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Wally Lundt

Wally Lundt
Player, Coach, Contributor
Class of 2000

A founding father of Missouri Water Polo, Wally started water polo in the St. Louis area in 1960 by persuading three area school districts to offer the sport. In his 50+ years involved with the sport, he played and coached the sport at the highest of levels. He was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2004. The Missouri High School Water Polo Coach of the Year Award is named in his honor. Additionally, the annual Clayton Men’s Water Polo Tournament, the longest continuously running masters’ tournament in the United States, and the pool where it is played both bear his name.

Clubs: Missouri Athletic Club, YMCA, Washington University, Clayton Water Polo
Playing Record: Missouri Athletic Club 1948-1952, YMCA 1948-1952
College:

  • Washington University, St. Louis, MO 1948-1952, Master of Science in Health, Physical Education and Recreation 1956
  • Varsity Swim Team Captain 1951-1952

Participation:

  • AAU Sr. National Championship Team Indoor 1947
  • Played on MAC Team in Olympic Trials 1948
  • Played in the field for St. Louis All Star Team vs. Hungarian Olympic Champions – exhibition in St. Louis 1948
  • AAU Jr. National Championship Team Indoor & Outdoor 1949
  • Member of MAC Team which won the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Championship, Bermuda 1949-1950
  • Chairman Ozark AAU Swimming and Water Polo Committee 1953
  • Started “Age Group” Water Polo – a developmental program for youngsters 9 years-16 years 1954
  • Started High School Water Polo in St. Louis 1960
  • Persuaded three area school districts to begin the sport of Water Polo creating a new state sport. Today there are 21 area schools participating

Coach:

Wally smiles in the center of the team picture of the 2010 CHS Water Polo Team. (Courtesy of Sonia Beard)

  • St. Louis Water Polo Team, Olympic Trials, New York, NY 1964
  • Host, Coach and Tournament Manager 1968
  • Sr. Indoor National AAU Water Polo Tournament – St. Louis Club took second place
  • Conducted a Water Polo Clinic for High School coaches and players for Glenn Kay, Fort Lauderdale, FL 1970
  • Host for AAU National Junior Water Polo Olympic Tournament, Shaw Park, Clayton, MO 1971
  • Coached Clayton Water Polo Club to 1st Place
  • Established Clayton Invitational Water Polo Tournament 1971-Present
  • Held every year since 1971. this is one of the longest running Water Polo tournaments in the USA
  • Member of the National Federation of High School Swimming, Diving, and Water Polo Rules Committee 1988-1989

Referee:

  • Refereed College Water Polo Games for Principia College, SE Missouri State, SW Missouri State, SIU Carbondale 1970’s
  • Served as an official for MSHSAA at Swimming and Water Polo meets on the local and state levels 42 years

Honors:

  • Missouri Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association created an honorary award given annually for outstanding service in the area of aquatics
  • First recipient – Walter H. Lundt
  • MSHSAA Distinguished Service Award 1995
  • Missouri State High School Activities Association Award for coaching Boys and Girls Swimming for 37 years, and coaching Water Polo for 30 years
  • Starter for the Men’s and Women’s Division III College 2000 Swimming and Diving Championships
  • Missouri Athletic Club Hall of Fame 2002
  • Member of the Meramec River Patrol: A voluntary organization established by US Congress in 1928 to help the American Red Cross patrol the Meramec River to reduce drownings 1947-1980

Player Development:

Wally coaches 1968 CHS water polo players and MOWP HOF members Alan Stiffelman on left and Jimmy Spiegel on right in the water. (Courtesy of Alan Stiffelman)

  • Coached Water Polo at Clayton High School 1960-1991
    • Ten State Titles
    • Four Second Place Titles
    • 390 Wins-127 Losses
  • Coached Lafayette High School – 9 years 1993-2004
  • High School “All American” – 22 players
  • 1962
    • Tom Jones, 1st Team
    • Paul Lang, Honorable Mention
    • Charles Smithers, Honorable Mention
  • 1963
    • Rick Kessler, 4th Team
    • Doug Marshall, 5th Team
  • 1967
    • Allen Leet, Honorable Mention
    • Bennett Katz, 2nd Team
    • Morton John May, Honorable Mention
    • Jim Rolf, Honorable Mention
  • 1968
    • Morton John May, 4th Team
    • Jim Rolf, Honorable Mention
    • Ron Ronman, Honorable Mention
    • Chris Mutrux, 2nd Team
    • Bill Patten, Honorable Mention
  • 1970-71
    • Bill Schwartz, 4th Team
    • Jim Firestone, 5th Team
    • Rich Yawitz, 6th Team
    • Art Flemmming, 7th Team
  • 1971-72
    • Bill Schwartz, 3rd Team
    • Jim Firestone, 3rd Team
    • Rich Yawitz, 4th Team
    • Steve Rafferty, 4th Team
    • Robert Stiffelman, Honorable Mention
  • Maccabi Games, Israel, US National Water Polo Team
    • 1969 – Jim Spiegel, Bennett Katz
    • 1973 – Jim Firestone
  • College “All American” Division III; Gilbert Wette, Cal Tec
  • Harvard University; Jim Floerchinger: Head Water Polo Coach 1999-present
  • College and University Water Polo Playersfrom Clayton High School: Stanford, San Diego State, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, California Institute of Technology

Teaching Experience:

  • Clayton High School: Taught; Physical Education, Health, Swimming, Water Polo, Climbing, Rappelling, Tennis, Orienteering. Coached: Swimming (boys & girls), Water Polo (boys & girls), Tennis (boys) 1957-1992
  • Clayton Water Sports Center – Manager 1952-Present:
    • Planned and coordinated “Learn to Swim Program” for Clayton School District.
    • Supervised national swimming and diving events
  • Shaw Park AAU Swimming Teach Coach 1952-1965
  • Selected as Water Polo and Swimming Coach: Cal Tech 1967
  • Rockwood School District: Head Water Polo Coach, Head Boys Swimming Coach and Girl’s Assistant Swim Coach 1993-Present