Eastern Washington University Athletics

Before embarking upon a coaching career in the sport, Carruthers was a three-time NAIA All-American in gymnastics, and won the NAIA Championship in the long horse vault in 1967. He was NAIA runner-up in the parallel bars in 1967, and placed fifth in the all-around competition in 1969. He was a first team All-America selection in 1967 in the long horse vault and 1968 in the parallel bars. He earned second team All-America honors in 1969 in the horizontal bar. Led by Carruthers, Eastern placed fourth as a team in 1967 and third in 1968 at the NAIA Championships. He received his master’s degree from Penn State where he helped coach gymnastics for two years under nine-time national championship coach Gene Wettstone. Carruthers was gymnastics coach from 1971-1972 at State University New York at Brockport, and then at Portland State University in Oregon for 10 years from 1972-81. While at PSU, he served as chair of the NCAA Gymnastics Selection Committee and was secretary/treasurer for the National Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches Association (NCGCA). He received a service award from the NCAA for his contributions to NCAA Division I gymnastics. He was also a nationally-certified judge, and served at various national championship Olympic qualifier events, the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle and the Pac-10 championships. He attended Bothell High School near Seattle and won the high school all-around competition in 1964 and 1965, helping Bothell to the team title in 1965.