Three Former Huskers Honored as Olympic Legends

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Chicago ? Three former Nebraska men’s gymnasts were honored Thursday with an induction into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame at the HarrisTheater in Chicago, Ill.  Scott Johnson (1980-1983), Jim Mikus (1981-1984) and current NU assistant coach Jim Hartung (1979-1982) all received the accolade along with the rest of the 1984 Olympic squad, which garnered the first and only team gold medal in U.S. men’s gymnastics history.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The three former Huskers join just 182 other Olympians enshrined in the Hall of Fame and are accompanied in the 2006 induction class by such notable names as 1980 U.S. hockey coach Herb Brooks, women’s gymnast Shannon Miller and figure skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi.

 

While at Nebraska, Johnson, Mikus and Hartung lifted the Huskers to three national team championships and combined for 10 event titles with Hartung also being named the 1982 Nissen-Emery Award winner.

 

The other four members of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team inducted along with Johnson, Mikus and Hartung include gymnastics greats Bart Conner, Tim Daggett, Mitch Gaylord and Peter Vidmar.  The group is just the seventh team in Olympic history to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame in its entirety.