Newt Loken
Encyclopedia
Newton C. Loken was an artistic gymnast and coach of gymnastics
, trampolining
and cheerleading
. While a member of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's gymnastics
team, Loken was NCAA all-around gymnastics champion in 1942 and the Big Ten Conference
all-around champion in 1941 and 1942. He was the coach of the University of Michigan
gymnastics team for 36 years from 1948-1983. Loken's gymnasts won the NCAA championships
in 1963 and 1970, as well as 12 Big Ten championships. His record as Michigan's gymnastics coach was 250-72-1. Loken also coached the Michigan trampolining team to NCAA championships in 1969 and 1970.
Born in Breckenridge, Minnesota
, of Norwegian descent, Loken attended West High School in Minneapolis
where he became Minnesota's all-around gymnastics champion in the late 1930s. After high school, he attended the University of Minnesota
. Loken was named captain of the Minnesota team coached by Ralph Piper in 1942 and was also named an All-American. He won Big Ten all-around championships in 1941 and 1942. He also won the NCAA all-around championship in 1942. Loken later recalled that Coach Piper was so confident in Loken that he had a trophy engraved for Loken's all-around championship in 1942 two weeks before Loken actually won the competition. Loken also won the NCAA individual championship in the horizontal bar
in 1941 and Big Ten championships in the parallel bars (1941) and the flying rings
(1942). Loken was also an All-American cheerleader and captain of the Minnesota cheerleading squad. Life
magazine published an article featuring Loken on May 18, 1942, titled, "All-around Gym Champion: Newt Loken is a Combination Strong Man and Acrobat."
. He taught physical conditioning to the Naval aviators in the pre-flight school in Iowa City, Iowa
, and co-authored the Navy's book Gymnastics and Tumbling. He later served on the aircraft carrier
USS Prince William
. From 1943 to 1944, the Prince William operated between the west coast and such places as New Caledonia
, Canton Island, Samoa
and Espiritu Santo
. As an athletic welfare officer in the Navy, he conducted a conditioning program to keep the men on the ship in good physical shape; Loken used a trampoline
as part of the program.
. In 1946, Loken received his master's degree and sought to resurrect men's gymnastics as a varsity sport at Michigan. In 1947, the athletic board awarded varsity status to men's gymnastics. Loken, who had been leading a group of club gymnasts on the road performing at the halftime of basketball games, was named the coach of the new men's gymnastics team.
Loken remained the coach of Michigan's men's gymnastics team for 36 years and compiled a record of 250-72-1. His teams won NCAA men's gymnastics championships in 1963 and 1970 and 12 Big Ten championships. Loken coached 71 Big Ten individual event winners and 21 NCAA individual event winners.
Loken received a doctorate in education in 1955 and was a kinesiology
professor at Michigan until 1983.
Loken also coached the cheerleading team at Michigan as well as the varsity sport of trampoline. From 1947 through 1964, trampoline was included as an event in gymnastics competitions by both the AAU and NCAA. The first trampoline world championships were held in 1964, and trampoline was first recognized as a sport in its own right in the United States in 1967. Loken led the Michigan trampoline team to NCAA championships in 1969 and 1970. Loken produced more trampoline champions and World Medal winners than any other collegiate coach.
Loken was also the author of several books on gymnastics, tumbling, and cheerleading. Among other works, Loken wrote Cheerleading, published by The Ronald Press in 1945, Gymnastics, published by Sterling Publishing Co. in 1966, and the Complete Book of Gymnastics, published by The Athletic Institute in 1963.
Loken also led Michigan's efforts as host of the 1971 NCAA championship attended by a record 25,000 fans. The final day's events alone were attended by a record crowd of 16,781, and Loken was presented the American Association of Gymnastics Coaches' "Coach of the Year" award at the conclusion of the event.
One of Loken's best trampoline athletes was Ron Munn. Munn described his experience with Loken: “His great personality and tremendous coaching talent helped him develop outstanding teams on a yearly basis; therefore I accepted his invitation to attend Michigan.. . . . His wonderful personality and spirit inspired everyone on the team, and certainly added to the success their success. He always had a very positive attitude and the ability to bring out the best performance in everyone.”
