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Lorain County Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, 95 W. Hamilton Rd., Oberlin, OH (2026)

01/05/2024

The class for the sixth annual Lorain County Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame is being enshrined Saturday at Oberlin College during a break at the Elyria Catholic Swim Pentathlon held at the Carr Pool in the Philips Physical Education Center.
This year’s class for 2024 is comprised of North Ridgeville’s Kyle Mills, Avon Lake’s Paul Vasiloff, along with Elyria Catholic’s Keith Everhart, Caroline Hamp and coach Jack Dibee.
Mills was a two-time Division I state qualifier as a member of the 200 medley relay. Brothers Kevin and Glenn Mills were inducted into the inaugural class for the Lorain County Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame in 2019. Vasiloff was a three-time Division I state qualifier and high school All-American who went on to compete for Cleveland State.
Everhart was a 2008 Division I All-Ohio as a member of the 200 free relay and an 11-time district qualifier in high school and was a conference champ for Cleveland State. Hamp was a five-time Division II All-Ohio and nine-time state qualifier for EC and went to star for Washington and Lee University. Dibee led the EC girls to three top-10 finishes at the Division II state meet. He helped the EC girls to four North Coast League championships and the EC boys to three NCL titles and coached 16 All-Ohio athletes.

Kyle Mills (North Ridgeville, class of 1977)

A three-sport athlete at North Ridgeville High, Kyle Mills was the second of three brothers to compete for the Rangers. He was a two-time Division I state qualifier as a member of the 200 medley relay, but he also excelled in golf and cross country.
Very sadly, bone cancer took Mills’ life just days before graduating high school. The cancer was first discovered 16 months earlier during his junior year, resulting in the amputation of his right leg above the right knee, mid-thigh.
“Kyle used his situation to be an example to others about dealing with adversity,” said Glenn Mills, Kyle’s younger brother and a 1980 US Olympian. “He never complained and always tried to figure out a solution to continuing living as if nothing was wrong.”
Although the leg amputation ended Kyle’s goal of earning 12 varsity letters, he still managed to earn a 10th varsity letter despite playing golf senior year with a prosthesis. He also helped out as an assistant for varsity swimming senior year.
“Kyle learned to drive with his left foot while trying to keep the prosthesis out of the way,” said Glenn Mills. “He learned to play golf, which he was amazing at, without the regular stance. Swimming at (Mills Creek club) meets while trying to figure out how to get on the blocks with one leg. Whether these were things he learned from swimming or what he taught to all of us who were around him during swimming. He had a very strong Christian faith and trusted that whatever he was going through was in the plan for him. He never stopped fighting, but he accepted whatever was given to him.”
Rival teams found out about Kyle’s goal of 12 varsity letters. Many awarded Kyle a varsity letter. In the end, he ended up with 40 letters awarded from rival schools.
Kyle died on May 6, 1977, approximately 20 days before his high school graduation.
“To this day, I remember his last day very clearly. He stayed on the couch as he couldn't lay down anymore,” said Glenn Mills. “Kevin was finishing his finals at Alabama and was on his way home. Kyle said goodbye to me as I left for school with a nod and a smile. He was too weak to talk. Kyle passed away while Kevin was driving home. We all thought he was waiting for Kevin to finish finals so he could get through that year of school. The office called my class and asked me to come down. Myself and Debbie, Kyle's girlfriend, were driven home and I ran into the house and saw him laying down. I knew it was over.
“I think Kyle saw something in me long before I did. He told me. ‘No matter who you become in life, always remember, you’re just my little brother.’ This was said with love, not with ego. He wanted to remind me to always stay humble.
“Time doesn't heal all wounds, it only makes it easier to deal with it. I miss him every day and only hope that he's proud of who I've become. It's always part of what drives me.”

Paul Vasiloff (Avon Lake, class of 1979)

