In Memoriam: Gary Ilman

Gary Ilman was a five-time NCAA Champion at Long Beach State

9/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | General

Sept. 9, 2014 Long Beach, Calif. - The 49er family has had to say good bye to an all-time great, as Gary Ilman passed away on August 16 at the age of 71.

Ilman competed on the swim team of Long Beach State for two years, helping lead the 49ers to a pair of Top 5 finishes at the NCAA Division II swimming championships, finishing in second place in 1965 and in fourth place in 1966.

Ilman won three individual championships in 1965, winning the 100m freestyle, the 200m freestyle, and the 100m butterfly. He would then repeat as the 100m butterfly champion in 1966, while winning a fourth event, the 200m individual medley.

Ilman's collegiate career at Long Beach State came on the heels of a tremendous Olympic run at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Ilman set an Olympic record in the 100m freestyle, cutting down the time by over a second, and went on to capture a pair of Gold Medals with his American teammates in the 4x100m relay and the 4x200m relay.