Swordfish Seniors Stand-Out

Wyoming Swordfish Team Honors Graduating Seniors

On Thursday, July 11 at the final home meet of the 2013 season, the Wyoming Swordfish Swim & Dive Team honored 6 graduating seniors. Together this special group of outstanding seniors has participated on the Swordfish Team at the Wyoming Swim Club for a total of 59 seasons! In additions to their contributions to the swim and dive team, several of these seniors played a major role in the renovation of the club prior to the 2008 season. They invested sweat equity in the club working side by side with other members to demolish and rebuild the bath house, paint the facility, clear brush and paint the renovated pool. More recently, this group of seniors taught swim lessons, helped with swim camps, worked at the snack bar and the front desk, worked as lifeguards and coached younger Swordfish swimmers on the team.

At the recognition event, the following senior tributes submitted by their families were announced prior to the first relay event.

Alexandra Abel

Alexandra started swimming at age seven for the Swordfish Team at the Wyoming Swim Club. She continued that winter with the Powel Crosley Jr. YMCA Tigersharks and later swam for the Cincinnati Marlins.  At age 8 her Medley Relay team broke the Swordfish record. They are still on the record board today. Alex was awarded the Swordfish’s Irene Dundon Memorial Award for dedication to swimming after the 2012 season. Alex swam for Wyoming Middle School and Wyoming High School. She earned Rookie of the Year her Freshman Year and ended her career as Captain of the Varsity Team.  She will attend The Ohio State University in the fall. Her friends and memories from the swim club will last her a lifetime. Thanks for allowing her to be part of such a strong family for over 12 years.

Alex Burgess
Alex joined the Swordfish as a six year old, where he developed a love for competitive swimming that continues to this day.  Now in his 13th year as a Swordfish, Alex holds both Swordfish team and PPSL league records in the 11-12 50 Free and 13-14 100 Free.  After the 2011 season, Alex was awarded the Swordfish’s Irene Dundon Memorial Award for dedication to swimming. Alex has many fond memories of his time with the team, but the highlight has been coaching the 9-10 age group this summer. The love for swimming that began at the Wyoming Swim Club led Alex to join the Powel Crosley Jr. YMCA Tigersharks at the age of 7, and he has been a year round swimmer there ever since.  Alex set 5 individual Tigershark team records in Freestyle events ranging from 50 Free to the 1650, and swam on relays that set 3 team relay records.  Alex swam for the Wyoming Middle School team, and still holds the southern Ohio middle school record in the 100 Free.  In high school, Alex was a varsity swimmer all four years at St. Xavier, earning recognition as an Academic All-American his senior year by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association of America.  Alex will attend Miami University in the fall and study engineering.

Erin Engelhardt

Erin has been a Swordfish since she was 5 years old. Some of her earliest memories are of summer seasons with former coaches Michael Neuss and David Jolson. She learned to swim at Wyoming Swim Club, and later swam for the Powel Crosley Jr. YMCA Tigersharks and then the Wyoming High School team until her graduation. Swimming is something that has been a constant in Erin's life and she credits the Swordfish for teaching her to love the sport. She has many favorite memories, but coaching the 9-10's this season by far takes the cake. Erin hopes to work with children as an Art Therapist someday, and will study Art and Social work at St. Olaf College in Minnesota in the fall.

Robin Hessler

Robin began swimming with his brother, Charley, and sister, Rose, when he was 7.  He started swimming with North Hills Swim Club and Cincinnati Marlins. He swam for both teams for 9 years.  Robin swam for the Aqua Bombers all 4 years while at St. Xavier High School.  His favorite memory is swimming in the Greater Catholic League meets while at St. Xavier.  During high school, he also swam for the Powel Crosley Jr. YMCA Tigersharks. His family joined Wyoming Swim Club last summer and Robin began swimming for the Swordfish Team. Robin works as a lifeguard at the club. Robin will be attending Xavier University and will major in Occupational Therapy.

Ben Kurtz
Ben started swimming when he was 8 and diving when he was 10. He has great memories of playing capture the flag with former coach David Jolson, swimming with good friends Alex Abel, Otto Warmbier & others and diving for Coaches Shauna Tamanko and Bo Bottenhorn. Ben’s Swordfish highlights include placing 4^th at Finals when he was 13 and had a cast on his ankle.  He also holds the Swordfish team’s 15-18 Boys diving record, which he broke again this season. In 2010, Ben and his siblings, Maddie and Lydia, were awarded the Swordfish’s Scott Oury Memorial Award for dedication to the sport of diving. Ben is coaching diving this year at the Cincinnati Country Club. He will attend Wesleyan University in Connecticut in the fall and will play football there. 

 Otto Warmbier

Otto began swimming for the Swordfish Team as an eight and under after Mike Leonard, head coach of the Powel Crosley Jr. YMCA Tigersharks, encouraged him to be a swimmer. He continued swimming year round as a Tigershark through his middle school years. Otto was part of a Swordfish Freestyle Relay team that set an 11-12 team record that still stands today. In 2009, Otto was awarded the Swordfish’s Irene Dundon Memorial Award for dedication to swimming. In addition to his skills and athletic abilities, Otto has attributed part of his swimming success to a lucky leopard print towel, which he still uses in swim meets. As a middle schooler, some of Otto’s best friends were his swim buddies. Last season, Otto volunteered to help coach the six & under swimmers on the Swordfish team. He returned this season to coach the same group where his enthusiasm for the team and the sport are a great asset. His family loves to watch and cheer for Otto---in the water Otto always gives it his all “leaving everything in the water.” Otto will be attending The University of Virginia this fall. Memories of his time at the Wyoming Swim Club won’t be soon forgotten.

Photo and write-up thanks to Anita Guy Burgess.