7-Time World Record Holder Kight-Wingard Inducted into Maryland HOF

In what seems to be his first year of eligibility, two years after his most recent retirement in 2016, Michael Phelps was not chosen for the Maryland Swimming Hall of Fame in the state where he did most of the training toward his record-setting 23 Olympic gold medals. His older sister Whitney, however, earned her 2nd mention as part of a 4-inductee class inducted by the Hall of Fame on November 10th, and Michael was in attendance as part of the ceremonial luncheon.

The list includes the NBAC Women’s National Championship Teams of 1994 and 1995. In 1994, they won the US Swimming Spring Nationals in Federal Way, Washington (beating Foxcatcher). The 7 swimmers, which included Whitney Phelps, didn’t win a single individual event or relay, but still amassed enough points to place 2nd overall in the meet. Also on that squad was future Olympic gold medalist Beth Botsford, Kelly McPherson, Olympic gold medalist Anita Nall, Melinda Rehm, Olympian Whitney Metzler, and Brittany White.

In 1995, the team held off the Bolles Sharks to win the meet again, this time without Anita Nall.

Whitney Phelps was previously inducted as an individual in 2011, Nall was inducted in 2008, Botsford was inducted in 2005, and Metzler was inducted in 2001.

The Lakewood Swim Team, which produced National Champions in the 1930s and 1940s was also chosen, while the only individual athlete chosen in this year’s class was Lenore Kight Wingard – a Maryland native who won a silver medal at the 1932 Olympics and bronze medal at the 1936 Olympics. She broke 7 World Records and 24 American Records in her career.

2018 Maryland Swimming Hall of Fame Inductees

Bios courtesy Maryland Swimming Hall of Fame

Lenore Kight Wingard – a native of Frostburg, Maryland Lenore Kight grew up outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and represented the United States at the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and Berlin respectively, winning a silver in 1932 and a bronze in 1936. She held seven World records and 24 American Records in her career. In 1933, she won every freestyle/crawl event at US AAU National Championships. She won 23 National championship races in her career winning the 440 yards and 1 mile distances a remarkable 4 years in a row. She is recognized in the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the International Swimming Hall of Fame. After retiring from competitive swimming, she managed pools, taught swimming, was an active Masters swimmer and until her early 80’s, swam about three miles a week at a local YMCA. Lenore Kight Wingard passed away in 2000 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Lakewood Swim Team – Lakewood Swim Club at Charles & 25^th Streets in Baltimore fielded an impressive array of South Atlantic AAU all stars during its heyday in the late 1930’s and throughout the 1940’s. Before there was a North Baltimore Aquatic Club, there was Knights of Columbus Orchards (KCO) and before KCO, there was Lakewood Swim Team. The KCO swim team was inducted into the Maryland Swimming Hall of Fame in 1999. Lakewood swimmers such as Henry Steingass, Mickey Pardew, Jesse Greenbaum, Tom Fickenscher, Doris Baugher, Jimmy Russell, Jimmy Thomas and Madeline Werner coached by Arthur Price dominated competition locally and regionally in during World War II and the post war years.

The NBAC Women’s National Championship Team of 1994 – Seven girls from the North Baltimore Aquatic Club won the Phillips 66/USS Swimming Spring Nationals in 1994 at Federal Way, Washington. Over the course of five days and without winning a single event or relay, it was a true team effort to score 229 points to runner up Team Foxcatcher in the womens’ team scores. Kelly McPherson scored in the 400, 800 and 1500 M Freestyles; Anita Nall scored in both breaststrokes with Brittany White contending in 200 Breast; Beth Botsford scored in both backstrokes among other events, Whitney Phelps scoring in both butterflys with Botsford and Melinda Rehm contending in 200 Fly; the combination of Whitney Metzler and Brittany White scored in both IM races; and all contributing to relay success of 2^nd in the 400 Medley and 5^th in the 800 Free.

The NBAC Women’s National Championship Team of 1995 – Six girls from the North Baltimore Aquatic Club repeated as Phillips 66/USS Swimming Spring National Women’s Champion in 1995 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Without Olympic medalist Anita Nall this year, the team of Beth Botsford, Kelly McPherson, Whitney Metzler, Whitney Phelps, Melinda Rehm, and Brittany White held off Bolles Sharks to win 237 to 193. Whitney Phelps and Kelly McPherson contended the 200 Free while McPherson scored in all three distance freestyle events including 8^th in 1500; Beth Botsford won silver and gold in 100 and 200 backstroke while contending in 100 Fly and 200 IM; Whitney Phelps and Melinda Rehm swam in both butterfly events with Phelps scoring and 8^th and a 9^th. Whitney Metzler and Brittany White contended in 200 Breast with Metzler scoring 6^th. Metzler, White, Phelps and Botsford all swam 200 IM with Metzler winning bronze and White scoring. Metzler and White finished 2^nd and 8^th in the 400 IM. The team put together a winning 400 Medley Relay and a second place 800 Free Relay.

Past Inductees:

2017

• Katie Hoff Anderson – Honor Athlete
• Don Feinberg – Honor Coach
• George Kennedy – Honor Coach
• Paul Yetter – Honor Coach

2016

• John Ferrari – Honor Contributor
• Russell Kim Williams – Honor Contributor
• James A Pusateri – Honor Contributor
• Courtney Kalisz – Honor Athlete

2013

• Brandy Wood Haynes – Honor Athlete
  Keith Mills – Honor Contributor
  Beau Wiebel – Honor Athlete
  The Old LHS Pool – Honor Contributor

2011

• Whitney Phelps Flickinger  – Honor Athlete
• Tommy Hannan – Honor Athlete

2008

• Anita Nall Richesson – Honor Athlete
• Murray Stephens – Honor Coach

2005

• Beth Botsford – Honor Swimmer
• John Thomas Himes, Jr. – Honor Coach

2002/3

• Sid Burkot – Honor Coach
• Michele Kurtzman – Honor Athlete
• Brad Schumacher – Honor Athlete

2001

• Pat Kaplan – Honor Contributor
• Whitney Metzler – Honor Athlete

2000

• Julie Kole – Honor Athlete

1999

• KCO Swim Team  – Honor Team

1998

• Julia Gorman – Honor Athlete
• Jill Johnson Chasson – Honor Athlete

1997

• Carol Chidester – Honor Coach
• John J. Higgins – Honor Coach

1996

• Frank Comfort – Honor Coach
• Larry Peacock – Honor Contributor
• Raymond Webb Thompson – Honor Athlete

1995

• Doug Brown – Honor Contributor
• Polly Winde Surhoff – Honor Athlete
• The Evening Sun Meet  – Honor Contributor

1994

• Tami Paumier – Honor Athlete
• Anna McCleary Marriott – Honor Athlete
• Elizabeth McCleary Primrose Smith – Honor Athlete

1993

• Kim Shettle Keller – Honor Athlete
• Ellen Feldmann Roberts – Honor Athlete

1990

• Flo Bell – Honor Coach
• Bonnie Glasgow Rhodes – Honor Athlete

1988

• James Dunleavy – Honor Contributor
• John McCleary – Honor Contributor

1987

• Theresa Andrews – Honor Athlete
• Patrick Kennedy – Honor Athlete
• Wendy Weinberg Weil – Honor Athlete

1986

• John Considine – Honor Contributor
• Dick Flugrath – Honor Contributor
• Timothy Pierce – Honor Coach

1985

• Arthur “Reds”Hucht – Honor Coach