University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Great Tim Heikkila Passes Away at Age 73
5/8/2023 12:39:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
The former Gopher high jump star was the 1969 Big Ten Champion.
University of Minnesota great Tim Heikkila passed away on April 26, 2023 at the age of 73. Heikkila was ahead of his time as the 1969 Big Ten Champion and a 1971 NCAA All-American. He was inducted to multiple Hall of Fame's, including Minnesota's M Club Hall of Fame.
Tim Heikkila came to the Golden Gophers after a stellar high school career and etched his name in the Minnesota high jump record books. A native of Superior, Wis., Heikkila became the first University of Minnesota athlete to clear the seven-foot barrier. The 1967 Wisconsin State High School High Jump Champion, Heikkila was one of Minnesota's top performers during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
During his 1969 season, Heikkila became the Maroon and Gold's first outdoor Big Ten high jump champion since 1950 with a seven-foot leap, earning himself a top 10 ranking among all U.S. high jumpers. His seven-foot jump was also the first in Big Ten Championships history.
During his senior season, the team captain became the first Golden Gopher high jumper to earn an outdoor All-America accolade after a second-place finish at the 1971 NCAA Championships. During that season, Heikkila was ranked third in the U.S. All-Time Ranking and seventh in the world. In 1971, Heikkila was named to the USA Track and Field Team that toured Europe.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in education, Heikkila became the 1990 Masters National Indoor and Outdoor High Jump Champion. Tim was inducted into the Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2000 and the University of Minnesota Hall of Fame in 2008. Tim was a Superior Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee in 2012. In 2007 he was inducted in the University of Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame.