OSU
Sports History Minute - March 2, 2001
Part
7 of 20: A Tradition is Born
Today, Beaver fans have become accustomed to their
women's gymnastics teams competing well on the national
level.
But when did Oregon State first become prominent
in women's gymnastics?
It was 20 years ago, or the season of 1981, that
OSU produced its first individual national champion
in gymnastics when freshman Laurie Carter won the
balance beam at the national meet in Salt Lake City
before 8,000 fans. Her total score for the preliminary
and final competition was 18.80.
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Far
Left: Laurie Carter was
OSU's first individual national
champion in gymnastics.
Top: The 1980-81 varsity
team photo. Coach Ron Ludwig
is in the front row, far right.
Immediate Left: Mary
Ayotte won the American Award
in 1982.
All photos this page from
The Beaver, 1981. |
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She thus joined Mary Budke in golf and Joni Huntley
in track and field as early individual national champions
in OSU's women's athletics history.
Prior to their trip to Salt Lake, Coach Ron Ludwig's
OSU gymnasts had won a third consecutive regional
title, capturing 17 of 24 individual medals, and finished
seventh overall at the nationals. A rising new star
in the OSU program, Mary Ayotte, finished fourth nationally
in the balance beam and seventh all-around, the highest
ever for an OSU gymnast.
In 1982, Mary Ayotte would get her turn to shine as
she became the recipient of the highest award a senior
collegiate gymnast can receive, the American Award,
equivalent to football's Heisman Trophy and voted
on by the nation's Division I coaches. She won the
national championship for floor exercise and was third
all-around. She also helped her team defeat eventual
national champion Utah for the regionals title and
finish seventh for the tournament.
-- George
P. Edmonston, Jr. |
