UW's Elise Ray To Be Inducted Into Michigan Hall Of Honor
October 15, 2015 | Gymnastics
SEATTLE – UW gymnastics associate head coach Elise Ray will be inducted in the University of Michigan Hall of Honor this coming weekend, as the Wolverines will recognize her for her contributions as the most decorated female gymnast in Wolverine history.
“Michigan is so incredibly special to me,” Ray said. “I arrived on campus as a freshman with a lot of hurt from the Olympic Games, but I was met with nothing but support and love from my new team and coaches. I grew up so much as a young woman, learned to love gymnastics again, and competed my heart out for a school and program that gave me so much. I'm incredibly honored to be inducted not because of my accolades but more so because I hope to have left a mark in a place that has had such an incredible impact on my life.”
During her time at Michigan, Ray earned 14 All-America honors and shared the national all-around championship in 2001. She won national titles on the balance beam in 2002 and uneven bars in 2004.
Ray led the Wolverines to four straight Big Ten titles during her collegiate career, and helped Michigan reach the NCAA Super Six finals in 2005 when she was Big Ten co-Gymnast of the Year.
“I'm so excited for Elise for this huge honor,” UW gymnastics head coach Joanne Bowers said. “She was an amazing collegiate athlete who brought many honors to the University of Michigan and it is only fitting that she be inducted into their Hall of Honor. I was an assistant coach at Michigan during most of her career and now have the good fortune of being able to coach with her here at the University of Washington. She definitely deserves all the accolades she is receiving.”
Prior to competing at Michigan, Ray was a captain of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team in Sydney, Australia, and was awarded a team bronze medal. The gymnastics "code of points" scoring system has three uneven bars maneuvers named in her honor, one with the highest difficulty possible, a "G" rating.
Before coming to Washington, Ray joined Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas, performing for three years and served as a TV analyst for the Big Ten Network.
Ray will be inducted into the Michigan Hall of Honor in a private induction ceremony Friday, Oct. 16, and then will be recognized just before kickoff of the Michigan football game against Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 17. She will be inducted with football coach Lloyd Carr, swimmer Brent Lang and ice hockey player John Matchefts.
