Joe Kotys competed in college for Kent State, and then for the Swiss Turners in Cleveland, after he had fought in World War II as a gunner on B-17’s in the Army Air Force, completing 22 missions. At the NCAA Championships, Kotys won the all-around in 1949-50, parallel bars in 1949-50, horizontal bar in 1950, and the pommelled horse in 1951. He also won silver medals in the all-around and parallel bars in 1951 and a bronze on pommels in 1949. He won four AAU titles, taking the vault in 1948 and the parallel bars in 1948-50, adding a silver medal in all-around in 1950. Kotys continued to compete after the 1948 Olympics and starred at the 1955 Pan American Games, helping the US to a team all-around gold, winning gold on the vault, placing second in the individual all-around and floor exercises, and adding a bronze on the horizontal bar. A freak injury on the rings, when the support mount pulled from the wall, and he crashed to the floor, prevented him from being to compete well at the 1956 US Olympic Trials. While in college at Kent State, Kotys also was a diver and was a three-time Ohio Conference Champion. Kotys later became a gymnastics coach in Ohio. Kotys was inducted into the US Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1978.
United States