Career Highlights: Four-time CCI Champion in the 220-yard and 440-yard freestyles and three-time CCI Champion in the 400-yard freestyle relay; member of four CCI Championship teams; also helped the Cardinals to the 1958 NAIA national title by winning the 220-yard freestyle, 440-yard freestyle and as a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay; head coach of the 1961, ’62 and ’63 NAIA National Championship teams; head coach of the 1961, ’62, ’63,’64,’65 and ’66 CCI Championship teams.
John Molitor ’60 was recruited to North Central College while swimming for The Boys Technology and Trade School in Milwaukee, Wis. In his four-year career as a Cardinal, he swam to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) individual titles in both the 220-yard freestyle and as part of the 440-yard freestyle relay to help the team to its first national championship in 1958. At the conference level, Molitor was part of four College Conference of Illinois (CCI) championship teams. Individually, he was a four-time CCI Champion in the 220- and 440-yard freestyles (1956, ’57, ’58, ’59) and three-time winner as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay (1957, ’58, ’59).
After his impressive career as a Cardinal, he took a position as the aquatic director for the Aurora YMCA but came back to the College to head the swim team, serve as the director of the intramural program and teach in the physical education department. In addition to coaching three NAIA national championship teams (1961, ’62, ’63) and six conference title-winners, Molitor also coached the first women’s team at the College.
“We had some really fine teams,” Molitor said of his coaching time at North Central. “We had a large group of talented swimmers. I just couldn’t believe how much talent we had.”
Molitor coached his final Cardinal squad in 1966 before moving on to teach physical education and serve as swim coach at Stout State University in Menomonie, Wis. (now University of Wisconsin-Stout). After two years there, Molitor took a position teaching social studies and physical education at Horlick High School in Racine, Wis., for 15 years. Molitor then went into business for himself building and maintaining pools as part of Osprey Property Management in 1983. Now retired, Molitor is still involved in the sport, officiating local swimming competitions.
Molitor met his wife, Luann Mielke ’58, while at North Central. The couple has four adult children and eight grandchildren.
