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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Cheryl (Vasil) Christiansen: BGSU Hall Of Fame Inductee
September 18, 2001 | General
Sept. 18, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome eight new members on Friday, Sept. 21. The 2001 class will be inducted during a formal dinner in Olscamp Hall on the BGSU campus. There is still time to order tickets to the dinner, as well as for the next night's football game at which the inductees will be honored.
The official induction ceremony will take place Sept. 21 in Olscamp Hall. The social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. with dinner served at 7:00 p.m. and the program starting shortly thereafter.
In addition, the class will be introduced at halftime of the Sept. 22 BGSU-Temple football game at Doyt Perry Stadium. The game begins at 6:00 p.m. and is designated as Varsity BG & Hall of Fame Night.
Tickets for the Sept. 21 dinner can be purchased at the Memorial Hall Ticket Office for $28 and advance reservations are required. Tickets can also be reserved by calling the ticket office at 1-877-BGSUTICKET or 372-0000. The deadline for ordering tickets for the dinner is today (Tuesday, Sept. 18). Football game tickets can also be purchased through the ticket office.
The public is invited to attend the induction dinner.
The class of 2001 will include basketball player Stephanie (Coe) DeSalvio '86, softball player Vicki Miwa-Hansen '90, golf coach John Piper, football and track athlete Bob Ramlow '59, cross country and track athlete Kevin Ryan '80, swimmer Andrea (Szekely) Burton '89, gymnast Cheryl (Vasil) Christiansen '80 and swimmer Don Worsfold '58.
The following is the seventh in a series of eight articles profiling each of the inductees.
CHERYL (VASIL) CHRISTIANSEN
Christiansen, a native of Canton, Ohio, held BGSU's records in the vault, balance beam and floor exercise upon her graduation in 1980. She was the first BG gymnast to place as high as second in the AIAW regional finals, doing so in 1977.
In 1978, Christiansen was BGSU's most valuable gymnast, and was the state collegiate champion in the vault. Christiansen, the first gymnast in school history to earn a score of 9.0 in an event, placed in the top six every year at the state meet.
Christiansen also brought BGSU some national exposure by winning the regional Miss All-American Girl pageant and participating in the national final, which was televised nationally. Closer to home, she was named Miss BGSU in 1978, and represented Bowling Green in the Miss Ohio Scholarship Pageant.
In her senior season, the Falcons completed the year with an 11-0-1 record and a second-place finish at the OAISW State Championship.
Christiansen was involved in a number of extracurricular activities at BGSU. A member of Phi Mu sorority, she was one of four outstanding leaders selected by Phi Mu national sorority in 1979.
After graduation, Christiansen was the head gymnastics coach at GlenOak High School in her hometown of Canton. She compiled an overall record of 137-14, and had seven undefeated league championships, eight sectional titles and one district title. Christiansen was named both Northeast Gymnastics Conference Coach of the Year and district coach of the year.
Christiansen currently runs a children's gymnastics program at Pleasant View School for the Arts and teaches physical education. She and her husband, Michael, have one son, Ryan.
