By Ryan Fasciano, Athletic Communications Intern In 1968 on a Friday afternoon, Art Kramer ’69 was sick and lying in bed in his dorm room at the State University of New York at New Paltz. His head swimming and diving coach Art Stockin called coach Al Miller to try and persuade Kramer to participate in the NCAA Atlantic Coast Regionals at The College at Brockport.
Even though he was feverish and nauseous, Kramer decided to participate in the event and left that night. The bus turned and twisted (just like Kramer’s stomach), on the way and arrived at Brockport at 2 a.m. Kramer went right to sleep and missed the 1-meter dive, but he woke up in time for the 3-meter dive. Kramer eventually finished with a fourth-place NCAA medal.
“If it wasn’t for Coach Miller spending time trying to convince me to go and placing me on that bus, I would have missed what turned out to be a great experience,” said Kramer.
This is pretty good for someone, who before 1965, never competed in diving. During freshman orientation, Kramer was diving in Elting Pool and was approached by a member of the swimming team. Kramer joined the swim team after this meeting.
“At this point I had never competed in diving,” said Kramer. “A few summers earlier the community I lived in built a large swimming pool with two 1-meter and one 3-meter diving boards. I always enjoyed the trampoline in high school, so diving was a natural fit.”
Eventually, Stockin was hired in 1966 and helped Kramer as much as he could. In 1967 and 1969, Kramer won the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) diving title. He also competed in the NCAA Division III Championships in the same years.
“Art was instrumental in getting the college to fly me to Atlanta to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships,” said Kramer.
After his career as a student athlete at New Paltz, he received dual bachelor’s degrees in earth science and physics. Kramer eventually became a science teacher and swimming coach at Jericho High School in Jericho, N.Y. Kramer always knew he wanted to be a teacher and he stayed there for 34 years until retiring in 2003. He stayed at Jericho for three more years as the swimming coach.
“Jericho needed a science teacher and a diving coach,” said Kramer. “I was in the right place at the right time. I was very, very fortunate.”
Kramer continued diving for enjoyment throughout his teaching career until 2012, when he severed the tendon between his quad muscles and kneecap.
“The injury has been repaired, but for the time being I have not been back on the springboard,” said Kramer. “Fortunately, it hasn’t prevented me from engaging in my current passion which is dance, primarily country western line and partner with ballroom.”
