WVU Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2001

Written by Shelly Poe

Shari Retton Timko was WVU’s first women’s sports All-American, earning first-team honors in the all-around, floor exercise, uneven bars and vault at the 1982 AIAW national gymnastics championships in Memphis.

A four-year letterwinner, Retton, just a freshman, helped the 10th-seeded Mountaineers finish third at those national championships, while she posted a third-place individual finish in the all-around (36.30). Twice team captain, Retton went on to earn a number of accolades, including NCAA regional balance beam champion, Most Valuable Gymnast and Atlantic 10 Senior of the Year. WVU qualified for the NCAA regionals each year during her career.

The daughter of Ronnie Retton, who captained WVU’s 1959 NCAA runner-up basketball team, the Fairmont, W.Va., native is the older sister of Olympic champion gymnast Mary Lou Retton; their brother Ron played baseball at WVU.

Married to former WVU quarterback Mike Timko, Shari currently lives in Houston, Pa.