High school swimming and diving: Lorain County Hall of Fame to enshrine fifth class

The Lorain County Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame enshrines its fifth class Saturday at the Splash Zone in Oberlin during a break at the Elyria Catholic Swim Pentathlon. The inductees for the class of 2023 are: David Housel (North Ridgeville, high school class of 1979); Raymond Bartel (Avon Lake, 1999); Kathryn "Kay" Weber (Elyria Catholic, 2007); Michael Weber (Elyria Catholic, 2009); James "Jimmy" Reitenbach Jr. (Elyria Catholic, 2009); and Elliot Runge (Avon, 2011). Housel was a 1977 high school All-American and a four-time Division I All-Ohioan, specializing in breaststroke and going on to swim for Syracuse. Bartel was a three-time high school All-American and a six-time Division I All-Ohio swimmer for the Shoremen and went on to swim for Bowling Green State. EC siblings Kay and Michael Weber combined for nine All-Ohio (top 16) honors, with Kay taking home six and Michael three. Reitenbach, like Michael Weber, was a three-time All-Ohio and specialized in freestyle events. Runge was a three-time Division II All-Ohio and four-time state qualifier for the Eagles and went on to swim for Wright State. David Housel (North Ridgeville, 1979) No pool, no problem. That was the mindset of the four-time All-Ohio and high school All-American swimmer as well as the North Ridgeville High program in the 1970s. The Rangers did have an outdoor pool at the Mills Creek development for HOA (homeowner's association) league and AAU training. However, for the long, tough winter months of high school swimming North Ridgeville didn't have an indoor pool and had to rely on the North Olmsted Recreation Complex for training. But the Mills Creek outdoor pool was enough to give Housel and the Rangers a strong foothold and training base to compete against Ohio's best. "It was really, as I said about coach (Rich) Arenas, it was like there's a Field of Dreams: If they'll build it, they will come," Housel said. "The deal and the reality is that the other (Lorain County) inductees (Glenn Mills, Kevin Mills, Dave Valega and Arenas) from North Ridgeville all grew up in the same Mills Creek community that had a community swimming pool. The only way that I really learned how to swim is because I had access to a pool." Housel was a four-time Cleveland State Division I district champ and a district record-holder in the 100 breast. He went on to swim for Syracuse. "I would have never known that I had this particular talent if I didn'thave the access to developing it," he said. "It was kind of a dynasty during the '70s in a big way and my graduating class had the largest group of high-quality swimmers. We had all gone through Mills Creek. I swam high school in AAU throughout my high school career as well. I was swimming sometimes four hours a day. "I stopped competitive swimming 42 years ago. Since then there have been multiple chapters of my life since but that remains a really kind of a special time. Swimming got me through high school and affirmed my sense of what I could accomplish. Discipline and focus and all of those qualities really have served me well since that time. It's got me through five post-secondary degrees and a life where I worked as an educator and as a social worker to try to make things a little bit better for other folks. So all those qualities that were instilled in me through competitive swimming have served me very, very well." Raymond Bartel (Avon Lake, 1999) Bartel was just a sophomore when Avon Lake started its swim program in 1996-97 but he was a key to its success, leading the boys team to three straight Southwestern Conference titles. Bartel swam as an independent as a freshman. A three-time high school All-American, he earned Division I All-Ohio honors (top 16) six times, was a nine-time state qualifier and an eight-time SWC winner. "We were pretty fortunate to have some pretty good supporting guys on the team," Bartel said. "My brother Brad, Jon Ulrich, Matt Weber and Pat Brandon ... those are the guys that were on the state relays. ... We were just pretty much unstoppable in our conference. I can't believe it's been 24 years. I mean it was a lot of fun but it was a lot of work at the same time." The Bartel brothers were the bookends for Avon Lake swimming during their era. Raymond was a three-time state qualifier and two-time All-Ohio in the 100 breast. Brad, a 2020 inductee of the Lorain County Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, was four-time All-Ohio in the 200 IM and two-time all-state in the 100 fly. The Bartels were also key factors in the Shoremen's success in relays. During Raymond's three-years, the Shoremen advanced relays to state six times — three straight times in the 200 free, twice in the 200 medley and once in the 400 free. The Shoremen earned All-Ohio honors (top 16) four times in six tries, including twice finishing in the top eight. Avon Lake still holds the Lorain County boys records in the 200 free relay (1:27.17 in 1999) and the 400 free relay (3:15.53 in 1999). "We pretty much never saw the light of day during the winter months," Raymond Bartel said. "You get up, go swimming, go to class, go right back to practice, come home, eat dinner and do homework. Rinse and repeat." Back then, Avon Lake trained at the old and antiquated Aqua Marine Motel's indoor