Wheaton College Athletics

As a member of the Wheaton gymnastics team, Dave Sparkman finished ninth at the 1974 NCAA Division II Championships on the rings. He also was a team captain on the 1974 Crusader team that finished seventh in Division II.

Following his collegiate career he was selected to the U.S. National Team that competed against Switzerland. Dave recalls his experiences at Wheaton, “I truly enjoyed the opportunity to compete at a national level. Bud Williams always set meets with schools larger than Wheaton and with gymnasts on scholarship; this always caused us to perform better.” Sparkman continues, “Bud Williams challenged us individually and as a team to set our goals higher than what our eyes could see at that moment. As a result we all performed at levels far beyond our initial expectations. These lessons have cycled through my life and provided value to me as an individual, my wife, family, my peers and the church that I serve.”