Foundation works with different learn to swim programs all over the country in their Step into Swim Campaign, some of them include: The American Red Cross, Jewish Community Centers, Miracle Swimming, Swim Today, U.S. Swim School Association and the YMCA.

The Step into Swim Campaign enables underprivileged children across the country to learn the lifesaving skill of swimming. Large donations support the vision of creating happier and healthier lives by preventing drowning while creating more swimmers, and recognizing the resulting effect of building demand for swimming pools, hot tubs and aquatic facilities. Every dollar collected for Step into Swim goes directly toward the sponsored learn to swim programs.

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Juliene Hefter has been the Deputy Director for the Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association for the past eight years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Recreational Leadership from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse and holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Quality from Marian College.

Hefter is currently the owner of Safety First Aquatics, LLC, and is the Executive Director/CEO for the Association of Aquatic Professionals. The AAP is a non-profit corporation that exclusively promotes and advocates policies, practices and procedures that contribute to safer and improved aquatic education, aquatic recreation activities, programs, and facilities; provides and supports quality aquatic education opportunities; coordinates and conducts research in the field of aquatic management and safety; promotes coordination and cooperation between established aquatic associations responsible for all aspects of aquatic programming, aquatic management, aquatic operation and maintenance and aquatic facility design, as well as providing an annual conference and educational workshops for communities on drowning prevention and education.

Juliene has a long and illustrious career in aquatics and park and recreation administration and has been the Manager of Recreation Services for the City of West Bend, Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Horicon, Supervisor of Recreation & Aquatics Director for the Fond du Lac School District, and the Park and Recreation Director for the Village of Germantown. She has served in a number of leadership positions with both state and national organizations, including being the Chairperson for the National Recreation and Park Association’s 2005 National Aquatic Conference, National Aquatic Management School for 2005 and 2006, Member and Chairperson of the Aquatic-Facility Operators Board of Directors 2004-2006, 2007 General Program Chairperson of the National Aquatic Management School and National Aquatic Conference, 2007 President of the National Aquatic Council, Chairperson of the Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association’s Recreation Section, Chairperson of the Wisconsin Park and Recreation’s Aquatic Section, Chairperson of the Southeast Park and Recreation Council and Vice- Chairperson of the Washington County Park and Open Space Technical Advisory Committee.

Hefter’s distinguished career includes being the recipient of the Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association’s Professional Award of Merit, the Recreation Professional of the Year, Aquatic Professional of the Year, NRPA’s R.O.S.E. Award winner in 2006. She was named to Aquatic International’s “Power 25” in 2007, and was the recipient of the Public Policy Innovation Award.

She is a renowned speaker and author on a variety of management and administrative topics, including A Hands on Approach to Corporate Sponsorships, Sexual Harassment Training for Part-Time and Seasonal Staff, Public Perception of Lifeguards, Risk Management, Staffing and Staff Manual Development for Aquatic Facilities, Marketing and Promotions, and Team Building and Special Events. Juliene is also an instructor for the National Aquatic Facility Operator Certification Course.

Stefania Tudini began her aquatics career as a speed swimmer when she was 11 years old. In 1957, she became successful at age 14 by winning her first Italian Championship with a national record in the 50m butterfly. She tried out for the 1960 Italian Olympic Team, but unfortunately did not make it.

Tudini became a swimming coach in 1971 and a synchronized swimming coach in 1975. She was appointed to oversee synchronized swimming for the Italian Swimming Federation in the same year. Her job was to reorganize the entire synchronized swimming department, with particular attention to the competitions aspect of the sport.

For the last 20 years, Tudini has organized and been the director for international events for synchronized swimming for the Italian Federation, such as Roma Sincro and Loano Synchro Cup. She was Director of the synchronized swimming portions of the 1994 and 2009 FINA World Championships, as well as several editions of the European Senior and Junior Championships and European Cups.

Stefania Tudini has served on the FINA Technical Synchronized Swimming Committee (TSSC) since 1992 and was elected Chairman in 2009, where she served two terms. For her achievement she received the FINA gold pin. She was also the chairman of the LEN TSSC and was honored by them for her years of service. “Cicci”, as she is known to all her synchronized swimming friends around the world, is currently the Director of Synchronized Swimming for the Italian Swimming Federation. Participation in the sport has grown exponentially in Italy under her leadership. She has attended and taken part in every FINA competition including the World Championships in Budapest, last month. The 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, was her last official event as a member of the FINA family.

Tudini says, “There is something in my sports life that makes me very proud about myself. With the help and the participation of Mrs. Sophie Sarwat and Madeleine Bernavon, I decided to transform the existing CO.ME.N Cup (Confederation Mediterrane de Natation) in a competition for age group (13/15) that has become the most important competition for this age all over the world. Maybe games of fate, I don’t know, but my first TSSC meeting was in Fort Lauderdale 25 years ago and now I am closing my career in the same place. A magic circle.”

Rarely does your roommate change or mold the course of your life, but in the early 1960’s, that’s exactly what happened to Terry Sayring. The Terre Haute, Indiana native started officiating water polo in 1963 and has officiated over 6,000 games and 105 international matches.

Sayring first became involved in water polo when, upon being discharged from the Marine Corp in California, he moved in with two Olympic water polo players from El Segundo. They eventually introduced him to water polo innovator and Olympic Coach, Uhro Saari, who got Terry involved in officiating in 1963. The rest, as they say is water polo history.

Terry Sayring has been involved in water polo on almost every level. He has officiated events including the FINA World Championships, the FINA World Cup, FINA Jr. World Championships, Pan American Games, NCAA Championships and the AAU Championships. In 1969, Sayring founded the Southern California Aquatics Federation which is the water polo referee association. He was the manager of the 1980 and 1984 Olympic teams, as well as two Pan American teams, and the competition manager for the 1996 Olympic Games. Sayring was the tournament director for the Women’s FINA Cup, Junior Worlds and was a member of the ASUA Technical Committee for 12 years. In 1995, he was presented the FINA Silver Pin.

In addition to water polo, Sayring’s other passion has been genealogy. Over the past 30 years, he has been able to trace his ancestors back to 2700 BC, including the Mayflower, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. This helped with his next project: The American Water Polo Foundation, a non-profit 401C, that collects memorabilia and researches the history of USA Water Polo back to 1875. The foundation has collected information on the Men’s Olympic Teams from 1904 to the present and the Women’s Olympic Team from the 2000 Olympics to the present. Sayring has been a Life Member of United States Water Polo since 1978, and secretary of the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame for 25 years. He was elected into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1986 and received the USA Water Polo Award in 1988, the organization’s highest honor.

In 2015, he founded American Water Polo Collections, Inc., a California non-profit dedicated to preserving the history of water polo in America. Terry is currently supervisor of water polo officials for the Big West Conference and a member of the National Evaluators Committee. He has been married for 56 years with three daughters, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Glenn Mills spent two decades becoming one of America’s fastest breaststrokers in America. In 1980, at the age of 18, he won the 200-meter breaststroke at the 1980 US Olympic Trials. Unfortunately, Glenn had to watch those “boycotted” Olympic Games from his living room on TV.

Refusing to let his Olympic disappointment define his life, Glenn chose to devote his life to helping other swimmers achieve their goals. In 2002, he co-founded a video-production company, GoSwim, with Barbara Hummel, a former colleague from his days working with Total Immersion Swimming. GoSwim embodies Glenn’s personal mission and lifelong quest of helping swimmers of all ages and backgrounds to swim better and to reach their full potential in the sport. GoSwim began by filming the techniques used by Olympic swimmers and has evolved into a company that produces a diverse range of media outlets and technologies, including articles, speaking engagements, clinics, DVDs, a world renowned website with a subscription platform with streaming video, and an innovative app that lets coaches film swimmers and immediately share videos with them. To date, Glenn and GoSwim have created and published nearly 700 swimming drills and more than 40 full-length instructional videos. The videos are easy to follow, and feature world class swimmers and coaches, including more than 30 Olympians, USA National Team Members and NCAA Champions. The goal is always to make swimmers better.

In 2010, GoSwim launched the industry’s first iphone app, bringing the best of GoSwim’s drills and technique photos right to the pool deck. Today the app is used by hundreds of thousands of swimmers and coaches, worldwide.

In 2011, Glenn and GoSwim created the industry’s first subscription platform for delivery of swim technique content. It gives swimmers a simple, inexpensive way to access all of GoSwim’s content, and gives coaches the ability to send selected videos to their swimmers everyday before practice.

The latest development is GoSwim’s “Deckshots” software, which allows a coach to video swimmers above or underwater using an iPhone, Android, GoPro or other camera, and share the video with the swimmer for immediate feedback and learning. A few clicks and the swimmer can compare his or her techniques with an Olympian. The “Deckshots” can also be uploaded and securely delivered to swimmers computers or smart phones for learning away from the pool. In addition to being one of the most revolutionary, innovative and useful coaching tools ever developed, it is also easy to use and affordable.

For the past year, Mills and his wife, and coaching partner, Rachel Stratton-Mills, have taken their products on the road, traveling in an RV, to share their products, technologies and expertise with hundreds of coaches and thousands of athletes across the country. It is a safe assumption that somewhere, someone is watching one of Glenn’s GoSwim videos, or using one of his platforms to become a better swimmer or coach!

GoSwim, the sport’s leading provider of educational video content, is the official technique video supplier of USA Swimming.

It seems as though diving has always been in Cokey Smith Huffman’s blood. Although she participated in just about every sport in her youth, we are certainly glad she ended up in diving. Both of Cokey’s parents were employed at the University of Michigan and in the 1970’s, there were only several places with great diving coaches. So, in 1976, when Cokey fell in love with diving, after watching the beautifully graceful Jennifer Chandler win the Olympic Games, she hit the jackpot by living in Ann Arbor and having Coach Dick Kimball in her backyard.

She began attending Kimball’s summer camps in 1978 and continued every summer until his last camp in 1988. ISHOF Honor Coach, Dick Kimball invited Cokey to train at Michigan after the summer Junior Nationals in 1979 when she was just 14; Kimball would remain Cokey’s coach until the end of her career. Under Kimball, Smith won 26 State of Michigan age group titles; a silver medal on the 10-meter platform, at the 1981 U.S. Age Group Nationals; a silver medal on the 10-meter platform at the 1986 U.S. Senior Nationals; and was the 1990 and 1991 U.S. National Champion on the 10-meter platform.

Cokey attended the University of Michigan, but only competed for the Wolverines for two years. In 1987 and 1988, she was a Big Ten and NCAA finalist, helping Michigan win the Big Ten Championship both years. Injuries prevented Smith from doing her best and qualifying for the 1988 Olympic team. The four years between 1988 and 1992 saw the best years of her career. She was an 11-time National team member, three-time gold medalist at the United States Olympic Festival, two-time U.S. Senior National Champion and finalist at the 1991 World Championships on the 10-meter tower in Perth, Australia.

Cokey Smith has enjoyed many other accolades during her career. She was voted the 1986 Phillips 66 Performance Awards recipient, by her peers; won the 1990 HTH High Performance Award for the highest total score on dives with degree of difficulty limit; and won the 1990 and 1991 U.S. Senior National Highpoint Award for scoring the highest number of points based on finishes in all three disciplines: one, three and ten-meter.

During her diving career, Cokey always found time to give back to her sport. She involved herself in the administration of U.S.A. Diving, as well as with U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). She was the chair of the Athlete Representative’s committee from 1988-1992, and was the Athletes Advisory Representative to the USOC from 1988 through 1996. She continued to serve on the Olympic Foundation from 1996 -2000. As the AAC Representative to the USOC she served on the Budget Committee, as well as Games Preparation. She has also served as Treasurer of US Diving from 1996-2000. Currently, she is Chair of the U.S.A. Diving Judge’s Subcommittee, where she recently returned from judging at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, is the Secretary of UANA (Union Americana de Natacion), and is a member of the United States Diving Foundation.

The USA Swimming Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming. Established in 2004, the Foundation works to strengthen the sport by saving lives and building champions—in the pool and in life. Whether equipping our children with the life-saving skill of learn-to-swim through our Make a Splash initiative, or providing financial support to our heroes on the U.S. National Team, the USA Swimming Foundation aims to provide the wonderful experience of swimming to kids at all levels across the country.

