Hall of Fame Biography
Art Koblish
Born: Fri., Feb. 29, 1924
Died: Sun., Feb. 28, 2016
The team of Illinois Athletic Club that took part at the Pan Am Water Polo competition in 1959. Seated front row L-R: Haberkman, Hughes, Good, Kastner. Standing rear L-R: Greller (Coach), Koblish, Connors, Kooistra S., Kooistra B., Hahn, Little (Mgr.).
Club: Illinois Athletic Club
College: Northwestern University
Years Played: 1947 – 62
Participation:
AAU Sr. National Championship Team outdoor 1951, 55, 58
AAU Sr. National Championship Team indoor 1948, 51, 54, 55, 56, 60, 62
US Pan American Team 1959 Chicago (Gold Medal)
Honors:
AAU All American indoor 1954
Elected to USA Water Polo Hall of Fame 1982
Koblish was the hero of the 1960 Senior AAU Indoor Championship game which pitted the Illinois Athletic Club vs. the New York Athletic Club. According to Jack Olsen’s article in Sports Illustrated, May 02, 1960, with the score tied 7-7, “In the second overtime Illinois’ Art Koblish broke into the open, forcing [NYAC Goalie] Grosjean to commit himself, and pushed a dainty little pop-up over the goalie’s head.”
