University of Minnesota Athletics
Joey Ray to be Inducted into
10/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota men's gymnastics alumnus, Joey Ray, will be inducted into the university's "M" Club Hall of Fame, one of the nation's oldest and largest letterwinner organizations on Thursday, Oct. 15 in the DQ Room at TCF Bank Stadium.
Ray, along with 13 other inductees, represent 10 different Gopher varsity programs and spans over almost 75 years of Maroon and Gold Athletics' history.
In a release regarding the Hall of Fame induction, "M" Club director George Adzick states, "competing as a varsity athlete wearing the University of Minnesota colors is a remarkable achievement. Members of the "M" Club Hall of Fame achieved something even greater than that, setting the bar high for all collegiate athletes and entrenching themselves in the history of our university. It will be an honor to recognize the 2015 Hall of Fame class and to ensure their spot in Gopher Athletics' heritage."
Those who will be added to the "M" Club Hall of Fame this fall include:
- Luke Becker (Wrestling) -- National Champion, four-time All-American and a key contributor to the program's first two NCAA titles.
- Ronda Curtin (Women's Hockey) -- Program's first two-time All-American, 2002 WCHA Player of the Year.
- Chris Darkins (Football and Track) -- Minnesota's single-game rushing record holder, top-five in career rushing yards and 1996 Big Ten champion in 55-meter dash.
- Roland DePaul (Men's Hockey) -- All-American and three-time team scoring leader.
- Olga (Splichalova) Espinosa (Women's Swimming) -- Seven-time All-American, three-time Big Ten champion and two-time Czech Olympian.
- Brent Gates (Baseball) -- All-American and 1991 Big Ten Player of the Year, currently second on Minnesota's career batting average list.
- Clifton Gustafson (Wrestling) -- Big Ten champion and first two-time All-American in program history.
- Jack Manders (Football) -- Two-time All-American and three-time All-Pro during NFL career.
- Dick Meredith (Men's Hockey) -- NCAA All-Tournament team honoree and two-time U.S. Olympian.
- Jennie (Moe) Coughlin (Women's Tennis) -- First three-time, First Team All-Big Ten performer in program history and leader in career double wins as an individual and overall.
- Dave Odegard (Track and Field) -- First All-American hurdler at Minnesota and two-time Big Ten champion.
- Bill "Buzz" Schneider (Men's Hockey) -- Leader on Minnesota's first NCAA championship team and two-time U.S. Olympian.
- Byrl Thompson (Track and Field) -- Two-time Big Ten champion in discus and alternate for 1948 U.S. Olympic team.
"M"Club inductees are chosen by a committee of former student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators each year.
Throughout his years at the University of Minnesota (1981-84), Ray collected six individual Big Ten championships. His freshman year, he was crowned on both the pommel horse as well as the parallel bars, opening the door to winning four straight Big Ten titles on the bars. Ray is one of only two Gophers to win four Big Ten titles on a single event.
"Any time you can have a gymnast inducted into the Hall of Fame, it's a great thing for our program and for the sport," said men's gymnastics head coach Mike Burns. "Joey Ray is probably one of the more deserving guys. It's been pushing 30 years since he finished his career here at the U, but his legacy remains strong and we couldn't be more proud of all that he achieved."
In addition to his individual accolades, Ray finished either first or second in the Big Ten all-around all four years he competed and won the title in 1983.
In both 1982 and 1984, the Gophers won the conference title with Ray's contributions being key in leading the Gophers to victory.
During Ray's time at the University of Minnesota, Burns was starting out his coaching career and was at the University of Iowa.
"We recruited Joey really hard to try to get him to Iowa, but we weren't quite as established as Fred Roethlisberger and his program at the U," said Burns. "For the next four years, every time you would go compete against Minnesota, it was tough because he was one of the most consistent and hard working guys out there."
Ray was also a recipient of the 1984 Big Ten Medal of Honor and First Team All-Big Ten recognition.
"Joey was an icon in the sport, especially on the parallel bars and was one of the nicest guys you could have ever met," said Burns. "When you're in the heat of competition, the other team is the enemy, but you couldn't help but like Joey Ray."
"For the guys on the team now to know the history of the program and the greats that came before them, is really important so that they know that this program means a lot to a lot of people and our goal is to continue that rich history to make the University of Minnesota men's gymnastics the best that it can be."
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