In 2007, the USA Swimming Foundation launched the Make a Splash initiative as a national child-focused water safety campaign, which aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim through Make a Splash, the USA Swimming Foundation partners with learn to swim providers and water safety advocates across the country to provide swimming lessons and educate children and their families on the importance of learning how to swim. The USA Swimming Foundation has invested more than $4 million dollars to provide grants to qualified Local Partner learn-to-swim programs, to spread national awareness, and to bring together strategic partners to end drowning. To date, more than 4 million children have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons through the USA Swimming Foundation Make A Splash Local Partner network, comprised of more than 780 qualified lesson providers across the nation. It is our goal, by the end of 2017, to have 1 million children participating in swim lessons through our local partner network each year, and we are making great strides towards reaching this milestone.

In addition to the Local Partner program, the USA Swimming Foundation seeks to raise national awareness about the importance of learning to swim. Each year, the Foundation embarks on national awareness tour. Having recently completed its sixth year, the Make a Splash Tour presented by Phillips 66 visits cities across America to spread the learn-to-swim message among children, families and communities.

With the help of our USA Swimming Foundation Ambassadors and National Team athletes, the Tour has enhanced publicity and expanded the reach of the Make a Splash campaign to a wide audience of parents, learn-to-swim providers, educators and community leaders. The Tour has received extensive media exposure in outlets such as Sports Illustrated, the Today Show, HBO Real Sports and more. The Make A Splash Tour has made stops in cities such as St. Louis, Portland, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, New Orleans, Des Moines, San Francisco, Memphis, New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, with 2016 stops in Phoenix, the Houston area and Atlanta.

Ulla is a native of Finland and is fluent in Finnish, English, and Swedish and also speaks German. She is a specialty nurse who in addition has studied mathematics, physics, statistics, education and physical education. All of which came in handy when she became “bitten” by the synchro bug.

Ulla entered the aquatics family as a speed swimmer, and her speciality was the backstroke. Throughtout her career Ulla has served all members of the Finnish aquatics family in various leadership capacities. For example, from 1980-2012, Ulla served as president, secretary general or board member of the following swimming clubs: Kuopion Uimaseura, Helsingin Uimarit and Vantaan Uimarit. Since 2013 Ulla has been serving on the board of the Vantaan Pyorre Swim Club.

In 1970 the Scandinavian Championships were held in Kuopio, Finland. This is where Ulla was first exposed to the sport of synchronized swimming. During the 1980’s with two toddlers in hand, Ulla traveled to different competitions and clinics to study the sport. Although Ulla never actually coached synchronized swimming, with her knowledge of movement, anatomy and physics, she produced theoretical materials, and she is a tutor and mentor for Level IV Coaching Education (out of V). She has instilled her love of synchro in her daughter Iris, the National Coach of Finland.

Ulla’s quick wit and excellent analytical skills have made her a popular instructor for FINA, LEN and Olympic Solidarity Clinics. She has conducted 60 clinics in 45 countries and on every continent.

Ulla served on the FINA – TSSC from 1992 – 2008, and served as its Chair from 2005 – 2008. She is best known for formalizing the FINA Judges’ Schools during her tenure as Chair of the FINA-TSSC. She worked tirelessly to make certain that the schools were a success, designing the curriculum and traveling to every continent to institute them. During 2007-2008 Ulla conducted 13 FINA Judges’ Schools.

Ulla officiated at the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. She served as Chief Referee at the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2007 and 2009 World Championships, the 2006 and 2008 Junior World Championships and the 2006 World Trophy.

Ulla has also served the worldwide synchro family as a FINA Evaluator. Between 1995 and the present, Ulla has travelled to every corner of the globe to evaluate FINA judges at more than 50 competitions in 27 countries.

Ulla has been on the LEN-TSSC since 1990, and she is currently serving as its Chair. She has held this position since 2012.

Dr. Barbara Kalbus never played the sport of water polo a day in her life, but during her lifetime, she was one the most influential and respected persons in the sport.

Originally from Wisconsin, Dr. Barbara Kalbus obtained her doctorate in biochemistry and botany. She first became involved with aquatics when her oldest son, Randy started swimming with the Phillips 66 Long Beach Aquatic Club in the early 1960s. As a volunteer she managed various aspects of both age group swimming and water polo programs and eventually became President of the Club. From 1969 through 1976 she also served on the Southern Pacific AAU Swimming Committee, in charge of time standards. Following the enactment of the Amateur Sports Act, in 1976, she was elected as US Water Polo’s first secretary and set up the organization’s first bylaws. She was also USWP’s first national registration chair. Although primarily a men’s sport at the time, she was appointed to serve on the Men’s International/Olympic committee in 1978 and was elected president of the USWP from 1980 to 1984. From 1985 through 1991 she served as Chair of the USWP Foundation. Beginning in the late 1970’s, she either wrote or helped to write grant requests, made arrangements for Olympic housing and tickets for Olympic parents and wives, organized events, made travel arrangements, handled insurance claims and correspondence not only for the organization, but for the coaches, managers and athletes as well. When she was the team manager for the U.S. Men’s Senior National Water Polo Team for the 1992 and 2004 Olympic Games, she did it all. Even when she wasn’t the manager, she was the right arm and invaluable resource for every administrator, US National Water Polo Team and Olympic Team Coach and Manager.

Beyond AAU and USA Water Polo, Barbara worked with the NCAA W/P and CIF (high school) Rules Committees from 1976 until 2014. She attended yearly meetings, worked with the editor of the Water Polo Rules Book to insure it was edited correctly, prepared rules revisions and proofs. She worked with NCAA & USWP to assist NCAA retention of Water Polo. She organized and ran the desk at approximately the last ten NCAA Water Polo Championships. Barbara prepared the master schedule of NCAA water polo each fall and prepared and distributed statistics of team comparative standings each week during fall season.

Barbara was also one of the most respected and experienced desk officials in the world. In her later years she was a fixture at Newport Harbor water polo games, where she would supervise the kids working the desk.

She was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2010, USA Water Polo established the Barbara Kalbus Distinguished Volunteer Award to honor those who have gone above and beyond in their service to the sport of water polo.

Barbara Kalbus did almost all of this volunteer work while working for Long Beach City College for forty-years as a science teacher, vice-president of academic affairs and finally vice-president of administrative services before retiring. She was a tireless worker, an innovator, a perfectionist and someone who wanted things done always the correct way. No one ever will care as much for the sport of water polo than Dr. Barbara Kalbus. It was her life and those who worked with her will forever be grateful for knowing her.

They don’t get much publicity, and that’s understandable. After all, unless you’re an Olympic

sports junkie it’s not that easy to compare a performance in, say, the men’s 90–meter ski

jump, with one in the 400 IM or the hammer throw. And how many people can tell you whether a 1:56 in the

women’s 200 meter freestyle is more worthy of an Olympic medal than a score of 9.725 on the uneven bars?

There are so many factors, both physiological and psychological, involved just in trying to appreciate what an

athlete does, that it goes without saying that understanding that experience is even more difficult.

Okay. If you think that’s difficult – and it is – then try adding another layer of criteria to the mix. Add in the

disability factor. Now tell me: is it more difficult to swim 100 meters butterfly with no arms or with no legs? And,

how much harder is it to swim with neither arms nor legs?

Disabled athletes swim and run slower than able-bodied athletes do. But surely, they are every bit their equals, at

least.

This is the world in which Julie O’Neill operates. And “operates” is exactly the right word, for she goes about her

daily business with the dedication and precision of a world-class surgeon. Julie currently serves as the team leader

of Paralympic Sport Performance for the United States Olympic Committee. In this position she oversees the high

performance planning and support processes, for the 28 Paralympic sports. Julie began her USOC career in 2003,

when she signed on as an Associate Director and coach of the swim team. By 2008, she was named head coach.

Under her leadership, the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Swimming Team achieved unparalleled success as the team

finished first in the medal standings for the first time, winning 17 gold medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games.

With 44 total medals, nine more than they took home from Athens (2004), the team proved their ability on an elite

international stage. The U.S. swimmers set a total of 16 world records, 23 Paralympic records, 48 Pan American

records and 99 American records.

O’Neill’s first Paralympic coaching job at the international level came in 2002 at the International Paralympic

World Championships in Mar del Plata, Argentina, making her the first woman head coach of any U.S. Team in a

major international championship. In 2006, she led the US team that won the overall medal count at the IPC World

Championships in Durban, South Africa. It was the first time the US had won the medal count at that quadrennial

event.

Prior to her work with the USOC, O’Neill spent the previous eight years as a swim coach and administrator for

various USA Swimming clubs including Rocket Aquatics (Syracuse, N.Y.),Kansas City Blazers, Liverpool Jets

(Liverpool, N.Y.) and West Coast Aquatics (San Jose, Calif.).

Universally respected, O’Neill is a doer and a shaker, one of those people who make things happen.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, everybody talks about water safety, but very few do much about it. One man who does a whole lot about it is Peter G. Wernicki, M. D. For over 30 years, Dr. Wernicki has contributed his expertise to medical and non-medical aspects of lifeguarding and water safety around the world.

Dr. Wernicki currently serves as the Aquatics Chair of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, the Medical Committee Chair for the International Lifesaving Federation, and is the Medical Advisor of the United States Lifesaving Association.

Growing up on the New Jersey shore, Dr. Wernicki worked as a lifeguard for 12 summers. He held leadership positions within the guards, served as a water safety and lifeguard instructor, and both organized and competed in numerous ocean lifeguarding events.

Dr. Wernicki graduated from the University of Virginia and earned his medical degree from Rutgers Medical School. He went on to complete an orthopedic surgery residency in Baltimore at several institutions including the Johns Hopkins and Union Memorial Hospitals. He also completed fellowships in sports medicine and arthroscopy, and he currently specializes in sports medicine. To keep busy, he teaches Orthopedic Surgery at Florida State College of Medicine. For the past 11 years, Dr. Wernicki has been chosen by his peers as a “top physician” in Orthopedic Surgery.

If all this weren’t enough, Dr. Wernicki continues to contribute to global aquatic medicine and water safety through significant leadership efforts. He is an Executive Board member of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), a position he has held for the past 25 years. He has served as the US team physician and coach at numerous International Rescue Championships, he was co-chairman of the first ILS Medical Rescue Conference, held in 1997, and he was the keynote speaker at the 2011 World Conference on Drowning Prevention. He is also the ILS liaison to the World Anti-Doping Agency where he monitors athlete drug testing.

In 2006, the American Red Cross chose Dr. Wernicki to be a member of the organization’s National Scientific Advisory Council. The council is the scientific arm of the organization; it gathers, analyzes, and presents important evidence-based studies and data. The council’s authoritative statements guide all of the American Red Cross Health and Safety Programs. As a result, Dr. Wernicki was presented with the Chairman’s Award in 2012 for his “exceptional contributions toward saving lives.”

From 2010-2012, Dr. Wernicki served as a Co-Chair of the US Lifeguard Standards Coalition. This was a groundbreaking, joint effort among the American Red Cross, the YMCA, and the USLA. The large initiative was the first public safety effort to apply evidence-based science in the development of standards for open water and pool lifeguarding. Praised internationally, the published results are setting the standard for all future studies and improvements in global lifesaving.

Dr. Wernicki writes and publishes extensively on aquatics and water safety. He authored multiple chapters in the last two editions of the World Handbook on Drowning. A chapter in the “Science of Beach Lifeguarding” exhibits his insistence on rigorous evidence-based research. He has been published numerous times in the International Journal of Aquatics, the Physician and Sports Medicine, Anesthesiology, and many other scientific journals. In the lay press, Dr. Wernicki’s expertise is often quoted in publications such as Men’s Health, RedBook, New York Times, and the Washington Post.

Dan Sharadin swam and played water polo all four years of high school and was recruited

by West Virginia University. Dan was led to believe he would be able to swim and play

water polo in some type of program at WVU; unfortunately, this was not the case. Dan was

so disappointed that after a very short time, he left the swim team to focus on developing

West Virginia’s inaugural water polo club! It was made up of mostly ex-swimmers, and Dan

took on the role as the first coach, as well as a player himself, and the club’s first president of the WVU Water Polo

Program.

In Dan’s role as President of the WVU Water Polo Club, it was his job to arrange tournaments for the team to play in, so Dan begin to arrange tournaments in Ohio, Pennsylvania and the West Virginia areas, as well as planning trips to Montreal and Quebec. He was always looking for ways to promote the club, fundraise or find new tournaments and clubs to play.