Paul Vasiloff was the first-ever student-athlete for the Avon Lake High swim program. He was a three-time Division I state qualifier and high school All-American.
Vasiloff went on to star for Cleveland State University and went to become a successful businessman, coach, plus a strong and loyal husband, father and friend. He was a 2004 inductee of the Avon Lake Sports Hall of Fame. Vasiloff died of leukemia on January, 24 2022 at age 61.
“A second high hall of fame reaching out to him to induct him just speaks volumes to the lasting legacy that he left in his swimming career,” said Vicki Vasiloff, his wife. “He had natural talent. As soon as we met I started hearing swim stories from his college buddies. He just had that natural talent and that inner drive to excel.”
Vasiloff came over to Avon Lake High School his sophomore year after competing his freshman year for Lorain Catholic, which dropped its swim program.
“I heard that Paul was one of the finest athletes that anybody had ever coached,” said Vicki Vasiloff. “He just had a calming influence over his team and was a motivating teammate. He led by example. He was not only accomplished and a tremendous swimmer, but he was extremely humble about all his awards. I heard over and over again that anytime he was the anchor they won. He's leaving that legacy that he was such an extremely talented man and swimmer.”
Paul and Vicki met in college when she was a student at Kent State. They married in 1989 and were married for 32 years. They first lived in North Carolina for five years before moving to Brandon, Florida in the Tampa Bay area.
“Paul had very good leadership qualities in every facet of his life,” said Vicki Vasiloff. “I heard that over and over again. He not only swam and excelled as an athlete, but also taught swimming at college where there were many people didn't know how to swim. He volunteered time to teach a lot of people including those with disabilities. Many said they owed their lives to him for getting them comfortable with swimming. As a lifeguard he saved a little boy's life and received accolades from the mayor when he was at Avon Lake.
“He also excelled with this character also as a father as a husband as a son and as a friend. You just heard over and over again about his great morals, great integrity and how he led by example. In his later years he went on to mentor a lot of swimmers including our youngest daughter Katie who later became a two-time Florida state champ. She owes a lot of that to her dad because he instilled the values of never giving up on things in life and always chasing your dreams.”
The Paul Vasiloff Memorial Scholarship has been established this year for the first time by his family, friends and former teammates. Its purpose is to reward a local swimmer deserving recognition for their dedication to the sport of competitive swimming and diving, while maintaining their academics and participating in programs or activities where personal growth, leadership and caring are on display. Through the Avon Lake Common Scholarship program a $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a senior - high school swimmer who has been accepted and enrolling/enrolled into a college or university for the upcoming school year.

Keith Everhart (Elyria Catholic, class of 2008)
The early years of the Elyria Catholic High boys swim program weren’t easy. Unlike the EC girls, the Panther boys competed against the big boys in Division I from the 1998-99 season when the EC program first started up through the 2007-08 season which was the final season before the divisional split finally came for boys.
To break through and qualify to the state meet was extremely difficult, but thanks to the talents of Keith Everhart the EC boys team finally made it happen in the 2007-08 season when it advanced its 200 free relay through and finished 10th to earn All-Ohio (top 16).
“High school was special because I was able to continue swimming with some of the guys I grew up swimming with at the Elyria YMCA and Spring Valley Country Club, guys such as Brad Peters, David Hoover, Jimmy Reitenbach and Michael Weber,” said Everhart.
Everhart, along with Reitenbach, Weber and Alex Miehls, teamed up at the 2008 Division I state meet for the Panthers’ 10th place finish in the 200 free relay.
“The 200 free relay was extra special,” said Everhart. “Most of us were the younger brothers that watched our older sisters advance to state. Now it was our time to shine. It felt great that all of our hard work paid off.”
Everhart still holds or shares six school records. Individually, he holds records in the 50 free (21.85), 100 free (48.12) and 100 fly (55.94). He also shared team records for the 200 medley (1:43.58), 200 free (1:28.29) and 400 free (3:18.75) relays.
Everhart went on to compete for two years in college at Cleveland State where he was a 2009 Horizon League champ as a member of the 200 free relay.
“My goal was to swim in college, like my mom and sister,” said Everhart. “These accomplishments helped me become a valued member of the Cleveland State swim team. It still impacts my life today. It showed me if I put in the hard work I can accomplish my goals.”

Caroline Hamp (Elyria Catholic, class of 2011)

Caroline Hamp joined the Elyria Catholic girls swim program as a freshman in the 2007-08 season and immediately impacted the program.
As a freshman and a sophomore, she helped the 200 free relay to back-to-back All-Ohio finishes (5th in 2008; 11th in 2009). Hamp also helped the 200 medley relay (11th) in 2008 and the 400 free relay (14th) in 2009 to all-state finishes. Individually, she also earned All-Ohio in 2008 with an 11th place finish in the 100 back.
“Swimming at Elyria Catholic was more than just a sport for me,” said Hamp. “It was a huge part of my high school experience, including my closest friends and an integral part of my learning curriculum. Swim meets built my confidence, competitiveness, and camaraderie, but it was the everyday practices and incredible teammates that really impacted me the most.”
Altogether Hamp qualified to the Division II state meet nine times in her career.
“I owe my EC teammates so much. They were my rock and my joy during turbulent teenage years,” said Hamp. “Some of my favorite memories are coach Dibee's water bottle songs, telling stories in 10-second intervals at the wall, karaoke carpool, and attempting team yoga. I even fondly remember those challenging Christmas practices.”

