Fletcher Gilders
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| Born | 1931 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | September 1, 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Diving | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Ohio State University | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Fletcher Gilders (1931–1999) was a Detroit native who won fame as a multi-sport athlete for the Colts of Northwestern High School and the Buckeyes of Ohio State University. Following his career, Gilders earned distinction as a highly successful collegiate swimming and diving coach.
In 1948, Fletcher Gilders was voted Michigan High School Track and Field Athlete of the Year; later that summer, the versatile Gilders competed as a springboard diver at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Detroit.[2] The following year, Fletcher Gilders highlighted his senior season with a national interscholastic pole vault record of 13' 3"; he was fast becoming one of the top all-around athletes in America.[citation needed]
Upon graduating from Northwestern High, Gilders joined the U.S. military; serving until 1953, Fletcher later enrolled at the Ohio State University. At OSU, Gilders won back-to-back (1954 & 1955) NCAA titles on the one-meter springboard. During each of his three seasons at Ohio State, Gilders led the Buckeyes to Big Ten Conference and NCAA swimming and diving team titles. He set an NCAA Division I record that stood until overturned by Greg Louganis. Fletcher Gilders was also a member of the OSU track & field, gymnastics and soccer teams; winning a total of 10 varsity letters to become the first four-sport letterman in Ohio State's modern history.[3] During the summer of 1956, Gilders joined younger sister (Barbara Sue) at the Melbourne Olympic Games.[citation needed]