DARTS HISTORY
The Delaware Aquatic Racing Team Stingrays officially hit the water in 1979. That was the year the private Delaware Swim Club Stingrays (circa 1950’s) became a Delaware City Parks and Recreation Department sponsored program. The acronym D.A.R.T.S. was the brainchild of Jack Florance and David Staley (both past Stingray coaches), Bob Walker (City Manager) and Jim Garges (Recreation Director). The four were avid Masters swimmers who trained at Mingo Pool who possessed an interest in youth swimming. The name stuck and the D.A.R.T.S. were under way in June 1979. T.K. Cellar was hired to lead the Stingrays the first season. He convinced the program to switch from the Mid Ohio Swim League (M.O.S.L.) to membership in the Greater Columbus Swim League (G.C.S.L.). T.K. had grown up competing in the GCSL and had coached for league member Mt. Air before coming to Delaware. This change limited travel to north and east Columbus area instead of Mt Vernon, Wooster, Springfield and Coshocton as required by MOSL. 

The inaugural season (1979) had two swim coaches (Cellar and Bill Rietz) and 1 diving coach(David Potts). The entire team was 57 athletes. There was 24 Juniors and 33 Seniors. The Junior team consisted of only 5 boys, one of which was 8 years old. Rietz handled the Juniors while Cellar worked with the Seniors. The weekly newsletter “The Waterlog” was created by Cellar who taught English at Hayes. He cranked out each edition on a typewriter on a ditto that was mimeographed on a machine in the Boy’s locker room store room. The first season saw the Juniors finish 1-4, the Seniors 2-2-1 (tied Mt. Air) with respective 7th and 8th place finishes at the GCSL Championship. 

Over the years the program has grown in number of participants and team success. The following data point this out.

  • 1980 - Wesleyan Woods Aquatic Club (C.O.S.A. League member) combined with D.A.R.T.S. which effectively doubled the team size. By the late 1980’s the roster numbered between 180-200 athletes annually.

  • In 2015, DART Stingrays Inc. was formed as a non-profit organization. 

  • All team operations are now overseen by a five member Board of Directors.

  • In 2021, DARTS returned as a program under City of Delaware Parks and Recreation

Junior dual meet record 115-48-0  ( not updated )

Senior dual meet record 129-35-3  (not updated)

(incomplete records for 1989 and 1990)

Juniors have had 16 undefeated dual meet seasons in 46 years in G.C.S.L. Seniors have had 15 undefeated seasons

Overall G.C.S.L. Team Champion 2009-2019, 2021

  • Awarded to team with highest point total for Diving, Junior and Senior Swimming

  • First awarded by G.C.S.L. in 2009.

G.C.S.L. Champions Juniors – 1982, 1985, 2009-13, 2015-18

  • Seniors – 1987, 1988, 2004, 2011, 2013-2017, 2019, 2021-2022

G.C.S.L. Runner – Up Juniors – 1984, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2019

  • Seniors – 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012

G.C.S.L. 3rd place finish -  Juniors 12 times

  • Seniors 14 times

Head Coaches (oversee entire program and Senior swimmers)

T.K. Cellar | 1979-1982

Bill Rietz | 1983-1991

Tom Main | 1992 (finished season for Rietz)

Bill Rietz | 1993-2003

Dick Hawes | 2004 (finished season for Rietz)

Bill Rietz | 2005 to Present

Junior Head Coaches

Bill Rietz  | 1979-1982

Julie Schupp Long | 1983-1984

Denise Guenther Hackett | 1985-1994

Angie Hillier Ullum | 1995-2001

Robert Schalmo | 2002

Denise Berry | 2003 to 2015

Jordan Nicol   2016 

Kelly Montee  2017-present

Head Diving Coaches

David Potts | 1979

Kristen Cellar | 1980-1984

Helen Andersson | 1985-1995

Ben Teets | 1996-1997

Brian Book | 1998-2002

Robert Krichbaum | 2003-2005

Zach Kaple | 2006 & 2008

Becky Whitney | 2007

Christine Runkle | 2009

Erin Hanahan | 2010

Megan Savage | 2011-2012

Julie Jefferis | 2013 -2014

Stephanie Frisch | 2015 to Present

G.C.S.L. Hall of Fame Members

T.K. Cellar Class of 2005 & Bill Rietz Class of 2009