After getting his Master’s degree from WVU in 1981, Dan founded the non-profit organization, Young Athletes of America (YAA) to give the less athletically gifted athletes an opportunity to play organized sports. One of the programs created through YAA was the Eastern Water Polo League (EWPL), a large multi-division structure that included teams from all over the eastern seaboard. Its success led coaches to question whether a similar structure would work within the collegiate ranks. Sharadin was asked if he would serve as part-time Commissioner of a small group of college teams known then as the Mid-Atlantic Conference, for the purpose of providing basic services including scheduling and publishing a league program.

He began his duties with the CWPA in the 1980’s, which seems like a lifetime ago. Since that time, many changes have taken place, including the merger of the New England and Southern conferences in the early 90’s, the addition of women’s water polo in the mid-90’s, and the merger of the Southeast Collegiate Club Conference in 2000. During a portion of this period Dan worked with United States Water Polo for the purposes of collegiate development and was able to see programs added for men and women throughout the country.

Since its inception, the CWPA has grown in size to become the largest water polo conference and the third largest collegiate athletic organization in the country. Today over 80% of all collegiate contests are played under the auspices of the CWPA. When Sharadin began at the CWPA , he was a part time employee; he now oversees a staff of five full time employees and an organizational budget of nearly half a million dollars. Thanks to Dan Sharadin, the Collegiate Water Polo Association has come a long way!

Lori Thompson specializes in aquatic financial operations and business strategies, creating financially efficient operations that maximize the competitive and recreational aspects of the facility. Nowhere is that more apparent than at “Splash!” the La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center that Lori currently oversees. Splash! is a facility that is home to several team programs, including age group, high school, Masters Swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo. It hosts a large number of aquatic events each year but is also open to free recreational swim, free swim team, water polo, synchro and learn to swim. These programs, along with the facility is partially subsidized by annual passes to its waterpark, Buccaneer Bay, which includes a lazy river, three forty-foot tall water slides, a children’s play structure and spray pads. The facility also boasts a 50 meter competitive pool with removable bulkhead and a 25 yard instructional pool and spa. Phase two, for which the infrastructure and locker rooms are correctly in place include a second 50-meter pool, therapy pool and additional water slide. The recreational programs at Splash! help support the competitive programs as a benefit to the entire community!

Lori has been involved in many different aspects of the aquatics field, with over 30 years of experience: lifeguard, swim instructor, coach and pool manager. After receiving her degree from Biola University, she became involved in a number of drowning prevention organizations aimed at helping educate the community on the importance of drowning prevention and water safety. The City of La Mirada offers free water safety classroom presentations and most importantly is a key location and partner for the World’s Largest Swim Lesson, which is supported by a coalition of the nation’s leading water safety organizations, including the American Red Cross. Since the World’s Largest Swim Lesson began, Lori and her team have worked with program officials to help bring water safety

awareness to the local, state and national level.

Lori has been awarded for her work in the field of aquatics as well as served in many capacities; she received the Citation Award from the Southern California Public Pool Operators Association, and has received several awards from the Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation. She has served as the President of the California Parks and Recreation Aquatics Section and the Sothern California Public Pool Operators Section. She has worked as a trainer with the American Red Cross, Ellis and Associates, Australian Swim School and most recently has become a site administrator for the Starfish Swim Program developing the largest Starfish Swim Program in California.

Mary Ann Reeves was a key player in the development of synchronized swimming at the national and international level for Canada. Her contributions to the sport are the forerunner to what has evolved today. She founded the Calgary Aquabelles in 1965, a Canadian

synchronized swimming institution, which the International Swimming Hall of Fame has inducted six of its members! Mary Ann has been involved internationally on many different levels; as a coach, a technical director, a high performance director, an author and even a video producer! Mary Ann may not seem to stand out, but her reputation and her past achievements surely do. Her work for synchronized swimming became a model in the Canadian Sport System for developing coach training programs for all sports in the country. She became the first woman to take on a coach education leadership role in Canada when she became the Director of the National Coaching Institute in Calgary.

In 1966, Mary Ann founded the renowned Calgary Aquabelle Synchronized Swimming Club, where she also became the head coach; she continued coaching through 1975. She was named High Performance Director for Swim Canada from 1976 through 1992 and under Reeves leadership, Canada won 12 World and 6 Olympic medals during those years. In 1996, Reeves took over the role of Director of the National Coaching Institute (NCI)- Calgary, Alberta. The NCI is the premier institute for coaching education in Canada. Mary Ann was the Director for ten years and during this time she put together a program that has produced many of Canada’s most successful coaches leading to a great number of Olympic medals. As an Academic leader, she developed a curriculum that was not only successful, but has also been used across Canada and around the world.

As one would imagine, Mary Ann Reeves has won many awards. In 1974, she was presented the Calgary Booster Club Outstanding Leadership Award; in 1976, the Outstanding Leadership in Canada; in 1977, the Canadian Government Award; Alberta Sports Award; FINA Certificate of Merit, 1993; IOC Olympic Solidarity International Synchronized Swimming Clinical Certificate, 1992; Technical Council Administrator of the Year Award, 1993; and was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Jim Stillson’s life in the world of diving goes all the way back to when he attended Campbell High School and was named a High School All-American Diver. He went on to Ohio State University and dove under Hall of Famer, Ron O’Brien and earned NCAA All-American

honors his senior year in the three-meter competition.

Jim Stillson’s life in the world of diving goes all the way back to when he attended Campbell High School and was named a High School All-American Diver. He went on to Ohio State University and dove under Hall of Fame Coach Ron O’Brien and earned NCAA All-American honors his senior year in the three-meter competition. Jim Stillson knew from day one he wanted to coach. He began his coaching career at Columbia University in New York City. He eventually moved on to his lifelong career at Southern Methodist University. Jim is currently in his 31st year as Head Men and Women’s Diving Coach of the SMU Mustangs. Under Stillson, the men’s and women’s teams have won 32 combined conference championships.

In his 30+ years at SMU, Stillson has coached three Olympians, including 1992 Silver medalist Scott Donie, Tony Igelsias (1196) and Ali Al-Hasan (1996). Since 1970, Stillson has guided student-athlete divers to 88 All-American honors, including three NCAA Diver of the Year award winners. Stillson has coached four NCAA champions in seven different events, and since 1974, 10 U.S. National Champions have been crowned champion under the training of Coach Jim Stillson.

In 1990 and 1995, Stillson was named the NCAA Women’s Diving Coach of the Year and in 1998, he was named the NCAA Men’s Diving Coach of the Year. On the conference level, his success with his SMU athletes have earned 44 conference individual championships and numerous conference Diver of the Year awards. Stillson himself has earned 15 conference Diving Coach of the Year honors, most recently, in 2014 and 2015, thanks to the help of his Mustang Divers and Devin Burnett in particular, who swept the American Athletic Conference in all three diving events, in 2013-14 which led Burnett to be named the AAC’s 2014 Most Outstanding Diver.

Stillson has served the sports governing body, USA Diving in numerous capacities. He has served as one of the U.S.A. Diving National Team Coaches from 1987-1991 and again in 1997. Stillson has coached the U.S.A. National Diving Team in competition in Europe, Australia, China and the Soviet Union. He is a member of the NCAA Diving Committee.

During his years of serving the diving community, Jim Stillson has received different awards. He received the Mike Malone Memorial Award in 1992, given for outstanding contributions to diving by the national governing body of the sport, U.S.A. Diving. Stillson’s success earned him the United States Olympic Committee Diving Coach of the

Year Award in 1999.

Stephen A. “Sid” Cassidy is known worldwide as one of Open Water Swimming’s most respected leaders. Perhaps his greatest contribution to open water swimming was his role in placing a marathon 10K swim permanently in the Olympic Games program. He is a member of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (TOWSC) and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. Cassidy has served in nearly every role in the sport; a former professional marathon swimmer, a record breaking channel swimmer; a National Team Coach; USA Swimming and FINA Administrator; Olympic official, race announcer, race director, and strong advocate of the sport.

Cassidy’s dedication to the sport has been recognized by his peers as well as the international swimming community. He was awarded USA Swimming’s highest honor, the prestigious “USA Swimming Award”, which is given annually to the individual or organization with the most outstanding contributions to the sport of swimming. Sid was a technical expert for the “USA Swimming Open Water Swimming Safety Task Force”. His recommendations were ultimately accepted by the FINA Bureau as a concrete means to improve safety in its open water swimming competitions.

Sid has worked tirelessly on nearly every continent for over four decades as an athlete, coach, race director, promoter, administrator, referee, lecturer and FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Chairman. He has balanced a long term vision with pragmatism in organizing and running the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim; the FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup; and the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix during his role with FINA.

Sid Cassidy’s early passion for open water swimming was developed under his coach and mentor, Bob Mattson, in the early 1970’s in Avondale, Pennsylvania. Cassidy was ranked as high as fourth in the world as a professional marathon swimmer in 1979, a feat which is amazing if you consider Sid was lifeguarding at the time and open water swimming was just something fun to do. He wasn’t even focused on training, just something he did in his spare time. He swam several “Around the Island Swim” 36k (22.5 mile) marathon swims in Atlantic City and has competed in professional marathon races in Chicago, Canada, England, France and Egypt. Sid has competed in the famous, La Toque 24 hour swim, the Bay of Chaleurs and the Nile River 27 mile Marathon Swim. He coached and swam on a record-setting, double crossing of the English Channel by the USA National Team in 1991, where he still remains one of the English Channel relay record holders. Cassidy was inducted as an Honor Administrator in to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2005.

In addition to all his accolades and accomplishments in the open water swimming world, Sid has had just as much success in the pool as both a swimmer and a coach. As a collegiate swimmer, he attended NC State University and UCLA. He was a three-time Division 1 NCAA All American and was a gold medalist eleven times in twelve races at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships for North Carolina State University. As a coach, Sid has consistently led teams and individuals to success at every level. He has coached on the collegiate level at the University of Tampa and Florida State University in an assistant coach role, and was named head coach at James Madison University and the University of Miami. He was Aquatics Director for Atlantic City, where he and ISHOF Gold Medallion winner, Mayor Jim Whelan began one of the first of its kind in the Northeast, Mannar minority swimming program. In 2005, he became the Aquatics Director and Head Coach at the Saint Andrews Prep School in Boca Raton. He has been named “Florida High School Coach of the Year” four times while at Saint Andrews: Boys in 2008, and Girls, 2009, 2012 and 2013.

Sid is married to Kara Keenan Cassidy, Swim School Director at Saint Andrews School. They have two children, Quinn and Kate, both extraordinary swimmers and water polo players. Quinn attends the University of Florida as a member of the UF swim team, while Kate focuses mostly on water polo and attends Saint Andrews.

Unselfish dedication, unflagging perseverance, creative vision, enthusiastic leadership, entertaining speaking style and a larger than life personality are all examples that best capture the essence and character of Sid Cassidy.

Cynthia Potter won 28 nationals to become the most winning woman diver in U.S. history. She retired in 1980 and no one has broken her record yet. She has also won 20 gold medals in world competitions and she was voted “World Diver of the Year” three times. Cynthia competed in the sport of diving for the USA for a record 20 years, both on the springboard and the platform.

She has been given many awards, some of which include:, the “I” from Indiana University, and the 1998 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Diver in 1986, is a member of the Lamar High School Hall of Fame, is a member of the Indiana University Athletic Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the World Acrobatic Society Gallery of Honor in 2001.

Since hanging up her suit, Potter has continued with just as successful a career out of the water, but sticking to what she loved best: diving. Cynthia is a Trustee for the United States Diving Foundation, a volunteer for “Champions of Life”, an outreach program of the USOC, was the diving coach at SMU from 1981-1984, diving coach of the University of Arizona from 1984-1996, and was owner and head coach of Arizona Diving, a club program in Tucson, from 1984-1996. She has been a volunteer for Special Olympics, and for the U.S. Academy of Youth Sports Leadership in various cities, sponsored by the USOC, has been an International diving judge for the U.S.; Elected to the USA Diving Board of Directors through 2004; served on the ISHOF Board of Directors, 2000-2005; was co-chair of USA Diving’s campaign to raise funds to benefit young divers; and served on almost every committee for USA Diving since her retirement in 1980.