pool in Avon Lake. "I would have to be lying if there wasn't time I fell asleep in class because I was so run-down," said Raymond Bartel, who swam three years for Bowling Green State. "You smell like chlorine all the time, your skin's all dried out, your hair falling out of your head because of all the chlorine damage. I think I only ever went faster one time that was when Brad and I were in the 100 breaststroke. He was just a great all-around trainer and was just very talented. He trained like an animal and it kept me motivated trying to get myself better." Kathryn "Kay" Weber (Elyria Catholic, 2007) It emotional, but Weber made the adjustment after transferring to Elyria Catholic her sophomore year following the closing of Lorain Catholic at the end of the 2003-04 school year. Weber went on to enjoy a stellar career for the Panthers, earning Division II All-Ohio honors six times, including four times as a member of relays. Weber came to EC as Lorain Catholic's only girls swimming state qualifier in school history, advancing to the 2004 Division II state meet in the 500 free. "Having my teammates that I already knew from YMCA swimming was key," Weber said. "(Coach) Jack (Dibee) did a good job helping with all that transition. He and the team were so welcoming and understood. I had my LC classmates and my siblings, too, so that made a world of difference. That's pretty dramatic to have your high school shut down. You have a vision of the next four years competing for your team and then in a very short time your high school is gone. You have to reset your sights and try to be as positive you can." Junior year produced another big challenge. On Feb. 6, 2006, just four days before the Lakewood sectional, the Elyria Y shuttered its doors for good due to financial hardship. Elyria Catholic had to scramble to find an alternate training facility. Oberlin College opened its doors to the Panthers and helped them stay on course with their training and postseason taper. "Swimming was really the constant in my life," Weber said. "It kept me grounded. Elyria Catholic was a great school. I met tons of great people and had my family with me so it turned out to be a good thing." Weber earned four of her six All-Ohio (top 16) awards her senior year. She had a pair of fourth-place finishes as a member of the 200 free and 400 free relays, and was 16th in the 500 free and in the 100 back. It was quite an achievement since her four events were scheduled in the last five races of the day. Weber was a Division II state runner-up as a junior as a member of the 200 free relay. As a team, the EC girls were fifth at the Division II state meet in 2005-06 and sixth in 2006-07. Michael Weber (Elyria Catholic, 2009) The mid-to-late 2000s was a special era for the Elyria Catholic boys and Weber was a major player in their success. He advanced to the state tournament in six events, including three All-Ohio (top 16) performances. Prior to the 2005-06 season, the EC boys hadn't had a state qualifier in the first nine years of the program. The Panthers' 200 free relay in 2006-07 that included Keith Everhart, Jimmy Reitenbach, Nick Poling and Weber ended that drought. The EC 200 relay was the No. 24 and final qualifying seed, which is where it finished at state, but it was key because it finally broke the ice. "One of the biggest things was getting a group of people that actually believe that we could do something that never was done before," said Weber, a four-year letterman at Ball State. "Having the support of coach Jack Dibee and Todd Baumgartner during that time was awesome. The whole team was pretty close whether practice or meets. We were always supportive. That's one of the things that really stands out is coming together and believing that we could do it. That's one thing that's kind of stuck with me throughout my whole life still. Even in college, too, you get to know a group of people when you believe you can do something and work hard towards it, most likely we can achieve something." Weber had no bigger positive influence in swimming than his three sisters: Ann (Lorain Catholic, class of 2004), Kiva (Elyria Catholic, 2006) and Kathryn "Kay" (Elyria Catholic, 2007). All four grew up through the Lorain Y swim program. "We are a swimming family," Michael said. "I was dragged into swimming by them because my mom (Patt) didn't want to pay a babysitter so I either could sit and watch or join. And I joined them in the pool with my mom as my first coach. "My sisters were extremely hard-working and taught me how/what it took to get better. They opened my eyes that my talent alone wouldn't get me where I wanted to be. They worked way harder than I did, and their work ethic helped me not only in swimming but also in my baseball and football careers at EC. They were my biggest fans, too. Always there to support me at the meets. It was a lot of fun having them there as teammates." The EC boys 200 free relay earned All-Ohio (top 16) by finishing 10th in 2007-08, the Panther boys final year as a Division I program. Weber advanced to state in four events his senior year in Division II, making it in the 200 IM, 100 back, 200 free relay and the 400 relay. Both EC relays earned All-Ohio (top 16), finishing eighth and 12th, respectively. "It was a pretty cool time going to state with my sister and going to state for the first time and