As of 2007, the 88-year-old Loken was still a regular at Michigan's men's gymnastics practices and events. It was reported that he not missed a single Michigan home meet from 1948 to 2007. Rich Dopp, a Michigan gymnast from the 1990s, recalled that Loken was still on the field with the alumni cheerleaders at the Homecoming games as recently as 2001 or 2002. Dopp said, “It may sound a little dorky, but it just makes me want to go, 'Meechigan! Meechigan! Rah, rah!' " In 2007, assistant coach Scott Vetere said: “He knows everybody on the team, and if he forgets, he's 80-some years old, and he'll ask again. He's just a pure gymnastics guy - always wants to be around gymnastics, always wants to learn more, (always) wants to praise guys for what a wonderful job they're doing."
Loken and his wife, Dorothy, had four children, daughters Christine and Lani, and sons Jon and Newt.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, trampolining
Trampolining
Trampolining is a competitive Olympic sport in which gymnasts perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. These can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists....
and cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
. While a member of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's gymnastics
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's gymnastics
The Minnesota Golden Gophers represent the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in men's gymnastics. They are coached by Mike Burns. The Gophers have 21 Big Ten Conference titles, most recently in 1995. They were ranked second in the NCAA three times, most recently in 1990. Two Gophers have been...
team, Loken was NCAA all-around gymnastics champion in 1942 and the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
all-around champion in 1941 and 1942. He was the coach of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
gymnastics team for 36 years from 1948-1983. Loken's gymnasts won the NCAA championships
NCAA Men's Gymnastics championship
This is a list of National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Gymnastics champions, by division and year. All schools currently compete in one division, because only 17 schools sponsor men's gymnastics teams...
in 1963 and 1970, as well as 12 Big Ten championships. His record as Michigan's gymnastics coach was 250-72-1. Loken also coached the Michigan trampolining team to NCAA championships in 1969 and 1970.
University of Minnesota
Breckenridge, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,559 people, 1,438 households, and 911 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,516.4 people per square mile . There were 1,582 housing units at an average density of 674.0 per square mile...
, of Norwegian descent, Loken attended West High School in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
where he became Minnesota's all-around gymnastics champion in the late 1930s. After high school, he attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. Loken was named captain of the Minnesota team coached by Ralph Piper in 1942 and was also named an All-American. He won Big Ten all-around championships in 1941 and 1942. He also won the NCAA all-around championship in 1942. Loken later recalled that Coach Piper was so confident in Loken that he had a trophy engraved for Loken's all-around championship in 1942 two weeks before Loken actually won the competition. Loken also won the NCAA individual championship in the horizontal bar
Horizontal bar
The high bar, also known as the horizontal bar, is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in Artistic Gymnastics. It traditionally consists of a cylindrical metal bar that is rigidly held above and parallel to the floor by a system of cables and stiff vertical supports. Gymnasts typically wear leather...
in 1941 and Big Ten championships in the parallel bars (1941) and the flying rings
Flying Rings
Flying rings was a gymnastic event similar to still rings, but with the performer gripping a pair of rings, approximately shoulder width apart, and swinging - from the point of suspension of the rings - while executing a series of stunts.-Apparatus:...
(1942). Loken was also an All-American cheerleader and captain of the Minnesota cheerleading squad. Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine published an article featuring Loken on May 18, 1942, titled, "All-around Gym Champion: Newt Loken is a Combination Strong Man and Acrobat."
World War II
During World War II, Loken served in the U.S. NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He taught physical conditioning to the Naval aviators in the pre-flight school in Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
, and co-authored the Navy's book Gymnastics and Tumbling. He later served on the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Prince William
USS Prince William (CVE-31)
USS Prince William , ex-MC Hull 242, was laid down by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation of Tacoma, Washington, 18 May 1942 as AVG-31; redesignated ACV-31 on 20 August 1942; launched 23 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Paul Foley; and commissioned 9 April 1943, Captain Herbert E...
. From 1943 to 1944, the Prince William operated between the west coast and such places as New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, Canton Island, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
. As an athletic welfare officer in the Navy, he conducted a conditioning program to keep the men on the ship in good physical shape; Loken used a trampoline
Trampoline
A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
as part of the program.
University of Michigan
Loken came to the University of Michigan in 1944 as a master's degree student. On the side, he coached the cheerleading team. At the time of Loken's arrival, Michigan did not have a men's gymnastics program, which had been dropped several years earlier during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. In 1946, Loken received his master's degree and sought to resurrect men's gymnastics as a varsity sport at Michigan. In 1947, the athletic board awarded varsity status to men's gymnastics. Loken, who had been leading a group of club gymnasts on the road performing at the halftime of basketball games, was named the coach of the new men's gymnastics team.