Potter IS diving, when it comes to television. She has been an expert analyst for most high profile events over the past 30+ years, some of those events include: ABC Sports for their Olympic coverage in 1984 (Los Angeles) and for the Olympic Trials in 1984; NBC’s triplecast coverage of diving at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona; the Olympic Games on NBC in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, as well as the Olympic Trials; the USA Diving National Championships that have appeared on television since 1984; and the Men and Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships since 1997.

“She has been a great ambassador for USA Diving”, says Linda Paul, President and CEO of USA Diving, Cynthia and her husband, Peter Lasser, established the Benjamin Foundation Coaches Performance Award, based on results from Olympic Games and World Championships. The gift to the United States Diving Foundation was made possible thanks to the efforts of Cynthia and Peter. Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin were Peter’s great aunt and uncle, and Peter now serves as a trustee of the Benjamin Foundation. Barets O. Benjamin was an intercollegiate diving champion at Yale.

Cynthia has been the driving force that put USA Diving on the path to begin a serious fund raising effort. Thanks to Cynthia, USA Diving has created an event called “Rings of Honor”, USA Diving’s own Hall of Fame that celebrates the stellar history of USA Diving and honors those who have achieved excellence and contributed to the success of the sport. The first “Ring of Honor” event was held at the 2012 Olympic Trials and USA Diving was able to formally recognize important individuals in the sport.

Cynthia is always willing and ready to give back to her sport. It has been said, “She puts her heart into all that she does…with both her time and her talents.” With the efforts of Cynthia Potter, her dedication, commitment and love of the sport, USA Diving can only continue to grow and flourish and become a premier sport in the United States. Cynthia has certainly been there for others and has great compassion. By her leadership, she has sown seeds of philanthropy that will benefit others for generations to come.

Wally James has been one of the most prolific aquatic industry volunteers of the last 30 years and by anyone’s definition is the perfect example of a “waterpark safety professional.” He has been engaged in the business of safety in the leisure and more conventional industries since the early 1960’s. His training and experience extend from the advent of OSHA, and its industrial development, and the early issues involving snow-ski bindings, through the many steps of evolution in the leisure industries. He was the first President of the WWA, and has led the development of APSP, an ASTM standards for special use pools. He has been a steward in waterpark safety, and has written a book about the development of safety standards for the waterpark industry, as well as numerous papers and articles in most industry publications regarding waterpark safety and operations. He is known as an inveterate trainer and teacher.

Wally has presented numerous seminars for AIMS, WWA and IAAPA, to name a few, and has spent countless hours on ASTM, the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP), chairing the “APSP-9 Standard”, and now serves on the technical committee for the International Code Council (ICC). He has been the chair of the WWA Safety Committee since its inception, and was instrumental in developing the landmark publication “WWA Considerations for Operating Safety and Waterpark Signs”. He is known as a no-nonsense expert, and operates his own safety consulting business. His influence toward safety within the waterpark industry has helped to create a safer environment for all those involved and all those who enjoy waterparks.

In 2012, James was awarded the coveted “George Millay Waterpark Award” by AIMS, the first time the award was given to an individual who has made “significant contributions to water ride and waterpark safety.” Wally was recognized for his years of exemplary service in the field or waterpark safety.

James is President of his consulting business, Con-Serv Associations, Inc., specializing in the areas of engineering, administration, risk management, maintenance, construction and operations. Wally performs safety inspections, consultation and lawsuit defense for a variety of amusement park clients, including a large number of family entertainment centers.

Bob is perhaps the best known and most iconic lifeguard in the United States. His contributions to water safety are extraordinary. His love of aquatics was probably most influenced by his stepfather, 1920 Olympian and ISHOF Honoree, Stubby (Harold Herman) Krueger, and his mother, Jane Mackenzie, who was a Ziegfield Follies dancer.

In his early years, Bob was selected 22 times to the “All American Swim Team”, and three times to the “All American Water Polo Team”. In high school, he was the national record holder in the 100 yard backstroke and the 120 yard IM. He was the first high school swimmer in the US to break the one minute barrier in the 100 yard backstroke!

Bob was hired as an ocean lifeguard by Los Angeles County in 1951. When a representative of Surf Lifesaving Australia met with Los Angeles County leaders, Bob was appointed to become the president of what was to be called the “Surf Life Saving Association of America”, created solely to compete in an international lifesaving competition to be held in Australia during the year of the 1956 Olympics. Bob was a member of that team, which had never competed in an international lifesaving competition. Bob placed third in the international belt race at Torquay Beach.

In 1963, Bob invited lifeguards from various lifeguard agencies in Southern California to meet and discuss the concept of creating a true national association of professional ocean lifeguards. The various delegates agreed, and in 1964, the “Surf Life Saving Association of America” was formally created as a nonprofit organization of professional beach lifeguards. Bob was elected president and served in that capacity for four years. The organization changed its name twice, and it is known today as the “United States Lifesaving Association”.

In 1967, Bob served as manager of a new competition team, which toured and competed in Australia and in New Zealand. The following year, 1968, he toured the East Coast of the US in an effort to promote membership and to broaden the interest in and to help move the organization toward a true national base. Bob designed and produced the revolutionary plastic “Burnside Rescue Can” (patrol can), which is now a standard for lifeguards worldwide, and an iconic symbol for beach lifeguards. It was the symbol for the TV Series “Baywatch”.

Professionally, in Los Angeles, Bob was instrumental as a member of the affirmative action committee to mandate women’s rights to take the beach lifeguard test that led to the hiring of the first female ocean lifeguards by the department. He eventually rose to become the chief lifeguard of Los Angeles County. During his tenure, Los Angeles County created the first lifeguard paramedic program, a hyperbaric chamber, lifeguard certification program and pioneered the “prevention first” concept in lifeguarding. Previously the profession had focused primarily on “reaction” to people in distress, rather then “preventing” distress. Also, during his tenure, most of the municipal beach lifeguard agencies in Los Angeles County were merged into a single county agency, which continues to exist today.

Bob is the founder of “Club Tortuga” a USLA approved Mexican water safety development project. As part of this operation, the first Spanish beach lifeguard training manual was developed, primarily as a translation of the USLA Training Manual. He also organized the development of a video depicting lifeguard issues throughout Mexico, and coordinated on site training and political support for Mexican lifeguards. Those efforts established Mexico’s first government beach lifeguard employees, now serving under the state fire division chief.

Bob earned the Australian Bronze Medallion, the Canadian and Royal Lifesaving Instructors Certificate, the New Zealand Instructor Certification and the American Red Cross Instructor Certificate for first aid and water safety. He has been certified by the USCG as a rescue board operator and he was part of the first certified Los Angeles County Diving Scuba Instructors and a longtime member of the Department’s underwater rescue and recovery unit, which was the first such team in the West!

Bob was a Grand champion in World Body Surfing in 1989, and for 13 consecutive years, the winner in his age division. He has been a masters division national champion twelve times at the USLA National Lifeguard Championships in the Iron Man, swim rescue board and rescue race events. He has been a national master’s division swim champion and a National Dorymen’s Association Champion, and winner of the Masters Inter-Mountain Downhill Ski Championship!

Academy as well as GA Aquatic Club (formerly known as Foxcatcher). He has represented the United States as coach in international competitions over 17 times including the World and Pan Pacific Championships and the Pan American and Olympic Games. Honored by the American Swimming Coaches Assoc. in 1982 and 1989, Dick has produced eleven Olympians: 2000 Olympics – Maddy Crippen, Alex Fung, Guy Yimsomruay; 1992 Olympics – Dave Wharton, Dave Berkoff, Sean Killion, (the most male swimmers from any one club on the USA team); 1980 – Karin LaBerge; 1988 – Dan Jorgenson, Trina Radke, Erika Hansen, Dave Wharton; 1984 – Sue Heon. Open water champion Fran Crippen was one of his swimmers. He has also coached over 150 All Americans and numerous Senior and Junior National champions and finalists. Since 1980, his teams have finished in the top eight at Senior Nationals and his Academy teams have won five women’s National Prep School Championships and two men’s championships. In 2000 he received the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) Hall of Fame Award for high school swimming.

Even after 55 years in the coaching profession, he continues to teach pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 children, five to six classes per day in learn-to-swim, lifeguard certification and fitness training programs.

He continues to serve as a member of the Olympic International Development Committee, the Olympic International Operational Committee, the United States Swimming Steering Committee and the USS Rules Committee, among others. He has authored a chapter in the The Swim Coaching Bible and has presented clinics in over 15 countries.

But Shoulberg’s purpose is not in the number of great athletes he produced, but rather, the human qualities of citizenship he instills in each swimmer/student. Says Shoulberg swimmer and Princeton swim team graduate Alicia Aemsigger, “He cares about us as swimmers, but he cares more about us as people”.

For almost 40 years, Joe Krasevec has worked to increase the development and benefits of water exercise, pioneering new programs of exercising in the water.

In the early 1980’s, he developed the ‘HydroRobics’ water exercise program and was the principle author of the book HydroRobics, published in 1984 by Leisure Press and later by Human Kinetics Publishers. It was later translated into both Portuguese and Japanese.

Sensing a very limited national coordination among water exercise instructors and authors, in 1985 he began to work with Louise Priest (CNCA) to organize an ‘exploratory meeting’ at a CNCA National Conference which included select water exercise professionals from around the country. This led to the formation of the National Advisory Committee on Aquatic Exercise (NA CAE), which he chaired. After presenting papers at several national aquatic conferences, attending international aquatic professionals took a serious interest in his program and invited him to conduct instructor workshops in both Brazil (1989, ‘90, ‘92, ‘93) and Australia 1987 for a one month tour – four cities and thirteen workshops.

In 1987 the National YMCA (Tom Wertz, Aquatic Director) asked permission to adopt his “HydroRobics Program” as the official program of the YMCA under the name Y’s Way to Water Exercise. Joe was asked to write the national instructor-training manual published the next year. The ‘Y’ used the program for almost 12 years!

From 1976 to 1998, Joe conducted several instructor-training workshops in Atlanta and around the country. He has taught water exercise at the Vinings Corporate Dining and Athletic Club since its opening 20 years ago and still has many charter members from the original class.

After 22 years, Joe retired in 1998 from Georgia State University (GSU), but continues to teach an Exercise Science course (Fitness & Training Concepts) at GSU in which he exposes the students to water exercise concepts under the heading of ‘exercise environments’. He also teaches fencing at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA.

In Joe’s words, “I am extremely humbled to be a 2011 recipient of the ISHOF Paragon Award which represents a successful career of approximately 50 years in the recreational sports/aquatic industry. When I retired I spent my first year reflecting over the many years of my professional career to question whether or not I made a contribution to the profession. I am proud to be among a class of individuals who have achieved outstanding success in their aquatic professions and are deserving of this award. Receiving the Paragon Award has reminded me that my work has made a significant difference in contributing to the well-being of individuals throughout the world.”

Since 1985, John Leonard has been the Executive Director of the American Swimming Coaches Association in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Under Leonard’s leadership, the Association has grown from 1600 to 6,500 members. He has helped develop educational programs and services that include 26 different types of coaching schools, a Certification program that has certified over 11,000 coaches in 24 years and a model national learn to swim school in SwimAmerica which has taught over 3.4 million American youngsters to swim. He has turned the ASCA into an advocacy force that is respected world-wide. Throughout his career, Leonard has been an active coach in Syracuse, NY, developing national finalists and a 1976 Olympian while building an 800 member swim team, Lake Forrest College and Swim Team in Illinois and various teams in Florida.

In 1988, John was a founder of the World Swimming Coaches Association and continues to serve on the Organization’s Board. He received the USA Athletes Appreciation Award in 1996, for his strong anti-doping actions in world sport; the Collegiate/Scholastic Trophy from NISCA in 2005, for his contributions to swimming; one of the 25 Most Influential People in all of Aquatics, by Aquatics International magazine; and one of the ten most influential people in USA Swimming by Swimming World magazine. He serves on multiple committees for USA Swimming, including the Olympic International Operations and International Relations Committees, and is a member of the FINA International Coaches Commission. He has served on 18 USA National Team Staffs and at seven Olympic Games. He has served as Chairman of the United States Swimming Steering Committee for the USA Olympic Team in Swimming.

