Art Luetke

Art has one of the most extensive backgrounds in the field and has been awarded the highest honors that even his peers can bestow: Year 2000 "Distinguished Service Award" from the Wisconsin Realtors Association, and "Year 2000 Realtor of Distinction" from his local Madison Board.

Art is also Wisconsin's longest designated "Certified Apartment Manager" (CAM) by the National Apartment Association (since 1978). He is an active member of the Greater Madison Board of Realtors, where he was President in 1992, the Madison Area Apartment Association, where he was President in 1978, and the Wisconsin Apartment Association, where Art was it's first President, in 1982. Let Art's professionalism, integrity, and dedicated service to his clients, work for you in fulfilling your real estate needs.

Here's what the Wisconsin State Journal printed in the peers selection for their industry's service award.

From the Board of Realtors of South-Central Wisconsin and The Wisconsin Realtors Association. Thanks for your 25 years of dedicated service and commitment to the real estate industry; For all the housing legislation that you spearheaded to passage to make Wisconsin a better place; For your enthusiasm and integrity; For your leadership as President of the Madison Board of Realtors ('92), the Wisconsin Apartment Association ('82), and the Madison Apartment Association ('78). This, along with 15 years as Chairman of the Freddy Gage Charity, 30 years of swim officiating, 16-time Badger State Games Masters Swimming Gold Medallist and record holder, 2000 World Masters Championships 5-event qualifier in Munich, Germany; Another softball league championship, and for saving a handicapped lad in a wheelchair at the bottom of a pool.

Art receives honor with daughter, Jessica.

Art with son Trevor and daughter Jessica, his two most important things in life.

Art Luetke competed March 24-30, 2002 in Christchurch, New Zealand at the World Masters Swimming Championships along with almost 3,000 competitors from 61 different countries. The World Masters Swimming Championship is a bi-annual event and the top ten places medal.

Art competed in the 55-59 age bracket, medaled in all 5 events he swam and set 4 new Wisconsin Master records. He took 4th in the 50 meter freestyle (:29.58) which broke the 1980 record. He took 6th in both the 100 meter freestyle (1:07.65) and the 200 meter freestyle (2:33.36), and broke the 1981 records for both events, plus 8th in the 400 meter freestyle (5:37.52), which broke the 1988 record, and 10th in the 50 meter Backstroke (:40.42).

Art's good friend and 1976 Montreal Olympic Gold Medalist Jim Montgomery also competed and won his specialty, the 100 meter freestyle, with a time of :54.22 in the 45-49 age group. He also won the 200 meter freestyle and took second in the 400 meter freestyle. Art says of swim coach, Dave Diegel (shown here), "I owe him a lot. While his 3,000 yards-a-day workouts were some real gut-busters, he got me in the best shape of my life."

2003' Maui Channel Relay Swim.

Let’s start with torture. In the race’s team division, six-person teams trade off for half-hour segments legging it out toward Maui, a journey that can take anywhere from three to seven hours depending on conditions. A few true sadists tackle the distance on their own, completing what amounts to about 290 lengths of an Olympic-sized pool. Except that this pool comes with strong currents. And big waves. And sharks. "I’m used to swimming in pools, where the lanes are marked and you can see the bottom," says Art Luetke ’68, a fifty-seven-year-old Madison property manager and Big Ten swimming official, who competed for the first time this year. "There, I’m looking down and seeing all this clear blue water, and I’m wondering where Jaws is."

From left to right: Rick Brent, Dave Tanner, Art Luetke, Brad Horner, Scott Findorff, Kevin Swoboda.

"It’s a completely different kind of swimming," Horner says, "and a completely different kind of test of your body. It can be like swimming in a washing machine." That’s what drew Horner to the race. A former world record holder in masters swimming competitions, he hadn’t experienced open-water racing until 1997, when Madison native and three-time Olympic gold medallist Jim Montgomery talked him into joining his Maui relay team. After a successful and shark-free race (there are always sightings, but never attacks, Horner says), he was hooked.

With family and friends along, the Badger contingent was one of the largest groups at the event which drew fifty-seven relay teams and fifteen individual competitors.  The four Grumpy Old Badgers team boats, each flying a red Bucky banner, were so noticeable that one opposing boat captain shouted out scores of the Wisconsin-West Virginia football game, which was running concurrently on ESPN. 

Wisconsin's imprint on the race results has been equally hard to miss.  Badgers have also fared well in the relays, where they've gone stroke-for-stroke with teams featuring 2000 Olympians Amanda Beard and Klete Keller.  This year, Sorensen, Montgomery, Phillips, Seversen, Cris Williams '83, PhD'90, and former Hungarian national champion Valter Kalaus '96 won the championship among teams totaling 240 years of age. 

"We weren't there to take a bath," says Luetke, whose team finished fourth in the senior division, where racers average at least fifty years of age.  "Swimming is an individual sport, and you don't get many chances to swim with teammates.  And that's where all the pressure lies.  You don't want to let anyone down."

"This is the start of [UW swimming and diving alumni] getting a lot closer," he says.  There's only one problem: with their spirit and competitive success, the Grumpy Old Badgers aren't living up to their name.  They don't swim like they're old, and in Maui, it's pretty hard to be grumpy.    

30 year avid whitewater canoeist with good friend and bowmate, attorney John Rashke.

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North Dakota pheasant hunting. Greg Drewsen, Butch Sobus and me.
30 years of hunting together and we finally hit something.