{{short description|American artistic gymnast}} {{Infobox gymnast | name = Joey Ray | image = | alt = | caption = | full_name = Joseph Ray | birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|17|1980|04|19}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | height = | discipline = MAG | country = {{GYM National Team|USA|MAG}} | natlteam = 1981–1986 | collegeteam = Minnesota Golden Gophers | collegeyears = 1981–1984 | headcoach = Fred Roethlisberger | assistcoach = | retired = {{Circa|1986}} | awards = Big Ten Medal of Honor (1984) | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's artistic gymnastics}} {{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}} {{MedalCount |Pan American Games|0|1|0 | total = yes }} {{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}} {{MedalSilver|1983 Caracas|Team}} }}
'''Joseph Ray'''<ref name='gophermedal'>{{Cite news |date=May 31, 1984 |title=Ray wins Gopher medal of honor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/189876932 |newspaper=Minneapolis Star and Tribune |volume=III |number=49 |page=3D |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref> (born {{Birth based on age as of date|17|1980|04|19|noage=1}}<ref name='meet'>{{Cite news |date=April 19, 1980 |title=Meet The All-American Junior Gymnastics Team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/507693518 |newspaper=Beatrice Daily Sun |volume=77 |number=242 |page=13 |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref>) is a retired American artistic gymnast. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and won a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games.
==Early life and education== Ray was born around {{Birth based on age as of date|17|1980|04|19|noage=1}} and was a native of Morton Grove, Illinois.<ref name='meet'/> He started gymnastics at 9 years old after seeing other children performing flips and taking an interest.<ref name='meet'/><ref name='inmotion'>{{Cite news |date=February 26, 1985 |title=Ex-Big 10 champ Joey Ray to perform here |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1285164457 |newspaper=The Evening Telegram |location=Superior, Wisconsin |volume=95 |number=262 |page=3 |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref> Practicing 3 hours a day, he was a top youth gymnast at Maine East High School and the American Academy Gymnastics Club, and won the Class AA state title on parallel bars and horizontal bar.<ref name='meet'/><ref name='disparity'>{{Cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Fred |date=April 28, 1979 |title=Preps rip disparity in gymnastics |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/386650886 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |volume=132 |number=118 |page=2 Section 2 |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref> He was a member of the United States junior national team.<ref name='meet'/><ref name='disparity'/> He later enrolled at the University of Minnesota.
==Gymnastics career== While a student at the University of Minnesota, Ray was a member of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's gymnastics team from 1981 to 1984.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-gym-spec-rel-minn-m-gym-letterwinners-html.aspx |title=Letterwinners |website=gophersports.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927125502/https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-gym-spec-rel-minn-m-gym-letterwinners-html.aspx |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref> He was the Big Ten Conference all-around champion in 1983.<ref name='bigtenchamps'>{{Cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-gym-spec-rel-minn-m-gym-big-ten-champs-html.aspx |title=Big Ten Champions |website=gophersports.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927125502/https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-gym-spec-rel-minn-m-gym-big-ten-champs-html.aspx |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref> He was a four-time conference champion on parallel bars (1981 through 1984) and won the pommel horse title in 1981.<ref name='bigtenchamps'/> He was an All-American on the parallel bars in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-gym-spec-rel-minn-m-gym-all-americans-html.aspx |title=All-Americans |website=gophersports.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927125448/https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-gym-spec-rel-minn-m-gym-all-americans-html.aspx |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref> He was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1984.<ref name='gophermedal'/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-gym-spec-rel-honors-awards-html.aspx |title=Golden Gopher Honors and Awards |website=gophersports.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927125458/https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-gym-spec-rel-honors-awards-html.aspx |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref>
While in college, Ray was first named to the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team in 1981.<ref name='evening'>{{Cite news |last=Davy |first=John |date=July 20, 1988 |title=Next... |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1312669385 |newspaper=The Evening Telegram |location=Superior, Wisconsin |volume=99 |number=76 |page=13 |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref> He represented the United States at the 1983 Pan American Games and won a silver medal in the team all-around and placed fifth in the pommel horse.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 21, 1983 |title=Pan American Games Results |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1055403882 |newspaper=Anchorage Daily News |volume=XXXVIII |number=246 |page=C12 |access-date=March 30, 2026}}</ref>
He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1984, but continued training and later joined the Golden Gophers as an assistant coach.<ref name='evening'/><ref name='inmotion'/> He remained a member of the US National Team until 1986, but continued coaching and began judging gymnastics.<ref name='evening'/>
Ray was inducted into the Minnesota Golden Gophers "M Club Hall of Fame" as a member of the class of 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2015/10/14/Joey_Ray_to_be_Inducted_into |title=Joey Ray to be Inducted into |date=October 14, 2015 |website=gophersports.com |access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Sports links}} * [https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-club-spec-rel-hof-ray-html Joey Ray] at Minnesota Golden Gophers Hall of Fame
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Joey}} Category:Living people Category:American male artistic gymnasts Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers men's gymnasts Category:Gymnasts at the 1983 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in gymnastics Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Year of birth missing (living people)