An accomplished writer and editor, Leonard has authored over 1000 articles on swimming, written four books and edited three others, in addition to making clinic presentations in 26 countries. He regularly provides presentations from groups ranging from swimming parents and coaches to sports administrators. John has led the ASCA in Advocacy of multiple issues having significantly influenced the fight against doping in sport, and the creation of a Coaches Commission within FINA. In 2008 and 2009, John led the successful effort to modify the FINA rules about swimwear that resulted in the removal of the “Technical Suits” from the world stage.

J

Rick Root is president of the World Waterpark Association (WWA), an international not-for-profit trade association representing more than 1,100 members from more than 40 countries around the globe.  More than 72 million people annually attend water parks in the United States, Canada and Mexico.  Over 1600 water parks exist throughout the world

Since assuming his role with the WWA, Rick has refocused the organization to increase safety within the industry and to stimulate business growth, service improvement and innovation.

Under Rick’s leadership, the WWA located in Overland Park, Kansas, has significantly expanded its educational, member service and development programs, helping fuel industry growth domestically and abroad.  The association maintains a consumer web site (www.waterparks.com) and publishes “World Waterpark Magazine”, the official magazine of the World Waterpark Association.

Rick has twice been recognized as one of the Top Who’s Who of Aquatic leadership in the United Sates and was selected as Difference Maker by Amusement Business magazine for his contributions to the World Waterpark Association.

Since Beginning his career 26 years ago as an American Red Cross lifeguard, Rick has been an active volunteer and instructor for the American Red Cross, ASTM International, Boy Scouts of America, Ellis & Associates, national Recreation and Parks Association, National Swimming Pool Foundation and the YMCA.

During this time he has held varied positions in privately held companies, the public sector and as an executive with the Silver Dollar City and Six Flags organizations.  As an industry advocate, he is a frequent media spokesperson, industry speaker, published author and was recently selected as a founding board member of the new International Aquatic Foundation.

John Devitt, Olympic gold medalist (2) and premier swimming administrator represents the best of Australia and Australia’s favorite sports, Aquatics.

Having a distinguished athletic career, John is best known for his victory over Lance Larson in the 100m Freestyle at the 1960, Rome Olympics.  Often, forgotten in remembering the controversy, was John’s spontaneous congratulatory handshake given to Lance, prior to the result being announced.  This fine sportsman accumulated eight medals in two Olympics, 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome.  He held World Records 14 times and was a consistent winner in Australia and Commonwealth Championships.

John’s dedication to swimming continues as he currently has a leadership role in the Australian aquatic and Olympic communities, both as President of Australian Swimming, Inc. and Chairman of the Australian Olympic Committee.

A superb competitor of “paragon” proportions and a life-long contributor to aquatic sport, John Devitt is an honor and inspiration to our community.

Tom Griffiths, Ed.D. is one of the most prolific aquatic safety authors in America.

His major textbooks include, Sport Scuba Diving, in Depth, I & II, (Princeton Book Company 1983, 1990), The Complete Swimming Pool Reference, I & II (Sagamore Publishing, 1994, 2003), The Swimming Pool (Simon & Schuster, 1995), Better Beaches (NRPA 1999).

In addition to his books he has published more than 300 articles in a wide variety of publications including the “NYTimes”.

During the mid-‘90’s he spent more than five years collecting data from more than 10,000 working lifeguards through his National Lifeguard survey. His findings led to the development of the Five Minute Scanning Strategy which has been adopted by thousands of lifeguards world-wide.  Dr. Griffiths Scanning Strategy also led to the development of Griff’s Guard Stations which promote vigilance.  He has received numerous awards for his efforts in aquatic safety including NRPA’s “Distinguished Aquatic Professional”, the European Lifeguard Academy’s “Friend of the Academy,” and Aquatics International’s “Who’s Who in Aquatics.”

Richard J. Foster, Water Polo Hall of Famer and currently serving his second term as President of USA Water Polo, has been both an exceptional player and administrator.

Rich gained playing honors early as All City-All League at Woodrow Wilson High School, Long Beach, California.  The powerful field player continued his aquatic success as Captain of the Long Beach Community College team and as an outstanding club player.  His athletic career includes participation in State Junior College Championships (1970), NCAA Championships (1972) and AAU Senior/Junior Outdoor National Championships for the Phillips 66 Club (’67-’71).

Equal to his athletic prowess has been Rich’s commitment of administrative skills to USA Water Polo (formally United States Water Polo).  His service has included a prolonged stint on the legal committee (’82-’90) as well as serving as General Counsel for USWP, Inc.  On the international level, Rich has represented his sport on the United States Olympic Committee.  His most recent success has been securing the 2004 Olympic Swim Trials for the city of Long Beach, California.

Rich Foster’s dedication to promoting water polo and implementing, through affective organization, “scoring this goal”  has enriched the aquatic community.

Nicole Hoevertsz, lawyer, Aruban delegate and representative to international conferences, sports woman, and often speaker; Nicole embodies the variety and excellence exemplary of a Paragon Award Recipient.

Nicole’s synchronized swimming athletic achievements begun in the ‘70’s include multiple Aruban and Antillean Championships, participation in Central American and Caribbean Championships, Dutch National Championships and the U. S. Nationals.  She appeared in duet competition in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles where synchro made its debut.

Coach Hoevertsz began mentoring as a volunteer in the mid-eighties working with young Central American and Caribbean synchro swimmers.  Her coaching career was highlighted by guiding the Aruban solo and duet team to the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Sports administration accomplishments are centered in “The Barracudas” synchronized swim club as she served as board member through the ‘80’s and ‘90’s and was appointed an Honorary Member in 2003.

Her administrative talents have served the swimming community as well.  Since 1991, Nicole Hoevertz is the Secretary General of the Aruban Swimming Federation and the Aruban Olympic Committee.  Her most recent prestigious appointment is as a Member of the Women and Sports Commission of the International Olympic Committee.

She is a prominent lecturer on the issues of women in sports and legal concerns ranging from doping to sport’s association constitutions.

Robin M. N. Hood has been a timeless advocate of diving in Oceania and world-wide, serving on the FINA Technical Diving Committee since 1992.

His competitive career included finalist status in the 1966 British Commonwealth Games, Kingston, Jamaica and the 1968 Olympic Games, Mexico City, as well as 4 New Zealand National Championships.

Robin has been a Referee and/or Judge in over 30 world class competitions; the range of locales span the globe, from his homeland New Zealand to Scotland, Beijing, Rome, Atlanta, Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Bangkok, Sydney and Athens.

He generously continues to share his expertise and knowledge as a Guest lecturer at various FINA and Olympic Solidarity Diving Judges Clinics, world-wide.

Nanette “Nan” Zack is the personification of the spirit of Synchronized Swimming, “The Sport for Life”, the title of her recollection and reflection upon sixty years of synchro.  Perpetually involved as athlete, coach and judge her contribution speaks volumes to the benefits and enjoyment of sport.

Her synchro activity began in the 1940’s as she swam, in high school and college.  Her mini-memoir notes the Illinois 1951 Association Outdoor Championship held in the Naperville quarry.  She found unforgettable, the icy water, lack of underwater speakers and putting putty in her nostrils rather than using nose clips.  Another exceptional event in 1951 was an indoor championship at the Illinois Athletic Club, which was televised in black and white to Chicago area aficionados.

Nurtured in the “hot bed” of synchro team development, blessed with several Chicago area teams, and synchro swimming sister Jermaine, she joined the famous Lakeshore Athletic Club in 1948.  Her career continued at Wright College where she co-captained the team with men’s co-captain Bob Schmidt.

Decades of development provided an opportunity to excel in Masters competition with a gold medal triumph for Betty Gaitsch, Laverne Mason and Nanette in the trio.  The success was followed by 24 gold, 11 silver and 6 bronze medals at Nationals and a gold in duet at the World Masters in 1992.

Nan’s coaching began in 1972 as she answered the call at Lattof YMCA and directed the Aqua Sprites.  In the subsequent 25 years the Aqua Sprites excelled.  The success culminated with Coach Zack honored as the Women’s Sports Foundation’s “Coach of the Year, 1998.”

Victory is synonymous with Nanette Stavoe Zack and she truly merits the accolade of “Paragon”.

Peter Hugo has been Teacher, Athletic Director and Physical Education Chairperson at Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, NY. In 1978, the school asked him to coach the boys’ swim team. He had been a lifeguard while a student at SUNY Cortland but mostly a track athlete while in high school. He said, “yes,” and became determined to transfer the training principles used in track to swimming. Not only was he successful in getting the most from his athletes, he embarked on a swimming career that took him to the top service position in the nation.

His teams won four Nassau County Boys’ Championships, six Conference and five Division Championships. At one time (1994-1996), his teams had 49 straight wins with Peter being named County Coach of the Year six times. On the State level, he served as Meet Director for the NY State Swimming and Diving Championships, Secretary of the State public high school swimming committee and Meet Director for the U.S. Games for the Disabled.

In joining NISCA, Peter began a national service career that took him to the presidency (2001-2003) of this influential high school organization, which services over 5,000 high schools and 175,000 athletes. As President, he tried to keep the organization’s functions and goals as visible as possible and to open communication with other major national swimming organizations, always trying to help make improvements in competitive swimming throughout the U.S. He was recently appointed National Marketing Director of NISCA.

Peter coaches and administers as if everyone were part of one big family. He has earned the respect of his athletes and peers. He is a role model to his swimmers and to aspiring coaches.

When Suity stepped off the bus in Marshall, Texas on August 24, 1949, at a Red Cross National Aquatics School, she was hooked. The school was at Camp Fern, staffed with people who made an impression on her. From that day on, Suity’s goal was to become a permanent part of these National Red Cross Schools.

It all began when she organized, supervised and taught swimming courses and lifesaving in Bosque County, Texas in a drain-and-fill pool where no water safety classes had been conducted. The first day in the water, after the pool was filled each week, was an exercise in pretending the water wasn’t cold. After a couple years, she moved to Pecos, Texas to another drain-and-fill pool. Her classes there were so popular she had to enlist volunteers to assist.

She joined her first National Aquatics School staff in 1950 by assisting in the office while working on her skills necessary to become a part of the teaching staff. By the time the last Aquatic School was held in her area in Kansas in 1989, she had been on staff at 56 National Schools and directed this last one. All this while, she never neglected her local communities by timing local programs so that they would not interfere with the dates of the Aquatic Schools. For many years she went to two schools, one in June and another in August.

Suity served on many committees during these years, both local and national. She was appointed National Volunteer Chairman for Health and Safety in 1990, answering directly to the National Office in Washington, D.C.

Suity made a lifetime of promoting health and safety. She taught swimming and lifesaving every summer as an unpaid volunteer wherever she happened to live. She joined the Commodore Longfellow Society in 1958, and at every opportunity promoted its objectives of educating the public to the importance of water safety. She served as National Commodore of the Society for two terms, the only woman to serve in that capacity. She is also a Golden Whale.

Suity was always available to talk to groups, promoting aquatic safety and enlisting others in the program. She preached the use of standards and was adamant about starting at the beginner level, making sure each little student could actually perform all the swimming skills listed on the back of his card.

Richard McCoy attended Principia College in Illinois. After graduation, he worked three years for a national youth organization in Colorado. He later spent three years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, specializing in amphibious landing crafts.

He joined Mikasa Sports USA in 1976, and has served as President for the past 15 years. Being a lifelong surfer and swimmer from La Jolla, California, he has directed his company’s efforts to the sport of water polo. Emphasis is placed on the development of new and improved water polo products, and he has established supplier contracts with FINA, USA Water Polo and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. For a 12-year period, Mikasa has been a long-term, official corporate sponsor of United States Water Polo and has helped to raise the level of visibility in the sports community.

Sue Ahlf’s interest with synchronized swimming began in 1946 at the Athens Club in Oakland, California when Betty Brandlein and Hall of Famer Dawn Bean sparked her excitement. She became a volunteer with the U.S. Synchronized Swimming Pacific Association. In 1955, Sue founded the Soltau Swim Club in Danville, California and became an official synchronized swimming judge. After several successful years, the club dissolved and she worked with the Howell Swim Team.

But in 1968, she founded the Walnut Creek (CA) Aquanuts. She coached the club until 1980 when she moved to Hawaii. To date, Walnut Creek has won 30 U.S. National Championships and is coached by her Hall of Fame daughter, Gail Emery. While in Hawaii, Sue introduced synchronized swimming to the islands and hosted two each Pan-Pacific Games, Far Western Meets and U.S. National Championships.