Coach Jack Dibee (Elyria Catholic, 2004-12)

Jack Dibee admitted that he didn’t have much prior knowledge about the Elyria Catholic swim program after being hired by then athletic director Chris Fiore prior to coming to Lorain County for the 2004-05 season.
A Northeast Ohio native, Dibee had been away from this area as he was raised in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, attended college outside of Ohio and previously coached outside of Ohio in Illinois (from 1986-2004), so his lack of familiarity for this area was understandable. But it didn’t take Dibee very long to get the Elyria Catholic swim program revved and running at full gear.
By the time Dibee stepped down following the 2011-12 season, his resume at Elyria Catholic was quite impressive.
His girls teams had three top-10 finishes at the state meet (2005-06: 5th place. 2006-07: 6th place. 2007-08: 8th place). In addition to a combined seven North Coast League team titles for his girls and boys teams, his girls and boys teams had a combined dual meet won-lost record of 122-34 (girls, 68-12; boys, 54-22).
“I tried to make the program not only quality in terms of success but also something that the kids wanted to come to every day,” said Dibee. “You know you have to work hard, but you have to have fun, too. Our numbers just grew right away. We had over 40 kids almost every year after the first year. One of the things that was pretty cool is we had several kids who went on to make districts and state that weren't even year-round swimmers. You don't see a lot of that happening. You know, it's about how success breeds success.”
In addition, he coached two All-Americans for girls swimming, another five for All-American consideration (one girl, four boys). He also coached 16 All-Ohio swimmers (11 girls, five boys).
Even with the closing of the Elyria Y just prior to sectionals in Feb. 2006, the Elyria Catholic swim program kept its rhythm switching over to Oberlin College for training purposes.
“It was clear that year through most of that season (2005-06) that the Elyria Y was hanging on by a thread,” said Dibee, an assistant superintendent in Avon Lake. “We were just fortunate enough that Oberlin College was willing to step up. It turned out to be a good break for us. Oberlin College was a better environment so we were able to step up our training.”

01/23/2023

Had the honor and privilege to present and recognize the 2023 class for the Lorain County Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame . This year's class includes: David Housel (North Ridgeville, 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), who was represented by his parents Charlie and Janet!

01/20/2023

The Lorain County Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame enshrines its fifth class on 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-Ohio for the Rangers, 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, class of 1979)

No pool, no problem. That was the mindset of four-time All-Ohio and high school All-American David Housel and the North Ridgeville High varsity swim 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 pool time. 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 during the winter high school season.
“It was really you know as I said about coach (Rich) Arenas it was like there's a Field of Dreams: if they'll build it, they will come,” said Housel. “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 high school All-American, four-time All-Ohio, four-time Cleveland State Division I district champ and a district record-holder for the 100 breast.
“I would have never known that I had this particular talent if I didn't the access to developing it,” said Housel. “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 as well throughout you know my high school career as well. I was you know 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 it was 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 you know a life that you know where you know worked as an educator and as a social worker to try to make things a little bit better for other folks so all those you know those qualities that were instilled in me through competitive swimming you know have served me very, very well.”

