Lynn Gautschi has accomplished a lot during her illustrious
swimming career, including two Olympic medals.
Morgan Hill – Lynn Gautschi has accomplished a lot during her illustrious swimming career, including two Olympic medals.
But she had never been a member of a hall of fame … until now.
Gautschi, a Morgan Hill resident who took silver in the 400 individual medley in 1968 and bronze in the 200 individual medley in 1972, will be inducted tonight into the San Jose State University Hall of Fame during an on campus ceremony.
“I’ve never been inducted to an hall of fame, so it’s real exciting,” Gautschi said. “There are a lot of good athletes in there.”
Joining Gautschi in the 2006 class are track and field star George Mattos, volleyball player Sheila Silvaggio, water polo player Bill Gerdts, football player and former Denver Bronco David Diaz-Infante, the 1958 boxing team and swimmer George Haines, who was selected as this year’s Spartan Legend and is a former coach of Gautschi.
“It’ll be really emotional for me because I’m going to be inducted with George,” Gautschi said. “He got me, mentally and physically, to be a two -time Olympic medallist.”
Gautschi already had her two Olympic medals by the time she enrolled at San Jose State and said that she enjoyed the less pressure-filled experience of college swimming.
“It was refreshing,” Gautschi said. “The Olympic Games was a lot of pressure. College was a lot more fun. The events were a lot shorter, the training was a lot less intense.”
Gautschi was offered a scholarship to Arizona State University, but chose San Jose State so she could stay closer to home. In a time where women were only beginning to receive college scholarships, Gautschi appreciated the college experience.
“I remember my whole swimming career I had never taken a physical education class,” said Gautschi, noting the irony that she is now a physical education teacher. While at San Jose State, Gautschi learned many new sports, from gymnastics, to basketball to softball, which all “had a lot more risk involved” than swimming.
“I had a lot of fun doing those sports that I had never got to do,” she said.
Gautschi’s children, former Live Oak star water polo players and swimmers, Ryan and Ronni Gautschi, will be making the trip home from college to attend the ceremony.
“I’m proud that my kids can be there,” Gautschi said. “(The induction) sets more of an example of what my kids can do.”
Two people that Gautschi will dearly miss at the ceremony are her parents, who are both deceased.
“The saddest thing is that I never could share this with my parents,” Gautschi said. “Everything that I accomplished … I got to share all that with my parents.”
Gautschi is currently a coach at Sobrato High and with the Silicon Valley Aquatic Association and hopes this honor can help her build those programs.
“I coach a lot of kids now,” Gautschi said. “This will help the kids realize the level of coaching the kids can have if they can come swim for me.”
Jimmy Durkin is the Morgan Hill Times sports editor. He can be reached at (408) 779-4106 ext. 203 or jd*****@*************es.com.
