Bio

Casey Edwards is not only the finest gymnast in UW-Oshkosh history, but he is also one of the finest athletes to ever compete in the WSUC.

His 22 individual national titles and 37 All-America honors as a member of UW-Oshkosh men's gymnastics teams from 1976 to 1980 stand as school and conference records. Edwards, a Manitowoc native, was a member of UW-Oshkosh's NAIA Championship teams in 1978 and 1980, and its 1980 NCAA Division II Championship squad.

Edwards made his impact felt immediately at UW-Oshkosh, becoming the school's first three-event NAIA All-American as a freshman. His first collegiate season saw him win the vault and finish second in the still rings and all-around. The following year, he won all-around titles in both the NAIA and NCAA Division II Championships.

In 1978, Edwards repeated as NAIA and NCAA Division II all-around champion. In winning the NCAA Division II all-around title, he qualified as a team member of an NCAA International All-Star squad that competed against Mexico in Mexico City. Also during his junior year, he was inducted into the Manitowoc Sports Hall of Fame.

Edwards did not compete collegiately in 1979 in order to test his talents internationally. That year he traveled as far as South Africa and competed as a member of the United States team at the World University games in Mexico City. Edwards was the top United States finisher at the World University Games, placing fourth in the floor exercise and fifth in the vault.

Edwards returned to collegiate competition in 1980 and won NAIA titles in the all-around, floor exercise, vault, still rings, parallel bars, and high bar. He also won NCAA Division II titles in the all-around, floor exercise, still rings, vault and high bar. At the time he became the only gymnast to win NAIA and NCAA Division II all-around titles three times. His efforts earned him NAIA Gymnast of the Year honors and made him a finalist for the Nissan Award. And in perhaps his greatest honor, Edwards made the 1980 United States Olympic Team. But unfortunately for Edwards and his teammates, the United States later chose to boycott the Olympic Games.

In 1983, Edwards filled in for Ken Allen as head coach of the Titans and guided the team to the NAIA title and second-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championship. That same year, he was named NAIA Coach of the Year.

Edwards, a 1981 UW-Oshkosh graduate, lives in Mason with his wife, Crystal, and three children. He is self-employed as a realistic and folk-art wood carver, specializing in wildlife.