UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's gymnastics 1959 team and former head coach Gene Wettstone have been elected to the inaugural class of the College Gymnastics Association's Hall of Fame.
The 1959 men's gymnastics team had a historic season under Wettstone. The team went undefeated the entire 1959 season to go on and win the NCAA Championship with 152 points.
The team had seven athletes dubbed All-Americans in nine events for a combined 17 All-American titles.
Among the All-Americans is Armando Vega who earned All-American honors in the all-around, floor, still rings, parallel bars, high bar and flying rings. He won three individual titles in the all-around, parallel bars and still rings. Vega was a three-time champion in the parallel bars from 1956-1959. Vega is also a two-time Olympian.
Wettstone is a legendary coach in the sport of gymnastics. He coached at Penn State from 1939-1976. He led the Nittany Lions to nine NCAA Championships and 13 Intercollegiate Gymnastic League titles. He collected over 200 dual meet victories and produced 35 individual title winners as well as 13 Olympians.
Wettstone was a two-time U.S. Olympic men's gymnastics head coach in 1948 and 1956 as well as the manager of the 1976 Olympic team. He went on to serve as a judge for the Olympics for the 1952 and 1968 games.
As a student-athlete at Iowa, Wettstone was the 1937 Big Ten title winner on pommel horse, high bar and in the all-around.
The 1959 team and Wettstone are two of 11 inductees in the inaugural class. The inductees will be honored before day two of the NCAA Championships on Saturday, April 20 in Columbus, Ohio. Tickets can be purchased here.
