Since 1903, Gopher Men’s Gymnastics has been an integral part of Minnesota Athletics. Dr. Louis J Cooke had the vision to start the program at the turn of the 20th century, and in our first year of existence, we won the Big Ten Team Title. The Gophers have won that title 21 times with another 17 seasons as Big Ten runners-up.
Throughout our century-old history, we have thrived on the Twin Cities campus, giving back to a community that has nurtured us along the way. That run was cut short on October 9, 2020, when the University of Minnesota Board Of Regents voted to approve a proposal set in motion by Athletics Director Mark Coyle to cut men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis, and men’s indoor track & field. The measure passed by the slimmest of margins, 7 to 5, and put a stain on the reputation of a University that we all proudly represented.
Despite the Athletics Department’s decision, the Minnesota Men’s Gymnastics continued to excel in the 2021 season, finishing fifth in the nation while earning the highest GPA of any men’s program at the University. Shane Wiskus capped off the historic season only weeks later by earning a spot on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team, becoming the first Gopher since John Roethlisberger to do so.
Our History
NCAA Champions
All-Around Champions
1942 - Newt Loken
1991 - John Roethlisberger
1992 - John Roethlisberger
1993 - John Roethlisberger
Floor Exercise Champions
2001 - Clay Strother
2002 - Clay Strother
Horizontal Bars Champions
1941 - Newt Loken
Still Rings Champions
(Flying Rings until 1958)
1941 - Delver Daly
1953 - Ken Bartlett
2021 - Shane Wiskus
Vault Champions
1948 - Jim Peterson
Parallel Bars Champions
1940 - Bob Hanning
1991 - John Roethlisberger
2019 - Shane Wiskus
2021 - Shane Wiskus
Pommel Horse Champions
1993 - John Roethlisberger
2001 - Clay Strother
2002 - Clay Strother
2014 - Ellis Mannon
All-Americans
1938: Paul Johnson (SH, 2nd); Curtis O. Lynum (HB, 2nd; FR, 3rd).
1939: Petey O'Heron (SH, 4th); James Ronning (SH, 3rd); Robert Hanning (SH, 6th; PB, 5th); James Haffey (PB, 2nd); Delver Daly (AA, 5th; HB, 3rd); Curtis Lynum (HB, 6th).
1940: James Ronning (SH, 3rd; HB, 3rd; Flying Rings 6th); Delver Daly (PB, 6th); Robert C. Hanning (PB, 1st); Newt Loken (HB, 2nd; T, T2nd; FR, 3rd).
1941: Newt Loken (AA, 2nd; HB, 1st; T, 2nd; V, 6th; FX, 5th; PB, 5th); Robert C. Hanning (PB, 3rd; SH, 5th); Frank Grossman (RC, T2nd; FR, 4th); Delver Daly (FR, 1st; RC, 4th; HB, 5th); Allen Aagaard (RC, 5th); George Olson (HB, 4th).
1942: Newt Loken (AA, 1st; PB, 3rd; T, 2nd; V, 3rd; HB, 4th); James B. Peterson (AA, 3rd; V, 1st; HB, 2nd); Doug Sorenson (V, 4th); George Patten (TU, 4th).
1949: James B. Peterson (T, 2nd; TR, 4th); Howard Swanson (SH, 4th); Donald Hedstrom (FR, 4th).
1952: Kenneth Bartlett (AA, 3rd; PB, 3rd; FR, 1st).
1953: Kenneth Bartlett (AA, 3rd; PB, 3rd; FR, 1st); Verne Evans (TR, 3rd).
1954: James Jackson (HB, 6th).
1956: James Jackson (HB, 5th).
1959: Duane Hoecherl (PB, 5th; HB, 6th).
1964: Tom Arneson (SH, 6th).
1974: Jeff LaFleur (VT, 6th).
1976: Jeff LaFleur (PB, 5th).
1978: Tim LaFleur (PB, 5th).
1980: Peter Velguth (SR, 6th).
1981: Joey Ray (PB, 6th).
1982: Brian Meeker (HB, 6th).
