O*H*I*O Masters Coaches
Bob Babiak
Bob has coached the Ohio Masters for over 30 years and is a Level I and II USMS Certified Coach. He has over 45 years of Age Group, High School and Masters coaching. Most of his career has been spent in the Age Group programs.
Bob has been involved with the following clubs: Lakewood Swim Club, Lake Erie Swim Club, Lake Erie Silver Dolphins-West—Assistant Coach and Head Coach for 24 years. Westshore YMCA—Head Coach 4 Years, O*H*I*O Masters—29 years. Bob has been Head Coach at Westlake, Berea, and Fairview High Schools.
Chuck Beatty
Chuck started swimming in Midland, Texas in 1969 (yes, before goggles). He swam age group, high school and one year of college, then swam on and off for the next 35 years.
Chuck joined U.S. Masters Swimming and O*H*I*O Masters in 2013. His personal focus is on distance freestyle events and open water swimming. To apply his craft, Chuck took on swimming across Lake Erie; once as a relay team member and once as a solo. He’s been coaching the Akron General Lifestyles workout group since late 2018 and earned his USMS Level 1 and Level 2 coaching certifications in May 2019.
Chuck is the event director of the Brogan Open Water Classic, serves on Board for O*H*I*O Masters and serves as the Open Water Chair of the Lake Erie LMSC.
Pete Finefrock
Pete started competitive swimming in 1957 at the Sportsman’s Club in Oklahoma City. He joined the Berea Swim Club (AAU) in 1961 and swam for Berea High (Class of ’66) and The College of Wooster (Class of ’70) as primarily a backstroker and IMer.
Pete started coaching in 1967 for the Wooster YMCA and Wooster Swim Club for several years.
He returned to coaching in 1997 as head middle school coach for Hathaway Brown School for many years and Assistant Head Coach for University Swim Club for 20 years. He also assisted Laurel School MS swimming team. He spent 13 years coaching the Shaker Heights Country Club team.
Currently, Pete is the head middle school coach for University School for 20 years and works with their Varsity program, the Aquatics Director and Swim Coach for Canterbury Golf Club, the lead swim instructor pre-K through 5th grade at University School and long time O*H*I*O Masters coach at Orange High School.
Judi Norton
Judi is a lifelong swimmer, having started as a “Minnow” at age 6 in the Lakewood YWCA. She switched to competitive swimming at age 11 with Lakewood Swim Club (currently LRST) and continued at Rutgers University where she was a two-time DI All American (200 IM and 200 Back).
After graduation, she coached Fairview High School Boys’ Team for 13 years and added the girls’ program for the last 3 years. She started swimming with O*H*I*O Masters in 1981 and has continued with the club in various roles including board member, coach, and President.
Her favorite role with the club is “teammate.” She also serves on the LELMSC Board. In 2018, Judi received the USMS Dorothy Donnelly Service Award, which recognizes USMS members whose volunteer service has contribued to the growth of U.S. Masters Swimming on local, regional, and national levels. She is also a USMS Certified Level 1 and 2 Coach and an Adult Learn to Swim (ALTS) Instructor.
Kati Pederson
Kati grew up with a passion for swimming, inspired by her father, who was a diver for Lakewood High School. He was thrilled when she started swimming for LRSC, though shortly after her first swim meet at 9, he suddenly passed away. After moving to Westlake, she competed in the Ohio high school state meet every year, placing 2nd in the 100 fly in 1999.
She went on to swim for the University of Iowa, but a serious shoulder injury cut her time there short. Later, she found her way to Chapman University in California, where she rediscovered her love for swimming and became the assistant Rowing coach.
After 24 years away from Ohio, she returned and fell in love with swimming again. She now coaches Ohio Masters, learning from the incredible Bob and Judy, and also trains with the team on non-coaching days. Competing again has reignited her passion, and she’s excited to pursue some ambitious goals in the 400IM.
Mark Stewart
Mark started swimming as an adult, and joined O*H*I*O Masters over 15 years ago. Before Masters Swimming, Mark had dabbled in various sports, and he expected to last a month or two before moving on. Years later he’s still here. It’s the swimming, and it’s the people.
Tom Spence, a veteran Lakewood Masters swimmer, often says, “Swimming a Masters workout adds another healthy day to your life.” As a fitness swimmer, Mark embraces this motto.
Mark is interested in the physics of swimming, which is not surprising as he retired from a career at NASA that focused on fluid mechanics—how objects move through liquids and gases.