William W. Heusner Jr. (Swimming, 1945-49)
As a freshman in 1945, Heusner placed third in the 220- and 440-yard events at the Big Ten Conference Championships and second in the NCAA Championships' 440-yard and 1,500-meter races. In 1946 he entered military service, then returned to campus in 1947 to place first in the 1,500-meter and fourth in the 440-yard events at the Big Nine meet, setting conference records. He placed second in the NCAA's 1,500-meter race the same year, earning him Most Valuable Player and N Club Achievement awards.
In 1948 he grabbed firsts in the conference 440-yard and national 1,500-meter races and second in the conference 1,500-meter race and was awarded the Western Conference Merit Award for proficiency in scholarship and athletics. Winning a place on the 1948 U.S. Olympic team in both events rounded out the year, although a bout with food poisoning affected his performance in London.
His senior year saw him go undefeated in 220- and 440-yard dual meets and place first in conference and national 1,500-meter races. Heusner was named NU Athlete of the Year and again received the N Club Achievement award. His overall collegiate record in 64 dual meet races was 58 firsts and 6 seconds. Heusner was a give-year All-American. He was a member of Deru honorary society, Beta Theta Pi fraternity and the Dolphin Club.
He competed at the Canterbury Centennial in New Zealand in 1950 and at the Pan American games in Argentina in 1951. While earning advanced degrees at Northwestern (MS '52) and the University of Illinois (PhD '55), Heusner served as assistant professor and assistant swim coach at those schools. In 1955 he was named head swim coach at Southern Illinois University and moved to the same position at the University of Minnesota in 1957. At Minnesota, Heusner built the team from a zero-point Big Ten standing to third place in the NCAA championships in just five years, coaching five national champions and four participants in the 1962 Olympics.
Heusner went on to become a professor and coordinator of health education and human performances at Michigan State University. A member of the NCAA rules committee for swimming, he also edited the NCAA men's and women's swimming rules book.
In 1948 he grabbed firsts in the conference 440-yard and national 1,500-meter races and second in the conference 1,500-meter race and was awarded the Western Conference Merit Award for proficiency in scholarship and athletics. Winning a place on the 1948 U.S. Olympic team in both events rounded out the year, although a bout with food poisoning affected his performance in London.
His senior year saw him go undefeated in 220- and 440-yard dual meets and place first in conference and national 1,500-meter races. Heusner was named NU Athlete of the Year and again received the N Club Achievement award. His overall collegiate record in 64 dual meet races was 58 firsts and 6 seconds. Heusner was a give-year All-American. He was a member of Deru honorary society, Beta Theta Pi fraternity and the Dolphin Club.
He competed at the Canterbury Centennial in New Zealand in 1950 and at the Pan American games in Argentina in 1951. While earning advanced degrees at Northwestern (MS '52) and the University of Illinois (PhD '55), Heusner served as assistant professor and assistant swim coach at those schools. In 1955 he was named head swim coach at Southern Illinois University and moved to the same position at the University of Minnesota in 1957. At Minnesota, Heusner built the team from a zero-point Big Ten standing to third place in the NCAA championships in just five years, coaching five national champions and four participants in the 1962 Olympics.
Heusner went on to become a professor and coordinator of health education and human performances at Michigan State University. A member of the NCAA rules committee for swimming, he also edited the NCAA men's and women's swimming rules book.
