imported>Jevansen: Removing from Category:Pan American Games medalists in gymnastics using Cat-a-lot

2025-06-12T02:21:34Z

Removing from Category:Pan American Games medalists in gymnastics using Cat-a-lot

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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name=
|image = Ernestine Russell 1954cr.jpg
| nickname =
| image_size =
|caption= Russell at the 1954 [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] Championships
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1938|6|10}}
|birth_place= [[Windsor, Ontario]], Canada
|death_date=
|death_place=
| height = 153 cm
| weight = 52 kg
|sport=[[Artistic gymnastics]]
| club =
| coach =
|show-medals=yes
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalCountry|{{CAN}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1959 Pan American Games|1959 Chicago]]|All-around}}
{{MedalGold|[[1959 Pan American Games|1959 Chicago]]|Vault}}
{{MedalGold|[[1959 Pan American Games|1959 Chicago]]|Uneven bars}}
{{MedalGold|[[1959 Pan American Games|1959 Chicago]]|Floor}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1959 Pan American Games|1959 Chicago]]|Balance beam}}
}}

'''Ernestine Jean Russell''' (born June 10, 1938), later known by her married names '''Ernestine Carter''' and '''Ernestine Weaver''', is a Canadian former gymnast and American former college gymnastics coach. She represented Canada in the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics. Although Russell won no medals in her two Olympic appearances, she is regarded as Canada's first notable female Olympic gymnast and contributed significantly to the growing popularity of women's gymnastics in Canada and the United States.

Russell later became a college gymnastics coach, leading the women's programs at [[Clarion University of Pennsylvania|Clarion State College]] and the [[University of Florida]], where her teams won three college national championships.

== Early years ==

Ernestine "Ernie" Russell was born and raised in [[Windsor, Ontario]].<ref name=sroprofile>Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417163400/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ru/ernestine-russell-carter-1.html Ernestine Russell-Carter]. Retrieved March 5, 2015.</ref> She learned ballet early on from her mother who taught dance training as an instructor at the British Royal Academy. As her training progressed, it became apparent that she lacked the body to become a ballerina.

[[Bernard Newman (politician)|Bernie Newman]], the Russell family's neighbor and a future member of the provincial parliament, had formed a vocational boys' gymnastics team, and suggested to Russell that she try the trampoline. She was quoted as saying "I got on, and I never got off."

Russell would compete for the first time when she was 13 years old, and won nine Canadian championships. Newman would be a leading force that would encourage her throughout the years, hoping that he would one day see her in the Olympic Games.

== International gymnastics career ==
[[File:Ernestine Russell 1956.jpg|thumb|Ernestine Russell 1956]]
Russell, at age 17, qualified for the [[1956 Summer Olympics]] in Melbourne, Australia.<ref name=sroprofile/> She was the first Canadian to compete in Olympic gymnastics events since 1908, and the first Canadian woman to ever compete in the Olympics. Although her routine was ill-prepared, she performed well in the floor exercise, the balance beam and the vault. She finished among the top twenty in the floor exercise, 45th in the vault, 56th in the all-around, and 61st in the balance beam and uneven bars.<ref name=sroprofile/>

After she graduated from [[Kennedy Collegiate Institute]] in 1956, she continued to pursue her focus in gymnastics.<ref name=usghofprofile>U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Inductees, [http://www.usghof.org/files/bio/e_russell/e_russell.html Ernestine Russell]. Retrieved March 5, 2015.</ref>

At the [[1959 Pan American Games]] in Chicago, Russell won gold medals for all-around, vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise, and a silver in balance beam,<ref name=usagympanam>USAGymnastics.org, Press Box, [https://usagym.org/pages/pressbox/history/panam_results_artistic.html Men's and Women's Pan American Games Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402170930/https://usagym.org/pages/pressbox/history/panam_results_artistic.html |date=2015-04-02 }}. Retrieved March 5, 2015.</ref> which made her the first Canadian medal winner in an international gymnastics competition.<ref>Lorraine Snyder and Carol Anne Letheren, "[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gymnastics Gymnastics]," ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (2012). Retrieved March 5, 2015.</ref> The Canadian team finished second behind the U.S. team.<ref name=usagympanam/>

At age 21, she qualified to participate in the 1960 [[1956 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] in Rome. While receiving significant media coverage, she did not match her 1956 Olympic performance.<ref name=sroprofile/><ref>Shelley Divinich, "Ernestine Russell: Canada's First Female Olympic Gymnast," ''Best of Times Magazine'', p. 308 (2006).</ref>

== College education ==

Russell received a tuition-only scholarship offer from [[Michigan State University]], and the opportunity to train with the [[Michigan State Spartans]] men's gymnastics team under head coach George Szypula.<ref name=brown7181960>Joe David Brown, "[https://www.si.com/vault/1960/07/18/587423/beauty-on-the-bars Beauty on the Bars: Luscious Ernie Russell, Canada's champion gymnast, should be the prettiest athlete in Rome this summer]," ''Sports Illustrated'' (July 18, 1960). Retrieved March 5, 2015.</ref> Russell married John Carter, a Michigan State Spartans baseball player in December 1959.<ref name=brown7181960/> In addition to being coached by Szypula, she had access to one of the best athletic physical plants in the United States.<ref name=brown7181960/> During her time as a Michigan State undergraduate, she also performed at a half-dozen gymnastics exhibitions on campus.<ref name=brown7181960/> Following the 1960 Olympics, she completed her bachelor's degree in physical education and dance from Michigan State, and then taught high school for five years.