Loken remained the coach of Michigan's men's gymnastics team for 36 years and compiled a record of 250-72-1. His teams won NCAA men's gymnastics championships in 1963 and 1970 and 12 Big Ten championships. Loken coached 71 Big Ten individual event winners and 21 NCAA individual event winners.
Loken received a doctorate in education in 1955 and was a kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
professor at Michigan until 1983.
Loken also coached the cheerleading team at Michigan as well as the varsity sport of trampoline. From 1947 through 1964, trampoline was included as an event in gymnastics competitions by both the AAU and NCAA. The first trampoline world championships were held in 1964, and trampoline was first recognized as a sport in its own right in the United States in 1967. Loken led the Michigan trampoline team to NCAA championships in 1969 and 1970. Loken produced more trampoline champions and World Medal winners than any other collegiate coach.
Loken was also the author of several books on gymnastics, tumbling, and cheerleading. Among other works, Loken wrote Cheerleading, published by The Ronald Press in 1945, Gymnastics, published by Sterling Publishing Co. in 1966, and the Complete Book of Gymnastics, published by The Athletic Institute in 1963.
Loken also led Michigan's efforts as host of the 1971 NCAA championship attended by a record 25,000 fans. The final day's events alone were attended by a record crowd of 16,781, and Loken was presented the American Association of Gymnastics Coaches' "Coach of the Year" award at the conclusion of the event.
One of Loken's best trampoline athletes was Ron Munn. Munn described his experience with Loken: “His great personality and tremendous coaching talent helped him develop outstanding teams on a yearly basis; therefore I accepted his invitation to attend Michigan.. . . . His wonderful personality and spirit inspired everyone on the team, and certainly added to the success their success. He always had a very positive attitude and the ability to bring out the best performance in everyone.”
As of 2007, the 88-year-old Loken was still a regular at Michigan's men's gymnastics practices and events. It was reported that he not missed a single Michigan home meet from 1948 to 2007. Rich Dopp, a Michigan gymnast from the 1990s, recalled that Loken was still on the field with the alumni cheerleaders at the Homecoming games as recently as 2001 or 2002. Dopp said, “It may sound a little dorky, but it just makes me want to go, 'Meechigan! Meechigan! Rah, rah!' " In 2007, assistant coach Scott Vetere said: “He knows everybody on the team, and if he forgets, he's 80-some years old, and he'll ask again. He's just a pure gymnastics guy - always wants to be around gymnastics, always wants to learn more, (always) wants to praise guys for what a wonderful job they're doing."
Honors and accolades
Loken has received numerous awards, honors and accolades for his lifetime of service to gymnastics and to the University of Michigan. These include:- In 1963 and again in 1971, Loken was named Collegiate Gymnastics Association National Coach of the Year.
- In 1968, Loken was given the Richard Aronson Special Service Award.
- In 1971, Loken was inducted into the U.S. Gymnastics Association Hall of Fame.
- In 1975, Loken received the Collegiate Gymnastics Association Honor Coach Award.
- Loken has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches and held titles as President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer at various times.
- Loken was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1981 as part of the fourth induction class. - When he retired in 1983, Loken was honored by the Michigan Marching BandMichigan Marching BandThe Michigan Marching Band is the University of Michigan's marching band.-History:In 1896 the MMB was founded as a student organization and became a firm part of the Michigan tradition in 1898. Shortly after William D. Revelli became director he aligned the MMB with the School of Music which...
before 100,000 football fans at Michigan StadiumMichigan StadiumMichigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
spelled "NEWT" on the field. - He has been inducted into the University of Minnesota Athletic Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 2003, the men's gymnastics training site at the University of Michigan was re-named the Newt Loken Gymnastics Training Center. The building, formerly known as the Weinberg Coliseum, was built in 1913 and was originally an ice rink.
- The award for best performance of the night on either team, presented at each men's gymnastics home meet, is named after Loken.
- Because of World War II, no Olympic games were held between 1936 and 1948. Loken was part of the generation of athletes that lost the opportunity to compete in the Olympic as a result of the war. In 2002, National Collegiate Gymnastics Alumni Association magazine asked a group of Olympians and Hall of Famers to name an honorary U.S. 1944 Summer Olympics1944 Summer OlympicsThe anticipated 1944 Summer Olympics, which were to be officially known as the Games of the XIII Olympiad, were cancelled due to World War II...
Team, and Loken made the honorary team – 58 years after the fact.
Loken and his wife, Dorothy, had four children, daughters Christine and Lani, and sons Jon and Newt.
See also
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...