Although Jim Ivicek came from Beaver Falls, he
had the distinction of being one of Rochester High School’s most
successful athletes. Beaver Falls did not have a boys’ gymnastics
team, so Jim was eligible to compete for the Rams, who had
outstanding gym squads during his three years from 1968 to 1970,
winning the WPIAL title each season. In
1970 Jim won the WPIAL all around and high bar titles,
plus the state championship on the rings. Jim entered the University
of New Mexico in the fall of 1970 on an athletic scholarship and
helped the team win three straight Western Athletic Conference
titles by taking the top honors in all around, parallel bars, and
vault. Although he was picked for the 1972 US Olympic gym team as an
alternate, Jim did not get a chance to compete, but he did visit
Europe six different times during his collegiate career, competing
in Germany, Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, and
against the Red Chinese team in Madison Square Garden in 1973. Jim transferred to Southern Illinois University in 1974 and sat
out a year but still competed as an individual, leading the SIU team
in 1975 in all around, vault, and horizontal bar until an injury ended
his career. After his gym career, Jim worked as a
service administrator for the Arizona Industrial Machinery Company
in Flagstaff and coached evening gym classes at Northern
Arizona University.
Although Jim Ivicek came from Beaver Falls, he
had the distinction of being one of Rochester High School’s most
successful athletes. Beaver Falls did not have a boys’ gymnastics
team, so Jim was eligible to compete for the Rams, who had
outstanding gym squads during his three years from 1968 to 1970,
winning the WPIAL title each season. In
1970 Jim won the WPIAL all around and high bar titles,
plus the state championship on the rings. Jim entered the University
of New Mexico in the fall of 1970 on an athletic scholarship and
helped the team win three straight Western Athletic Conference
titles by taking the top honors in all around, parallel bars, and
vault. Although he was picked for the 1972 US Olympic gym team as an
alternate, Jim did not get a chance to compete, but he did visit
Europe six different times during his collegiate career, competing
in Germany, Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, and
against the Red Chinese team in Madison Square Garden in 1973. Jim transferred to Southern Illinois University in 1974 and sat
out a year but still competed as an individual, leading the SIU team
in 1975 in all around, vault, and horizontal bar until an injury ended
his career. After his gym career, Jim worked as a
service administrator for the Arizona Industrial Machinery Company
in Flagstaff and coached evening gym classes at Northern
Arizona University.