Raymond Bartel (Avon Lake, 1999)
The Avon Lake High swim program was just getting off the ground in the 1990s, launching in the 1996-97. The launch year coincided with Raymond Bartel’s sophomore year. Bartel was a kingpin to the Shoremen’s success rocked in those early years, He led the Avon Lake boys to three straight Southwestern Conference titles in 1997, ’98 and ’99 after Bartel competed the 1995-96 season as an independent.
A three-time high school All-American, Bartel 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 so some pretty good supporting guys on the team,” said Bartel. “My brother Brad, Jon Ulrich, Matt Weber and Pat Brandon, just those are the guys that were on the state relays we were able to put those together pretty good turnouts my junior and senior year. 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 High swimming during their era.
Raymond Bartel was a three-time state qualifier and two-time All-Ohio in the 100 breast. A 2020 inductee of the Lorain County Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, his brother, Brad, was a four-time All-Ohio in the 200 IM and two-time all-state in the 100 fly.
The Bartels were also major players to the Shoremen’s success in relays. During Raymond Bartel’s three-year high school career, the Avon Lake boys advanced relays to state six times – three straight times in the 200 free relay, twice in the 200 medley relay and once in the 400 free relay.
Shoremen relays earned All-Ohio honors (top 16) four times in six tries, including twice finishing in the top eight. The Avon Lake boys still hold the Lorain County record for the 200 free relay (1:27.17 in 1999) and the 400 free relay (3:15.53, also in 1999).
“We pretty much never saw the light of day you know during the winter months,” said Raymond Bartel. “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 the Avon Lake High varsity swim team 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 was a big tug on emotions, but Kathryn “Kay” Weber made the adjustment of transferring to Elyria Catholic her sophomore year after Lorain Catholic closed at the end of the 2003-04 school year.
Weber went on to enjoy a stellar career for Elyria Catholic, earning Division II All-Ohio honors six times which included four times as a member of relays. Weber came to EC as Lorain Catholic’s only state qualifier in school history for girls swimming, advancing to the 2004 Division II state meet in the 500 free.
“Having my teammates that I already knew you know from YMCA swimming was key,” said Weber. “(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 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 also threw a 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 Panthers and helped them to stay on course with their training and postseason taper.
“Swimming was really the constant in my life,” said Weber. “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 at Elyria Catholic. She earned a pair of fourth place awards as a member of the 200 free and 400 free relays, plus was 16th in the 500 free and 16th in the 100 back. It was quite an achievement for Weber as 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 Division II state in 2005-06 and sixth at state in 2006-07.

Michael Weber (Elyria Catholic, 2009)
The mid-to-late 2000s was a very special era for the Elyria Catholic High School boys swim program. Michael Weber was a major player in the Panthers’ success. He advanced to the state tournament in six events including three All-Ohio (top 16) performances in his four-year high school career.
Prior to the 2005-06 season, the Elyria Catholic boys hadn’t had a single state qualifier in the first nine years of the program (1998-2006). The Panthers’ 200 free relay in 2006-07 that included Keith Everhart, Jimmy Reitenbach, Nick Poling and Weber, was the first-ever EC boys qualifier to the state swim classic. 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 you know you that actually believe that we could do something that never was done before,” said Michael 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 is 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 during my career in college you get to know a group of people when you believe you can do something and work hard towards it you know most likely we can achieve something.”
Michael 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 siblings grew up through the Lorain Y swim program.
“We are a swimming family,” said Michael. “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 would not 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 Elyria Catholic boys 200 free relay came back the following year in to earn All-Ohio (top 16) by finishing 10th in 2007-08, the Panther boys final year as a Division I program prior to the OHSAA boys divisional split in 2008-09. Weber advanced to state in four events his senior year for Division II: 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,” said Michael. “The group of people that we did it with we were all very good friends. You know Nick and Keith and Jimmy, that made it even better.”

James “Jimmy” Reitenbach Jr. (Elyria Catholic, 2009)

James “Jimmy” Reitenbach Jr. was a major contributor to the success of the Elyria Catholic High boys’ team in the 2000s. Reitenbach was a six-time state qualifier and three-time All-Ohio.
Reitenbach’s freshman year at EC was decent but didn’t set the world on fire. Although he didn’t qualify to districts individually for the second straight year in either the 50 free or 100 free as a sophomore, he was a member of the EC boys’ state-qualifying 200 free relay.
“Things progressed every year,” said Reitenbach. “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 the year No. 2 so it was it was cool to capitalize on that.”
Elyria Catholic came back hungrier than ever 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, EC’s last year as a Division I school before the divisional split.
“We were able to have a team feel even though a lot of times swimming is an individual sport,” said Reitenbach. “Year over 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 Y the 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). They'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.”
A solid feeder program is what Reitenbach credits much of his success.
“The Elyria Y did a good job building the foundation for local swimmers with coaches Dave Wessely and Colleen Everhart (Keith’s mom),” said Reitenbach. “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,” said Reitenbach. “He also did a good job of customizing exercises. If you can imagine watching 50 people swimming at once and you're picking out you know 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 before the scoreboard did. It was always really cool.”

Elliot Runge (Avon, 2011)

The Avon High boys’ first-ever state swim qualifier, Elliot Runge’s career picked up steam sophomore year and then really rolled his junior year when he advanced to the Division II state meet in the 200 IM and 100 breast.
It wasn’t the easiest of times. The grind of training for the pool is anything but easy.
“I was really focused on doing the best I could at swimming,” said Runge. “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 just such a big part of that.”
Runge came back his senior year to qualify to Division II state in both of his events for a second straight time. He eclipsed his junior year performances as he finished 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,” said Runge. “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 out of 13 school records.
“Sarah Anders was a great coach. She had a good perspective of things,” said Runge. “She was such 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.”

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