Admiral King and Southview high schools have added varsity swimming to their winter sports lineups for the first time with Bob Cunicella coaching the Admirals and Sean Murphy the Saints.

Cunicella, 56, has been with Lorain City Schools since 1996. A computer tech teacher at Larkmoor Elementary, he has coached a variety of sports, including six years of football at Admiral King, two years of girls basketball at Southview, six years of girls basketball at Lorain Middle School, plus four years of basketball and track at General Johnnie Wilson.

Cunicella has been the pool manager for the Vermilion Community Pool since 2000 and has taught swim instruction to about 400 kids.

“I am extremely excited about our prospects for the team this year,” Cunicella said. “I have had two meetings with the kids and they appear as excited as I am. We had 16 people at the first meeting and 23 kids at the second meeting.”

Cunicella is a 1971 graduate of Westfield High in New Jersey and a 1976 graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College. He lettered three years in football, four years in basketball, twice in baseball and once in track at Westfield and played basketball and tennis for KWU.

He lives in Vermilion with his three sons.

At age 19, Murphy is one of the youngest head varsity coaches ever in Lorain County. The 2008 Fairview High graduate was a three-year letterwinner in football, swimming and baseball for the Warriors.

Murphy was an assistant freshman football coach at Southview this fall. In the 2008-09 school year, he was assistant eighth grade football coach at Mayer Middle School in Fairview and was a varsity scout. Murphy also served as assistant freshman baseball coach at North Olmsted.

“The numbers are encouraging,” Murphy said of the Saints swimming program. “I expect to be carrying 12 to 15 boys and 16 to 20 girls, which is similar or even better than a lot of other area programs. Starting a program is never easy, but I feel that this program has many things going for it and can accomplish many great feats in the short and long term.”

Murphy is assisted by Liz Lococo, a 2007 North Olmsted High graduate who brings 12 years of experience as a swimmer for the USA swim program at North Olmsted Rec and North Olmsted High.

Although the Admirals and Saints are fielding varsity teams for the first time, there have been a few independent swimmers for Lorain Schools over the years. Most recently was Ian Murray, who was three-time All-Ohio in 1995 and ’96, twice in the 100 fly and once in the 500 free.

Murray went on to swim for Cleveland State and is now coaching a USA swim club in Indiana.

Contact Paul Heyse at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

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