COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The term “decorated” does not begin to describe the type of life that former Colorado State University track and field and football competitor Chester Cruikshank put together. Competing in the Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference during the 1930s as a two-sport athlete for the Rams, he was proof that one’s achievements are limited only to the amount of effort that they are willing to put in. In his time at CSU, Cruikshank was routinely a national performer in throwing events for the Rams’ track and field program, earning five All-America honors throughout his time. In addition to his accolades in track and field, Cruikshank also helped the Rams’ football program to conference titles in the 1933 and 1934 seasons.
Affably known to his teammates and coaches as “Chet,” the Ault, Colo., native embarked on his collegiate athletic career at Colorado State in 1932. As a thrower for the track and field program, he needed just one year to join the ranks of the nation’s best competitors in the discus and hammer throw events. In the 1933 season, he claimed runner-up honors in the hammer throw at the NCAA Track and Field Championships. He then followed up with a fourth-place finish in the hammer throw and a sixth-place finish in the discus at the 1934 NCAA National Championships. At the 1935 championships, his senior season, he once again finished second in the hammer throw and closed out his collegiate track and field career as a five-time All-American, three times in the hammer throw and twice in the discus event.
As a competitor on the gridiron for Colorado State, he was named an all-conference selection in 1934 after helping his team claim its second consecutive RMFAC conference title.
Upon the conclusion of his collegiate career in 1936, Cruikshank’s athletic accomplishments were not complete as he continued to compete in the track and field world within the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). As an AAU competitor, he earned a pair of national titles in the hammer throw, once in 1935 and again in 1939. Cruikshank continued to compete in AAU competition into the following decade, despite enlisting into the United States Army in 1940.
If his athletic achievements were deemed remarkable, the efforts and accomplishments that he provided to defend his country in World War II should be noted as nothing short of incredible. Not only did he continue to pursue his athletic endeavors while enlisted in the US Army, he also climbed military ranks while earning numerous Army distinctions at the height of the war. After being promoted to a Major for the Army’s 45th Infantry Division, he continued to serve his country across the globe. He was granted permission to continue participation in AAU competitions through 1943. During this time, he racked up one more national title in the hammer throw at the 1942 National Championships.
In June of 1943, Cruikshank and the Army 45th Infantry 180th Infantry Division were deployed to Italy. While there, Cruikshank suffered an ankle injury that left him inactive for two months. Upon his return to action in September of that year, he was awarded his first of two Silver Star Awards, which are given to honorees for valor in combat, before being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
Cruikshank continued to serve his nation and was awarded the Bronze Star and Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest military decoration awarded in the U.S. Army. The medal is presented to recipients for extraordinary heroism while engaged in action. His responsibilities to his country continued through the end of the war, in 1945, when he played a role in liberating prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp.
Upon the conclusion of the war, Cruikshank returned home and once again set his sights on athletic achievement at the 1945 AAU National Championships. Having recently finished his military duties, he immediately returned to competition and finished fourth overall in the championship’s hammer throw finals.
Among the previously mentioned athletic trophies and honors and the military accolades, Cruikshank was also awarded the Purple Heart and two subsequent Oak Leaf Clusters for wounds endured during his time in the U.S. Army.
After closing out his athletic career, Cruikshank returned to La Junta, Colo., and served on the governing board for Colorado State University and Fort Lewis College through 1966. He resided in that region until his death in November of 1970.
For the accomplishments earned at CSU and in the RMFAC, Cruikshank is being posthumously inducted into the RMAC Hall of Fame as a member of the 2022 class. His collegiate accomplishments, in addition to the bravery he demonstrated on the battlefield, make him a highly-respected addition to the RMAC Hall of Fame.
The 2022 RMAC Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet will be hosted at the Colorado Springs Marriott on Friday, July 15. Doors will open for the event at 5 p.m. MT, while the banquet is slated to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets for this year’s RMAC Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet are available for purchase and can be found
here or can be purchased at the door with credit card or cash only. Adult tickets can be purchased for $75, while tickets for children 12 or younger can be purchased for $30. Tables for 10 may also be purchased for $600. Included in the price of each ticket is a dinner with options ranging from beef, chicken or vegetarian plates.