Sue is an internationally ranked judge, synchro clinician and manager for two U.S. junior national teams. She is now involved in Sacramento’s (CA) recreation league teaching the basics of synchronized swimming to more than 600 athletes each year. She holds a B.S. in Recreation Management from Cal State Hayward. Sue is a 1983 U.S.S.S. Hall of Fame inductee and a current member of the U.S.S.S. Board of Governors. She is a tireless volunteer who has devoted her life to the advancement of synchronized swimming.

In 2003, for the first time in its 130-year history, a diver was elected president of the Amateur Swimming Association of Great Britain. For over 25 years, Jeff Cook had served both the ASA and the Amateur Sports Federation of Great Britain (ASFGB) as a diving administrator. Because of his genuine concern for all the aquatic disciplines, he now represents all aquatic disciplines in Britain.

From 1977, he has been responsible for the administration of diving in the U.K., which involved organizing all National Championships and international trials. Since his 1993 retirement from the Welwyn Hatfield City Council where he was responsible for all central administrative matters, he has been able to devote his full time to swimming and diving and has been a member of the ASA Committee and a director on the Board of the ASFGB. For over 25 years he has served as team manager, meet director, technical official and diving judge at numerous international competitions including FINA Diving Cups, European Diving Cups, Godwin Open Internationals, European Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympic Games.

He was appointed a member of the LEN Diving Committee from 1990-1994 and re-appointed in 1998. In 2000, he was appointed a member of the FINA Technical Diving Committee responsible for determining the direction of international diving. He was director of diving at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. In 1993, he was awarded the LEN Bronze Medal and four years later received the FINA Silver Pin for services to international diving. He has been a speaker at FINA International Judges’ Symposiums and, along with serving as a federation technical delegate in swimming and diving competitions, he was a federation delegate at the 2002 FINA World Masters Congress in New Zealand.

Jeff has provided effective and inspirational leadership to swimming and diving, not only in Great Britain, but throughout the world. His positions as team manager, coach, judge and administrator in numerous competitions, seminars and clinics held annually throughout the country and the world have been inspirational in promoting worldwide advancement of the aquatic disciplines.

Paragon Aquatics, a division of Pentair Pool Products, Inc., has been a pioneer in the development of equipment for the professional aquatics market, ranging from starting platforms, diving towers and stands, to lifeguard chairs and filter systems.

The company was founded in 1956 by Leonard Berens and Philip Sperber, and was originally known as Paragon Swimming Pool Equipment Company. They provided a comprehensive line of products for swimming pools, including chemicals and paints. As the company evolved, Paragon began to focus on the design and manufacture of equipment for the commercial market and institutional pools, including underwater windows, underwater lights, starting platforms, diving towers, etc. These products provided the foundation of the company’s current product offering.

In 1969, the KDI Corporation purchased Paragon Swimming Pool Equipment, which was renamed KDI Paragon, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of KDI, including the swimming pool segment of KDI. Also included in this group were Sylvan Pools and American Products.

During the 1990s, Paragon went through a number of ownership changes. As a result of the 1997 acquisition of the company by Essef Corporation, Paragon became a division of Essef’s PacFab subsidiary. Then, in 1999, Essef was purchased by Pentair, Inc., a Minneapolis-based New York Stock Exchange holding company. Due to that acquisition and also to the acquisition of the Stark commercial filtration line, the company is now known as Paragon Aquatics, Division of Pentair Pool Products, Inc.

Since 1996, Paragon has sponsored the Annual Paragon Awards at the International Swimming Hall of Fame to honor outstanding individuals in the areas of competitive swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming, as well as contributors in the fields of aquatic safety and recreational swimming.

A competitive swim coach since 1945 Cecil Colwin has long been known for his work on the technical aspects and history of swimming.  Internationally he is known as a coach, stroke technician, administrator, educator, lecturer, researcher, author, cartoonist and illustrator.  He is the only person to coach and serve on three continents – Africa, Australia and North America.   Born in Port Elizabeth, Cape Province, Colwin became South Africa’s first full-time swimming coach and for 26 years, placed swimmers on every Olympic team until which time South Africa was banned from Olympic competition.  His 1956 squad, with the exception of one swimmer, comprised the entire Olympic team.  In 1952, he originated the age group swimming program of South Africa and before he moved to Australia in 1971, his swimmer had broken four world records and earned eight positions on Olympic teams.  During his tenure in Australia, Colwin’s swimmers won nineteen state championships and three national championships.  In 1973, after a worldwide search, he was appointed National Technical Director of Canada, during which time he implemented the early stages of Canada’s successful “TAG” (Top Age Group) talent identification program for discovering aspiring young swimmers.  He edited the “Level II” and “Level III” Canadian Certification Manuals and has served on almost every Canadian organizational committee.  Colwin developed a six-point plan for Canadian swimming for the 1976 Montreal Olympics where the Canadian percentage of finalists improved 15.4 % from 5% the previous three Olympic Games (USA 18%).

Colwin was the first researcher to conduct extensive studies into the fluid dynamics of swimming, based on the vortex flow in the water. He has written over 100 articles and papers for a variety of periodicals and is the author of Cecil Colwin on Swimming (1969) and Introduction to Swimming Coaching (1977), Canada’s official Level I coaching manual which has been printed every year since 1977 in English, French and German.

In 1991, his major work, Swimming Into The 21st Century” was published with over 300 of Cecil’s own illustrations.  In February of 2002, his latest book “Breakthrough Swimming” was released by Human Kinetics.  Over the years, he has delivered over 200 lectures and clinics.  He contributes a regular column in Swim News.

Cecil Colwin was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1993.

Joe Pecoraro is to Chicago’s public swimming facilities what Robert Moses was to New York City’s Recreation Department.  For almost 30 years, he has been general supervisor of the Chicago Park District’s 31 beaches and 90 pools.  He oversees the District’s swimming, water polo and lifeguard programs and first aid, water rescue and ice-rescue instruction.  If it’s a public facility in Chicago and you can swim in it, it’s Joe’s responsibility.

In 1949, he took a summer job as a lifeguard at North Avenue Beach on Lake Michigan and never left except for a two-year stint in the U.S. Army Field Artillery where he taught swimming to the First Calvary Division in Tokyo.  He swam the backstroke on the Schurz High School and DePaul University swim teams before joining the Chicago Park District where he was swimming instructor for people with disabilities, the lifeguard school and water safety programs.  In 1974, he became manager for all of Chicago’s beaches and pools, overseeing swimming instruction, scuba instruction, lifeguard recruitment and training, and water safety instruction.  He was president of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) (1983-1991) and continues on its Board of Directors.  He travels constantly to public health and safety conferences and among other organizations is a member of Lifesaving Associations of the United States, Ireland, Australia, Germany and F.I.S. (Federational International au Sauvetage).  He has authored Chicago’s “Lifeguard Manual” and “Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Manual”, the “New American Red Cross Lifeguard Manual”, and Guidelines for “Establishing Open Water Beach Standards” and “Open Water Lifeguard Training.”

About 24 million people visit Chicago’s beaches and pools each year.  Joe has become a legend to all of them.

In aquatics all his life, Stu Isaacs career has spanned competition, coaching, administration, writing and business.

Growing up in Amherst, NY, Stu set multiple National Age Group Swimming records in breaststroke (1960s).  He went on to swim at the University of Michigan earning All-American honors all four years.  It was here that Stu first played water polo.  His senior year he captained the Wolverines to the 1973 Midwest Collegiate Championship.

During his college years, Stu first became involved in the AAU as one of the first athlete reps in amateur sports, serving as committee chairman of the Athletes Committee.  In 1975 he was named one of two swimming Athlete Representatives to the President’s Commission on Olympic Sports, culminating in the Amateur Athletic Act of 1977, which spurred the creation of USA Swimming, Water Polo, Diving, and Synchronized Swimming.   Stu was a driving force behind the growth and development of the role of the Athlete Representative in the aquatic disciplines.  In 1975 and 1976 his featured column “Athletes Forum” appeared monthly in Swimming World Magazine.

 In 1974 and 1975, Isaac coached the University of Michigan’s Men’s Water Polo Team, winning the Midwest Collegiate Team Championship (1975).  From 1974-1983 he was also head coach of the women’s swimming program leading the Wolverines to five Big Ten Titles and two top ten National finishes.

During his coaching career, Stu started as a part-time consultant for Speedo joining the company full time in 1983 in the marketing and promotions area.  For the last four years, he has been Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Speedo division of Authentic Fitness Corporation.  He has overseen an increase in corporate sponsorship of all aquatic sports federations to include clubs, athletes and education programs.  His direction has resulted in new partnerships between Speedo and USA Water Polo that go beyond traditional sports sponsorships.  Together, they have put together new programs to include direct support of athletes, new club development and recruitment,  women’s water polo, public relations and marketing and product development research for the National Team.  Under Stu’s guidance, Speedo has remained USA Water Polo’s longest continuous corporate sponsor.

Isaac’s role in Speedo has allowed him the great opportunity to turn his years of dedicated involvement in the aquatic disciplines into significant, tangible programs benefiting all those involved.

For the past 32 years, Ginny Jasontek has been involved in synchronized swimming as a coach, administrator, clinician, educator, judge and promoter.  As head coach of the Cincinnati (Ohio) Synchrogators, since 1970, she has trained over 600 athletes from age group to international levels with more than 50 swimmers advancing to the collegiate ranks.  In the past 10 years, seven of her athletes have been National Team participants, the closest being her daughter Becky, 1999 Pan American Games silver medallist.  During this time period, her teams have traveled throughout Europe medalling in invitational and open championship competitions. She has been the U.S. Olympic Festival coach six times between 1986 and 1995.  Her teams have been Ohio Senior champions every year since 1978 and Age Group champions since 1976, three times on the national level.

But Ginny has done more than only coach her teams. She has been a member of the USSS Coaching Education Task Force (since 1993), USSS Board of Directors (since 1982), a U.S. National Judge (since 1975) and a National Clinic Network clinician (since 1988).  She has been vice president of Olympic International (National Team program development) and U.S. Officials as well as chairperson of the Coaching Education Program.

Ginny is using her vast knowledge of and experience in synchronized swimming to help the sport continue on the international scene.  She is Honorary Secretary of the FINA Technical Synchronized Swimming Committee attending to issues and competition of an international scope and on which she has served since 1996.  She has been a FINA rated international judge since 1982, a 1996 Olympic Games official, a 1999 Junior World Championships referee and competition director of the 1985 FINA World Cup and 1987 Pan American Games.  She has conducted coaching and judging seminars in Thailand (1998) and Dallas (2002).

But when it comes right down to it, Ginny says she would give up everything for her developing swimmers, those who keep her returning to the pool day after day.  “The children are fabulous.  The look in the new kid’s eyes of wanting to learn.  They’re enthusiastic, creative and very special.”

After 43 years of coaching diving, all at the University of Michigan, Dick Kimball has fallen to mandatory retirement.  His appearance and fitness levels are that of a man half of his 67 years.  His coaching and teaching levels are energetic, on time and without reminenance.  He can still do a 4-1/2 somersault with a trampolet off the 10m platform.  He is diving’s legend of the sport.

After winning the Minnesota High School State Diving Championship for 4 years, Dick spent one year at Oklahoma before heading to Michigan.  He never left.  He was an NCAA Champion on the 1 meter and 3 meter springboards and trampoline.  He was considered the all-time world’s greatest acrobatic diver, teaming up with Hobie Billingsley and then Ron O’Brien.  He was the first to put a spotting rig over a diving board, developing many new dives.  His divers Micki King and Lani Loken were the first women (1967) to do a complete men’s list off the women’s tower.

Dick has coached 9 divers to Olympic medals and 5 divers to NCAA National Championships.  Four Olympians won five gold medals: Bob Webster – 10m platform (1960, 1964), Micki King – 3m springboard (1972), Phil Boggs – 3m springboard (1976) and Mark Lenzi – 3m springboard (1992) .  Three divers won silver medals: Alvaro Gaxiola – platform (1968), Dick Rydze – platform (1972) and son Bruce Kimball – platform (1984).  Ron Merriott and Chris Seufert both won springboard bronze medals in 1984.

