HO_062019

36 | June 20, 2019 | the homer horizon sports
homerhorizon.com
Lockport’s Fontanetta competes at Great Lakes Games
Swimmer will be a
sophomore next school
year for LTHS swimming
Nick Frazier
Contributing Sports Editor
Lockport’s Ellie Fontanetta competes in the mixed 50-meter freestyle at the Great Lakes Games on Saturday, June 15, at Lake Forest High
School. Nick Frazier/22nd Century Media
There were plenty of feelgood
stories to go around on the
North Shore this past weekend,
including one for the Porters.
That is because the Great
Lakes Adaptive Sports Association,
or GLASA, held its annual
Great Lakes Games at Lake Forest
High School and Niles West
High School. LFHS hosted archery,
powerlifting, boccia and
swimming on Friday, June 14,
and Saturday, June 15, while
Niles West was home to the track
meet on Sunday, June 16.
The Great Lakes Games is a
multi-sport regional competition
for athletes with a physical
disability or visual impairment.
Over 230 athletes registered to
participate this year, including
some United States Paralympians
attempting to break world
records.
Lockport Township High
School’s Ellie Fontanetta, who
will be going into her sophomore
year for the Porters, took part in
the swim meet at the LFHS pool
this past Saturday. The 15-yearold
started her day by swimming
the mixed 50-meter breaststroke
in 2:10.68, good for fifth-best in
her heat. She then finished fourth
in her heat in the mixed 50-meter
freestyle with a time of 1:35.88.
Fontanetta is a member of the
Porters girls swim team. She was
the school’s first athlete with disabilities
to win a state medal for
swimming.
It has now been 20 years since
GLASA Executive Director Cindy
Housner founded the organization.
“I had worked with athletes
previously with physical or visual
disabilities, I just saw so much
the importance of sports and how
it affects everyday life in regards
to self-esteem and independence,”
Housner said. “[GLA-
SA] provides opportunities for
travel, and for our athletes to
be successful in school, college
and go on to lead their projected
life. There wasn’t an agency in
this area, that was doing it, that’s
kind of why it prompted me to
start the organization.”
Marilyn Wieland has been a
member of GLASA’s board of
directors for over 12 years now.
She also is an Illinois Paralympic
swimming official and served as
director of the swim meet.
“We’ve been doing it for
years; we love it,” Wieland said
of the meet. “We love to see the
kids’ smiles on their face. We
actually do other regional meets
and junior nationals that are up
in Minnesota this year.”
Housner’s daughter swam at
Lake Forest High School, and
the organization has a good relationship
with Scouts girls swimming
and diving coach Carolyn
Grevers. The Great Lakes
Games’ swim meet has been at
LFHS for 10 years now, bringing
a smile to those who take part
and creating lifelong memories
for the athletes.
“The entire school support
staff, [LFHS athletic director]
Tim Burkhalter, his coaches and
his staff and across the board
have been so extremely supportive,”
Housner said. “They
truly believe in our missions and
being inclusive. It’s one of our
strongest partners. We’re very
appreciative for the partnership
that we have in Lake Forest High
School.”
RIGHT: Ellie Fontanetta
participated in three events for
the Porters at state this past
season in the Athletes with
Disabilities category, taking
ninth there in the 50-yard
freestyle, eighth in the 100-yard
freestyle and sixth in the 100-
yard breaststroke. 22nd Century
Media File Photo