== College coaching career ==

After teaching high school and coaching a cheerleading team for five years, Michigan State athletic director [[Biggie Munn]] invited Russell to become the head coach of the Michigan State women's gymnastics club team. In 1969, she became the women's gymnastics head coach at [[Clarion University of Pennsylvania|Clarion State College]]. Over the next decade, her Clarion State Golden Eagles teams compiled a perfect dual meet win–loss record of 58–0 in ten seasons and won [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women]] (AIAW) college national championships in 1977 and 1978.<ref name=utahstateprofile>UtahStateAggies.com, Gymnastics, [http://www.utahstateaggies.com/sports/w-gym/mtt/russell_ernestine00.html Ernestine Russell]. Retrieved March 5, 2015.</ref>

Russell then accepted an offer to become the head gymnastics coach for at the [[University of Florida]], where she made a large impact upon joining the [[Florida Gators women's gymnastics]] team. With her as their head coach, the Gators won one AIAW national championship in 1982, and subsequently qualified for eleven consecutive NCAA national championship tournament appearances from 1982 to 1992.<ref name=gatorzone9122012>"[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=23803 UF Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Class Includes Ernestine (Weaver) Russell & Chrissy Van Fleet]," GatorZone.com (September 12, 2012). Retrieved March 5, 2015.</ref> The Gators earned a total of 35 All-America honors and claimed three national event titles.<ref name=gatorzone9122012/> Russell was named national coach of the year in 1982, when Florida won the AIAW gymnastics championship. Her Florida Gators teams also won five [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) championships, and she was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1992.<ref name=gatorzone9122012/> Her Florida Gators gymnasts compiled an overall win–loss record of 185–48; her 23-year career record as a head coach was 243–48. Russell's program marketing and event showmanship contributed greatly to the development and popularity of the Gator gymnastics program, and it was studied and emulated by other programs.<ref name=gatorzone9122012/>

She was inducted into the [[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members|University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame]] as an "Honorary Letterwinner" in 2013.<ref name=gatorzone9122012/><ref>F Club, Hall of Fame, [http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame/honorary Honorary Letter Winners]. Retrieved March 5, 2015.</ref>

==Olympic results==
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Games
! Age
! City
! Sport
! Event
! Team
! Finish
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Women's Floor Exercise
| Canada
| 20T
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Women's Horse Vault
| Canada
| 45
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Women's Uneven Bars
| Canada
| 61
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Women's Balance Beam
| Canada
| 61
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Women's Individual All-Around
| Canada
| 56
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Women's Floor Exercise
| Canada
| 86 QR
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Women's Horse Vault
| Canada
| 75 QR
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Women's Uneven Bars
| Canada
| 76 QR
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Women's Balance Beam
| Canada
| 68 T QR
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Women's Individual All-Around
| Canada
| 76
|}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
!Women's Floor Exercise
|-
! Games
! Age
! City
! Sport
! Country
! Phase
! Unit Finish
! Points
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 20T
| 18.200
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 86QR
|
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Qualifying
| 86
| 17.433
|}
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
! Women's Horse Vault
|-
! Games
! Age
! City
! Sport
! Country
! Phase
! Unit Finish
! Points
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 45
| 17.833
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 75 QR
|
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Qualifying
| 75
| 17.00
|}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
! Women's Uneven Bars
|-
! Games
! Age
! City
! Sport
! Country
! Phase
! Unit Finish
! Points
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 61
| 16.133
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 76 QR
|
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Qualifying
| 76
| 17.466
|}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
! Women's Balance Beam
|-
! Games
! Age
! City
! Sport
! Country
! Phase
! Unit Finish
! Points
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 61
| 15.766
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 68T QR
|
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Qualifying
| 68T
| 17.033
|}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
! Women's Individual All-Around
|-
! Games
! Age
! City
! Sport
! Country
! Phase
! Unit Finish
! Points
|-
| 1956
| 18
| Melbourne
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 56
| 67.933
|-
| 1960
| 21
| Rome
| Gymnastics
| Canada
| Final Standing
| 76
| 68.932
|}
Source: Sports-Reference.com<ref name=sroprofile/>

== See also ==
* [[Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame]]
* [[University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame]]
* [[List of Olympic female gymnasts for Canada]]
* [[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Ernestine Russell}}

{{Gymnastics at the Pan American Games – Women's individual all-around}}
{{Gymnastics at the Pan American Games – Women's vault}}
{{Gymnastics at the Pan American Games – Women's uneven bars}}
{{Gymnastics at the Pan American Games – Women's floor exercise}}
{{Florida Gators women's gymnastics coach navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Ernestine}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian female artistic gymnasts]]
[[Category:Florida Gators women's gymnastics coaches]]
[[Category:Michigan State University alumni]]
[[Category:Olympic gymnasts for Canada]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Windsor, Ontario]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Gymnastics people from Ontario]]
[[Category:Gymnasts at the 1959 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in gymnastics]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists in gymnastics]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen]]

Ernestine Russell - Revision history

imported>Jevansen: Removing from Category:Pan American Games medalists in gymnastics using Cat-a-lot