Kimball was assistant coach of the U.S. Olympic teams of 1964, ’80, ’84, ’88 and ’92 and a four-time World Championship team coach.  He has been coach of teams for numerous international trips throughout the world. He has been a mentor to many pupils and he has had great impact on their lives as well as their diving.

Dick was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1985.

Steve Langendorfer, currently is Associate Professor of Kinesiology in the Kinesiology Division, School of Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio.

Langendorfer’s background and love of aquatics extends to his childhood experiences in the ocean off North Carolina and in western New York’s Finger Lakes region.  As a Boy Scout, he earned all the aquatic merit badges on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout and summer camp counselor.  He competed on Haverling (Bath, N.Y.) Central School’s first competitive swim team from 1964-1968 and was a member of the Cortland Red Dragon’s swim teams from 1968-1972.  He was the first head lifeguard for the City of Ithaca’s Cass Park Pool while coaching for Roy Staley’s Ithaca Aquatics and then served as the first aquatic instructor and swim coach for the Lansing (N.Y.) Central Schools from 1974-1977.

Langendorfer received academic degrees from the State University of New York – College at Cortland (B.S. in Education), Purdue University (M.S.) and University of Wisconsin-Madison (Ph.D).  He also has course work at Cornell University and the Deutsche Sporthochschule-Koln (German Sports Academy in Cologne).  His teaching and research expertise areas are aquatics, motor development and measurement.  Dr. Langendorfer is the author of over 50 scholarly articles, chapters and texts, including co-authoring (with L.D. Bruya) Aquatic Readiness: Developing Water Competence in Young Children, from Human Kinetics.

He has presented over 200 scholarly papers to regional, national and international societies and conferences.  He has served in an advisory capacity in instructional aquatics to the American Red Cross {Infant and Preschool Aquatic Program (1988), Swimming and Diving (1992) and Water Safety Instructor (1992)}, the YMCA of the USA {Y Skippers Program   (1987) and Teaching Swimming Fundamentals (1999)}, the Canadian Red Cross (1995), AUSSWIM and VICSWIM (Australia – 1994-6) and informally to swimming groups from Brazil, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.

 In addition to competing in Masters swimming, Dr. Langendorfer and two of his brothers are most proud of having swum non-stop the 20-mile length of Keuka Lake as a benefit for the American Red Cross.  He loves to swim for the fun of it.

Director, Federation Internationale de Natation

“It is with joy and humility I accept the prestigious Paragon Award.  My service to the FINA and world swimming community has been the work and goal of my life.  Together our competition and cooperation promote the finest principles of sport and humanity.

Please send, to all my friends at ISHOF, my best wishes for an excellent ceremony and also ensure them of all my continued support.”

Dr. Fletemeyer is currently employed as the Chief of Beach Safety Operations of Palm Beach and is under contract by the United States Border Patrol and by the Broward County Sheriff’s Dept. to teach and train law enforcement officers in the art of water rescue.

Dr. John Fletemeyer holds three post graduate degrees: a MS from the University of Wisconsin, a MA from the University of Cape Town and a Doctorate from Florida International University, and he is actively certified as an EMT, NAUI SCUBA Instructor, an American Heart Association CPR Instructor, and as a World Lifesaving Association Lifeguard Instructor.

“Of the major causes of accidental death and perhaps the most preventable is drowning.  I have spent most of my professional career developing water safety programs that are aimed at reducing the number of accidental drowning deaths, especially in countries lacking the resources that we have in America.  To be the recipient of the “2001 Paragon Award” in Aquatic Safety, I feel that the many years of work that I have devoted to this cause are validated.  The knowledge that the selection committee represents many of my professional colleagues makes receiving this award all the more meaningful.”

Years Coaching National Team: 21                    Years Coaching Synchro: 30

Career Highlights: Has served as Head National Coach since 1984… Member of National team Coaching Staff 1979-present… 1992 Olympic Team Manager… Coached first Olympic Team of Tracie Ruiz-Conforto and Candy Costie that won Solo & Duet gold in 1984… Champion teams coached include 1991, ’94 World Championships, 1991, ’93, ’95 World Cup, 1987, ’95 Pan American Games, Swiss Open, Rome Open, Pan Pacific Championships, Pre-Olympic Synchronized Swimming Competition, 1988 Olympic Solo silver medalist, 1992 Olympic Games Solo & Duet gold medalist, 1994 World Solo & Duet Champions.

“I have loved every minute that I’ve spent working within the sport of synchronized swimming.  I wouldn’t trade the opportunity or experiences I’ve had for any other job in the world.  It’s been really rewarding for me personally.”

FINA Diving Technical Chairman – 2000-2005

An accomplished diver, Kathy was a member of the Canadian Women’s Diving Team from 1966 to 1972 and competed internationally for Canada at the 1967 Pan American Games, 1970 Commonwealth Games, 1970 University World Student (FISU) Games and the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Upon completion of her competitive career, she remained active as a coach for six years and was instrumental in the establishment and development of the Canadian Diving Officials program.  She has remained actively involved as a member of the Canadian Diving Officials Executive Committee, holding various positions (including chairperson) from 1978 to the present time.

Kathy’s international judging experience spans more than 20 years and includes judging assignments at four Olympic Games, four World Championships, two University World Student (FISU) Games, two Commonwealth Games, two Pan American Games, three Junior World Championships, eight World Diving Cups and three Super Grand Prix Diving events.  At the Pan American Games in 1995 Kathy was appointed to her first term on the FINA Technical Diving Committee and given the responsibility for chairing the Judges Evaluation Sub-committee.  At the Sydney Olympic Games, Kathy was appointed as the FINA Technical Diving Committee Chairperson.

Mr. Galvin currently serves as the CEO of the National Spa & Pool Institute (NSPI) located in Alexandria, Virginia. NSPI is the international trade association for the swimming pool, spa and hot tub industry.

“I am extremely honored to have been selected for the 2001 Paragon Award and to have been actively involved with the International Swimming Hall of Fame. The concept of swimming and the sport of swimming have been an integral part of my life since the product that I created over the years, namely swimming pools, is the basis for the recreation and sport.

In looking at my career, I thought about my commitment to removing the impediments that stood in the way of consumers owning a pool by showing them how they could know and experience the joys and benefits of swimming. By working with the industry I positioned our products in such a way that would allow more families to own our products, culminating in seeing the joy of kids learning to swim and introduced to the sport in backyard pools.

I thought about the forum I had that would enhance the safe use of pools, and ways to increase the desire for pool ownership, and the standards that shifted the quality of our products for our consumers and athletes.

And, finally, I am most proud of having contributed in some way to make swimming the “Number 1″ recreational sport in the United States, with more than 94 million Americans using swimming as their primary recreational choice for the third straight year.”

Dale Neuburger has spent his whole life in or around water as a swimmer and administrator.  His humble and unassuming mannerisms coupled with decisive leadership qualities make him an asset to the sport of competitive swimming on all local, national and international levels.

As a youngster, he was a competitive swimmer at Williston Academy graduating in 1967.  From there it was on to Princeton University, Class of 1971, where he swam for Hall of Fame Honoree Bob Clotworthy and his final year with Bill Farley.

For the past two decades, Dale has lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, professionally serving as Manager of the Indiana University Natatorium (IUPU), (1982-1991) and President of the Indiana Sports Corporation (1993-present).  Along the way he has served the sport with dignity and enthusiasm.  He has been the Meet Director for nine NCAA men’s or women’s swimming and diving championships as well as for the 1992 Olympic Trials.  He was Chairman of the 1996 Olympic Trials Organizing Committee.  He has been the Venue Coordinator for the 1981 and 1982 National Sports Festival and Commissioner of Aquatics for the 1987 Pan American Games.  In 1992, he was Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the FINA World Masters Championships.

Today, Dale serves on the USA Swimming Board of Directors (1990-present) and has been its Vice President (1994-1998).  In 1998, Dale was elected to the prestigious office of President of USA Swimming, Inc., and continues to serve in that capacity.  He is on the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors (1994-present) and its Executive Committee (1996-present).  He is currently Chairman of the National Governing Body Council (1996-present).  At the Sydney Olympic Games, Dale will become the United States Representative to the FINA Bureau.  Dale is a person of high integrity who brings wisdom and fair play to the forefront of the aquatic disciplines.

Steve Graves has been involved in the administration of aquatics for more than twenty years.  Most of these years have been dedicated to aquatic safety.  At the age of 16 years, Steve started teaching swimming at the Normal, Illinois, Parks and Recreation Department.  He was a competitive swimmer who swam to All-American status at Division II, Illinois State University under the guidance of Coach Archie Harris in Normal (1969).  For the next seven years, he coached swimming for A.A.U. teams in Normal and Springfield, Illinois and Tucson, Arizona.  It was in 1976 that he became a swim school owner in Arizona followed by Florida.

It was in 1988 in St. Petersburg, Florida, that Steve formed the National Swim School Association (NSSA), a group of very important swimming school owners and professional staff members who are often forgotten by other aquatic organizations.  As its Executive Director, Steve’s organization provides a wide variety of services to the membership including regular newsletters, annual conferences, networking support and the dissemination of aquatic safety information.  Because of  NSSA, hundreds of swim school operators, owners and entrepreneurs receive up to date information on aquatic safety whereby they can improve on their methods of teaching children to swim.  Thousands of children around the country now enjoy their involvement in safe aquatics.

Since 1988, Steve has taken on other endeavors which supplement the importance of safe swimming promoted by NSSA.  He serves as Executive Director of The Club Pool Association made up of owners of summer recreational family swim clubs in the United States.  He also serves as Executive Director of the Florida West Coast Chapter of the National Spa and Pool Institute for pool builders, servicers and manufacturers.  Just recently, he was elected President of the World Aquatic Babies Congress, an association of swim teachers focused on teaching the skills and safety of swimming to young children.

With each of these organizations, Steve is very active in educating and promoting water safety to children and families as well as to the professionals conducting programs within the organizations, particularly through the distribution of professional education materials within these organizations and through community service materials going out to the public.

Mark A. Wagner has served as the Director of Recreation and Community Services for the City of Los Alamitos since 1981. During his tenure as Director, Mark has developed partnerships with the business community, school district, local community organizations and the Armed Forces Reserve Center to successfully develop park and recreational facilities.  The most recent example of these collaborative efforts, is the partnership between the City of Los Alamitos, USA Water Polo, Inc. and the California National Guard which enabled the historic 50 meter swimming pool located on the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Los Alamitos, California to be restored to full operational  use in December, 1998.  The USA Water Polo National Aquatics Center is now the home of our National and Olympic Water Polo teams, and available for use by local swim teams, the military, and aquatic enthusiasts throughout the Southern California Region.

Mark’s athletic resume includes a water-ski racing national championship in 1979, triathlon competitions and football at Servite High School, University of California at Davis, and Fullerton Community College where he played on a national championship team in 1967.

Professional awards include being recognized as the “Outstanding Professional of the Year” in 1989 by the Los Angeles Basin Parks and Recreation Commissioners and Board Members Association, and the California Park and Recreation Society District Ten’s Coveted Leadership Award in 1998.  Mr. Wagner began his professional career in the City of Irvine, after earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Planning and Management from the University of California at Davis, with specialization in Park and Recreation Administration.

Within the Pacific Association and on the National level, Ed has been involved in synchronized swimming for more than 30 years.  He is known locally, nationally and internationally by coaches, officials and athletes as one who has contributed greatly to the success and growth of synchronized swimming

It began in 1966 when, as an interested dad in his daughter Kathleen’s pursuit of the sport, Ed started volunteering at local meets.  By 1970, he became an official in the Pacific Association of the A.A.U.  During the years he gained knowledge on scoring and sound system needs and assured that these needs were met at each competition.  Two years later, he was elected chairman of the Association, a position he held through the change over from the AAU to United States Synchronized Swimming.  He worked with the sound and scoring systems at the 1984 (Los Angeles) and 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games as well as the Olympic Festivals from 1985 to 1993.  By 1996, Ed took over the coordination of sound and electronic scoring systems for all U.S. National competitions.  In the early 1990’s, he served as National Site Selection Committee Chairman locating suitable facilities and bids for national events.  He continues today as Technical Advisor to the Event Management Committee of USSS.

Ed holds a B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Illinois, an MBA from the University of Santa Clara and is a registered Professional Engineer (CA).  Ed was drafted into the Army, in Chicago, during WWII and after basic training was sent to Europe where he joined the 7th Armored Division and fought in the “Battle of the Bulge” in 1944.  He holds a Bronze Star and Purple Heart Medal from various engagements while overseas.

