Thaddeus (Ted) Muzyczko, a USA Gymnastics and National Gymnastics Judges Association Frank J. Cumiskey Hall of Fame member, passed away in early July. Muzyczko was a longtime member and contributor to the gymnastics community, with the sport at the forefront of his life for more than 30 years.
A Chicago native, Muzyczko was a collegiate gymnast at the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he competed for two seasons and won the Most Valuable Player award both years. He completed his collegiate career at Michigan State, where he won the 1958 NCAA team and parallel bars titles. Muzyczko was inducted into the University of Illinois-Chicago Hall of Fame in 1995.
Muzyczko was the first U.S. judge to become internationally certified and judged more than 1,000 gymnastics events including three Olympic Games, two Pan American Games and four The World Games. He was a co-founder of the NGJA and served as a board member to the organization from 1969-1980, and also was a United States Gymnastics Federation (USGF) board member for six years between 1964-1980.
Muzyczko was inducted into the NGJA Frank J. Cumiskey Hall of Fame in 1977, and to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1980. The Ted Muzyczko Athletic and Science Scholarship Fund at Michigan State University was created in memoriam to Muzyczko. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, and daughters Karen and Kimberly.