Gary Sheerer

Gary Peter Sheerer (born February 18, 1947) is a retired water polo player from the United States, who competed for Stanford University, and participated in two consecutive Summer Olympics in water polo for his native country, at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. Sheerer was part of the U.S. Water Polo team that captured the team bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Stanford University

Sheerer attended Stanford University on a scholarship, competing in swimming and playing for their water polo team from 1964-68 where he was managed by Stanford Hall of Fame Head swimming and water polo coach James Gaughran. While at Stanford, he was a member of Beta Theta Phi fraternity. An accomplished high school and collegiate swimmer in addition to his skills in water polo, Sheerer held the NCAA 200 freestyle record as a Stanford Freshman in 1965. Recognized for his early talent in the sport, he served as Captain of Stanford's Freshman Water Polo team and of their varsity team in 1967. He graduated from Stanford in 1969 with a degree in Engineering. All pre-Olympic favorites, Yugoslavia took the team gold medal, with the Soviet Union taking the silver, and Hungary taking the bronze. The early Water Polo favorites in 1972 were the teams from Hungary, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. Exceeding expectations, the United States defeated Yugoslavia in a final round eliminating a favorite team from medal contention. The U.S. captured their fourth bronze medal in the event, but their first since 1932. As early favorites, the Soviet Union took the gold, and the team from Hungary took the silver medal.

Honors In his more noteworthy honors and awards, in 1969, Sheerer received the Lawrence J. Johnson trophy as the top aquatic athletic competitor. In 1982, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, and was later an inductee into the International Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1984.