Hall of Fame
1964 & 1965 Gymnastics Team - Western won back-to-back National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national titles in gymnastics in 1964 and 1965, the first two national titles sponsored by the organization. Coached by Robert Clow (Hall of Fame Class of 1982), fifteen members representing the two teams will be inducted. They include: Gerry Aldrich, Dave Donaldson, Bill Downing, Dennis Hallett (deceased), Ray Ingersoll, Ray LaFrancis, Loren Michaels, Tom Muraoka, Gerald (Gerry) Peterson, Jack Peterson, Jerry Polacek, Mike Rogers, Howie Sokol, Gene Swanson (deceased), and Mac Weeks (deceased).The Leathernecks edged Georgia Southern 156.5-156 to capture the ’64 national championship. Sokol won the 1964 individual NAIA national title in the rings, and Weeks won the tumbling title. Polacek led the Western scoring with 36.5 points (4th individually overall), followed by Sokol in fifth place (30 pts) and Hallett in eighth (26). Peterson, Sokol and Weeks were First Team All-Tournament Team honorees while Polacek, LaFrancis, Donaldson, Ingersoll and Hallett were Second Team All-Tournament selections.
In 1965 Western captured six individual titles and cruised to a repeat championship. The Leathernecks totaled 143 points with Eastern Washington next at 75.5 points. Individual titles were won by: Polacek (all-around), LaFrancis (trampoline), Rogers (side horse), Swanson (still rings), Ingersoll (horizontal bar), and Gerry Peterson (parallel bars). Polacek was the top individual scorer for the Leathernecks with 50.2 points. Polacek, LaFrancis, Rogers, Ingersoll, Peterson, Swanson and Downing were First Team All-America selections. Sokol was a Second Team All-America selection.
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