1985: Steve Braun (PH, 4th); Dave Menke (HB, 5th).
1986: Rob Brown (AA, 6th); Steve Braun (PH, 3rd).
1988: Dale Langefels (FX, 4th); Dave Devries (PH, 5th).
1989: Mark McKiernan (PH, 4th); Jay Caputo (PB, 6th); Mike Miller (SR, 8th).
1990: John Roethlisberger (AA, 2nd; SR, T4th; PB, 4th; PH, 4th; HB, 4th); Mike Graham (PH, 4th); Jay Caputo (HB, 3rd; PB, 5th).
1991: John Roethlisberger (AA, 1st; SR, 5th; PB, T1st); Mike Farina (PH, 6th); Jay Caputo (PB, T3rd); Leif Carlson (HB, 4th).
1992: John Roethlisberger (AA, 1st; FX, T2nd; SR, T6th; VT, T2nd); Brian Yee (PH, 3rd); Rob Hanson (SR, T6th).
1993: John Roethlisberger (AA, 1st; PH, 1st; PB, 4th).
1995: Brian Yee (PH, 3rd); Colby Van Cleave (VT, 5th).
1999: Jason Krob (PH, T2nd).
2001: Clay Strother (AA, 5th; FX, 1st; PH, 1st).
2002: Clay Strother (AA, 6th; FX, 1st; PH, 1st; VT, 6th; PB, 4th); Guillermo Alvarez (FX, 3rd).
2003: Clay Strother (AA, 6th; FX, 5th; PH, 4th).
2004: Guillermo Alvarez (AA, 5th; FX, 4th; PH, 6th).
2005: Guillermo Alvarez (AA, 4th; FX, 8th; PH, 2nd; VT, 2nd).
2007: Andre Berry (AA, 8th); Kit Beikmann (PH, 7th); Jake Lee (AA, 6th); Adam Reichow (FX, 2nd; V, 6th); Cole Storer (FX, 6th).
2008: Mitchell Mays (VT, 8th); Cole Storer (HB, 2nd).
2009: Kit Beikmann (PH, 5th); DJ Repp (VT, 6th).
2010: Cole Storer (FX, 8th).
2013: Ellis Mannon (PH, 2nd).
2014: Ellis Mannon (PH, 1st).
2015: Zach Liebler (FX, 3rd); Joel Gagnon (FX, 6th); Steve Jaciuk (HB, 3rd); Jack Metcalf (SR, 6th); Ellis Mannon (PH, 7th).
2016: Zach Liebler (VT, 7th; FX, 8th); Joel Gagnon (FX, 8th); Justin Karstadt (PH, 8th).
2017: Zach Liebler (FX, T6th); Vitali Kan (VT, 8th); Tristan Duran (PB, T8th; HB T8th); Jalon Stephens (HB, T3rd).
2018: Shane Wiskus (SR, 4th; HB, 7th; AA, 2nd); Luke Aldrich (FX, 7th); Justin Karstadt (PH, 5th; PB, 3rd); Shaun Herzog (SR, 6th); Yaroslav Pochinka (VT, 4th); Vitali Kan (VT, T7th); Jalon Stephens (HB, T7th); Tristan Duran (AA, 7th).
2019: Shane Wiskus (AA, 2nd; PB, 1st; VT, 6th); Justin Karstadt (PH, 6th); Ben Eyles (VT, 5th).
2021: Shane Wiskus (AA, 2nd; FX, 2nd; PH, 8th; SR, 1st; PB, 1st; HB, 2nd); Donte McKinney (HB, 5th); Mike Moran (VT, T5th).
NCAA Top Ten Team Finishes
2nd: 1941, 1949, 1990, 2018
3rd: 1940, 1989
4th: 1948, 1991, 1992,
5th: 1939, 1942, 1952, 1976, 1977, 1993, 2002, 2017, 2021
6th: 1952, 1982, 2007, 2016
7th: 1978, 1988, 1997, 2003, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2019
8th: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
9th: 1979, 1987, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006
10th: 1984, 1985, 1994
