Hall of Fame
Ruth Grulkowski was one of the nation's top athletes in women's gymnastics. She was first introduced to the sport when she joined UChicago's Acrotheatre and thrived under the tutelage of coaches Erwin "Bud" Beyer (UChicago Athletics Hall of Famer) and Meta Elste (two-time Olympian gymnast). Grulkowski placed eighth in the all-around in her first national meet in 1951. In her senior year, she earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team and competed on each apparatus at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. She went on to become the Amateur Athletic Union's national all-around champion in 1953 and 1954.