Besides their daughter Kathleen, Ed and Elizabeth, his wife of 51 years, have two sons, Michael of San Jose, California with four children and Charles who lives in Hawaii.  Kathleen lives in Maple Island, Washington and has three children.  After 30 years with Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, Ed is now retired but continues to be a tireless volunteer who donates his time, money and efforts to synchronized swimming.  He has received the 1989 USSS Hall of Fame Contributor Award and the 1996 Lillian MacKellar Distinguished Service Award.

Since her graduation from the University of Toronto Department of Athletics and Physical Education for Women in 1963, Doris Miller has devoted her career to working with students and studying research methods to derive athletic biomechanical and kinesiological functions in sport.  Much other research in the past 40 years has been in the sport of competitive diving.  Since 1984, she has been a Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada.

Doris received a M.A. degree from University of Oregon (1964), Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University (1970) and M. Div. from Victoria University (1990).  For almost 20 years, she conducted research grants and contracts for United States Diving, the U.S. Olympic Committee, Sport Canada, Canadian Amateur Diving Association and the International Olympic Committee.  Of forty-one completed grants, twenty-two were focused on diving biomechanics.  Other studies included skating, skiing, running, water safety and athletes of lower extremity amputations.  Since 1971, grant totals have reached $639,101.00.

She has written over twenty-nine research reports and has been invited to present over 33 communications at conferences in Seoul, Korea; Rome, Italy; Moscow, Russia; Olympia, Greece; and Australia, and extensively throughout the United States and Canada.  She has published over 44 articles and publications and fifteen books and book chapters.  Titles of her research projects include “Hurdle height – dive flight: Ex;loring the Relationship”, “Biomechanical principles applied to diving: Computerized instructional modules”, “Biomechanical feedback system for diving coaches and athletes”, “Platform response to the take-off actions of the diver”, and “Total body and segment angular momentum patterns of Greg Louganis during 3m springboard takeoffs”.  All of Doris’ projects have lead to a better understanding of and improvement for competitive diving.

Dr. Miller has served on the executive councils for the International, Canadian and American Societies of Biomechanics and as President and Founding Member of the American Society.  She has been on the Editorial Boards of the ‘Journal of Applied Biomechanics”, “International Journal of Sport Biomechanics”, “Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise” and Editor of “Exercise and Sport Science Reviews”.  She has been a biomechanics clinician at United States Diving National Training Corps and has served as a member of both the Canadian and United States Olympic Sports Medicine Councils.

Doris can be seen with video camera in hand at strategic national and international diving competitions taking pictures of divers’ movements on the springboard or platform to be used for biomechanical analysis in the work room.  Her commitment to pursuing a better biomechanical interpretation of competitive diving is second to none and her years of service to the sport have advanced its growth, safety and technique.

Doris plans to retire form active teaching at the University of Western Ontario at the completion of the 2000 academic school year.

For over 44 years, John Spannuth has been a leader and innovator in almost every field of aquatics, the most recent in recreational and fitness swimming as the CEO of United States Water Fitness, Inc.

From his first, full-time job in aquatics in 1956 as Aquatics Director of the Reading, PA, YMCA, he has developed outstanding programs.  He has been the Aquatics Director and Head Swimming Coach for Phillips Petroleum Co. in Barltesville, Oklahoma where in seven years he developed one of the best age group swim teams in the country.  He was the National Aquatics Administrator for the AAU where, on a national level, he guided all four disciplines plus long distance and Masters swimming.  He was the International Director of the Special Olympics in Washington, DC where he guided the growth of Special Olympics for Eunice Shriver and helped to build it into an internationally recognized program for persons with mental disabilities.  He served four years in the Middle East as Aquatics, Sports and Recreation Administrator in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, while teaching swimming on all levels, including competitive swimming to native children of the region.

John is the creator and founder of many innovative programs and conferences including:  The World Swimming Coaches Clinic 1969, which has grown into the largest international coaches conference in the world and is run by the American Swimming Coaches Association; Masters Swimming 91970) where he implemented Ransom Arthur’s ideas and decrees to begin a competitive fitness program for adults; Masters Synchronized Swimming (1975); National YMCA Masters Aquatic Championship (1976); Water Walking as a program (1986), which began a water fitness program for individuals who were not great swimmers or who needed water therapy work; National Aquatic Directors Certification (1996); National Programs Awards (recognizing the top programs in the country), Top Water Fitness Programs (1990), Top Aquatic Programs (1997); Who’s Who In The Country, Aquatics (1997) and Water Exercise (1998); and National and State Leadership Awards (1990).

Other national leadership positions have included:  Chairperson of the 1998 National Aquatics Summit;  President of the American Swimming Coaches Association; Member of the Board of Directors, International Swimming Hall of Fame; NRPA Aquatics Council; Charter Member of the AAHPERD Aquatics Council (1968); Chairperson of the National Forum for the Advancement of Aquatics; Advisory Board, Disability International Foundation.

Honors John has received are: Level 5 Certified swimming coach; Captain Ransom J. Arthur Award presented by U.S. Masters Swimming (1986) and Life Membership in the American Swimming Coaches Association  (1969), U.S.A. Swimming (1985), International Swimming Hall of Fame and the Amateur Athletic Union (1968).  Additionally he has received a National YMCA Leadership Fellowship (1976); YMCA Senior Directorship (1978); National Parks and Recreation Distinguished Service Award (1992); National Fitness Leaders Association, C. Carson Conrad Award (1993) and Sevier-McCayhill National Award (1997) (for outstanding service to youth with disabilities).

He has lectured extensively in Egypt, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, Germany and throughout the United States at conferences for over 20 organizations.  As the CEO of U.S. Water Fitness, Inc. he has set the guidelines which have developed this organization to be the authority in developing and maintaining standards from which to teach water aerobics and fitness on a recreational level.

Don Megerle’s contribution as swimming coach at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts for the past 28 years goes far beyond statistics and win loss records. As Hall of Fame coach Red Silva put it “Don has great instincts and a wonderful human touch for his swimmers”. Don is dedicated to his swimmers. This life commitment celebrates the dedication of service that he has given to his swimmers both in and out of the water.

A graduate of Bethany College under Coach Tom Grall and Springfield College with Silva, Megerle began coaching at Tufts in 1971. He is 4 time New England Coach of the Year, Secretary of the College Swimming Coaches Association, and has developed 88 All-American swimmers. He is also recognized as the best NCAA swimming meet coordinator in the country. In 1975, he became meet coordinator of the first NCAA Division III Men’s Nationals and in 1981 he oversaw the first Women’s Division III Nationals. Since 1980, he has been the coordinator of Division I NCAA National Championships. He has been the “nuts and bolts” of these meets since the first day. He has been the recipient of many awards in the CSCAA, but he is most proud of having been an usher in the weddings of 6 former swimmers. For Don Megerle, swimming is just the beginning of the relationship with his swimmers.

Rob has spent his life in and around water. As a swimmer, he was an All-American in high school, a YMCA National Champion and later a coach of YMCA National Champion swimmers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After graduation from Florida State University where he was a scholar athlete and then assistant swim coach, he devoted his life and family to teaching infants and children to swim while promoting the importance of water safety. With wife Kathy, his Lifestyle Swim School has become an international model for teaching the gentle, non-traumatic approach of swimming to youngsters and toddlers. He has been a featured speaker at seminars in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and throughout the United States. He has authored and featured articles on infant swimming and aquatic safety in over two dozen international magazines and newspapers and appears on numerous radio and television programs including CBS this morning and The Discovery Channel. His two self produced video volumes of “Diaper Dolphins” are international masterpieces of infant swimming and water safety. He has been a water safety spokesman for the Perrier Water Company. Along with baby swimming pioneer Virginia Hunt Newman, Rob helped produce Water Babies promoting swimming safety and teaching methods for toddlers via video and aired in over 50 countries.

From the United States Government in 1996, United States Water Polo acquired and licensed a 50 meter swimming pool on a military base in Los Alamitos, California. The pool required $50,000 in restoration work prior to becoming the centerpiece of U.S. Water Polo’s National Training Center. Ed Haage was a leader, contributor and staunch supporter as water polo’s premier learning facility became a reality.

Ed, from Jacksonville, FL, is a National Sales Manager of Astral Products Commercial Division, guiding a national sales force. He has pioneered the development of new pool designs including those complying with the American Disabilities Act (ADA); proving himself as an imaginative innovator.

Ed’s aquatic interest began as he was a gold medal diver in Chicago. Later he would work with the American Red Cross, Lifesaving and Guard Programs, YMCA and “KIDS PROGRAMS”. Professionally, he has served in various positions within the pool equipment industry. Ed was especially dedicated to the establishment of the guide lines of pool construction for the disabled.

Ed Haage has been a “Paragon” for United States Water Polo.

For the past 40 years, Barbara McNamee has both coached synchronized swimming on a local and national level and provided financial and administrative services (mostly volunteer) to synchronized swimming. With a 1959 Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and physics from Mary Washington College in Virginia, Barbara had a distinct “feel” for detail, finesse, choreography and her mathematical figures soon became synchronized swimming’s figures as she developed synchro athletes in Northern Virginia (1974-1984), Des Moines, Iowa (1984-1995) and currently at the College of William and Mary (1996-present) where she is an Adjunct Professor of kinesiology. She is a Coaches Certification Instructor Trainer.

Among other meets, Barbara has been U.S. team manager at the 1982 World Championships, 1983 Pan Am Games, and has been an internationally rated judge since 1980 culminating as the 1992 U.S. Judge for the Olympic Games. In 1996, she was assistant competition manager for the sport. She has served in numerous positions for U.S. Synchronized Swimming including Vice President Olympic International (1992-1997), President (1988-1992) and Representative to ASUA/UANA serving on the Executive Board (1995-1999). She has served on the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors (1988-1992) and various committees within the USOC (1988-1996). Among her honors received are the 1986 Lillian MacKeller Distinguished Service Award and the USSS Hall of Fame Award.

Don Leas is to diving what Noodles are to Chicken soup. Since starting high school diving in 1953, he has been inseparable to the sport ever since. He competed for Michigan State in NCAA competition in both diving and gymnastics (Big 10 Champion on Flying Rings). Most of his diving coaching years were at Clarion University of Pennsylvania (1966 –1990) developing 36 National Champions. But his contribution to the sport goes far beyond his athleticism and coaching. For United States Diving, Inc., he has been the Chairman for almost every committee including rules, certification, safety and membership. He has been the technical and administrative liaison to numerous organizations and events including the FINA World Trials, Goodwill Games, FINA World Cup, U.S. Olympic Festival, NCAA, AAU, and the USOC. He has been an advisor and referee to over 10 international events. He has been author or editor to over 12 book publications on diving and diving rules and has produced four motion pictures on diving for the Athlete Institute. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, he served as the diving coordinator.

Jane Katz has spent her life participating in the aquatic sports and promoting for all aquatic sports, particularly the health aspects and benefits of swimming and water exercise. She has authored Swimming for Total Fitness (1981)(now in it’s 17th printing), The W.E.T. Workouts (1985), Fitness Works (1988) and Swim 30 Laps in 30 Days (1991) plus numerous articles and magazine write-ups. She began as a 1957 U.S. team member to the International Maccabiah Games in Israel, winning the 100m butterfly, and continues today as a Master swimmer winning 14 age group World Masters Championships in all freestyle events. As a synchronized swimmer, she has won all three events at the National or World Masters competition and was a member of the 1964 Olympic Exhibition Team in Tokyo. She was the U.S. Masters Synchronized Swimming National Solo Champion from 1974-1987. In 1992, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the U.S. Aquatic Fitness Association. Her current work in water exercise is geared to finding new applications of aquatics beyond the competitive arena. She lectures internationally on water exercise and serves as a clinician and consultant. Presently, she is a professor of Physical Education at the City University of New York where she has taught thousands of students about the benefits of water exercise.

Janet Gabriel has worked tirelessly for the sport of diving most of her life.

Lynn Rickert serves as President of the YMCA Swimming & Diving Committee and as a member of the ISHOF Board of Directors.

Richard Kieffer of Eastman Kodak provided USA Water Polo with the largest sponsorship in the history of the sport.