being part of school history was pretty special," Michael said. "We were all very good friends." James "Jimmy" Reitenbach Jr. (Elyria Catholic, 2009) A major contributor to Elyria Catholic's success in the 2000's, Reitenbach Jr. was a six-time state qualifier and three-time All-Ohio. His success wasn't immediate though. Although he didn't qualify to districts individually for the second straight year as a sophomore, he was a member of the state-qualifying 200 free relay. "Things progressed every year," Reitenbach said. "Definitely being part of those relays that we had was kind of cool. I definitely remember that (qualifying to state) being like the goal for Year No. 2 so it was it was cool to capitalize on that." Elyria Catholic came back hungrier than ever during Reitenbach's junior year. The Panthers' 200 free relay of Reitenbach, Michael Weber, Keith Everhart and Alex Miehls earned All-Ohio (top 16) in a school-record time of 1:28.50, finishing 10th in Division I. "We were able to have a team feel even though a lot of times swimming is an individual sport," Reitenbach said. "Year after year it's like we had one new person for the relay. It was Mike and I were on the relays for all three years with Keith for the first two years of those three years. Nick Poling was on the relay our sophomore year, then it was Alex our junior and senior year. When Keith graduated in 2008, Mike Haupt came on board. It was a cool time. We were a nice cohesive bunch. "Coach Jack (Dibee) was a great leader. Everything was there on the table. We all had strong swim backgrounds in terms of coming out of the Y program. For a short while things were kind of in turmoil with the Y shutdowns. That kind of threw a wrench into things for a little while, but in the end it was fun and actually worked out. We were able to practice normally in a better competition pool (at Oberlin College). Ther're always challenges when you have 50 people in the pool and everybody's breathing heavy. Evaluations are not the best. It's hard to progress." Reitenbach credits much of his success to a solid feeder program. "The Elyria Y did a good job building the foundation for local swimmers with coaches Dave Wessely and Colleen Everhart (Keith's mom)," Reitenbach said. "It was crazy the amount of people that came through that program, especially like even the years before us. My sister (Julie) was one of them." Reitenbach was a four-time Division II state qualifier his senior year. He was a member of the 200 free (eighth) and 400 free (12th) relays that both earned All-Ohio (top 16). Individually, he was a state qualifier in the 50 free and 100 free. "Jack (Dibee) did a great job of fostering definitely a team environment," Reitenbach said. "He also did a good job of customizing exercises. If you can imagine watching 50 people swimming at once and you're picking out things in the pool, it's pretty impressive. I always remember he was like a human calculator. I remember after we would swim any relay and we would always come over to him and he would have all the splits and everything before the scoreboard did. It was always really cool." Elliot Runge (Avon, 2011) Avon's first boys state swim qualifier, Runge's career picked up steam his sophomore year and then really got rolling as a junior when he advanced to the Division II state meet in the 200 IM and 100 breast. "I was really focused on doing the best I could at swimming," Runge said. "It taught me a lot about hard work, dedication and focus which then I think translated a lot into college and then further on and in my career and the other things that I did. The lessons that I learned in swimming helped me out in the other areas of my life. I'd be remiss if I didn't say this but I wouldn't have been able to achieve all that I did in swimming without the support of my parents (Charles and Janet) and my brother (Louis). They took me to all the practices. They were at all my meets. They just were such a big part of that." Runge came back his senior year to qualify to state in both of his events for a second straight time. He eclipsed his junior year performances, finishing fourth in the 100 breast (59.16) to make the awards podium (top eight) and ninth in the 200 IM (1:59.50) to earn All-Ohio (top 16). "Things were a bit stressful my senior year," Runge said. "My dad was diagnosed with cancer so we were dealing with that during the season and after the season. He's fine now but that was a big obstacle. Throughout his diagnosis he wanted me to keep swimming, keep going to the meets and doing everything. It just gave him a lot of pleasure to see me compete." Runge's many school records have fallen since his senior year in 2011, but Runge at one time held or shared 10 the record in 10 of the 13 events. "Sarah Anders was a great coach. She had a good perspective of things," Runge said. "She was just so supportive. She did great in terms of the coaching but really she was there for an emotional support. I would get really nervous and I have lots of anxiety. She was able to really help in terms of that so she was just a great support system for me. I really owe a lot to her especially in that senior year. She really helped me be grounded. Sarah Anders was really an integral part of that so I really give her props and everything." Contact Paul Heyse at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.