BUTLER TWP — Cliff Diehl didn’t find gymnastics. The sport found him.

And took care of him.

The 1965 Butler graduate went on to become a two-time WPIAL and state champion on the parallel bars, a WPIAL and state champion in all around, before extending his gymnnastics career to Michigan State University.

Now he’s landing in the Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame.

Diehl will be inducted along with Mike Seybert, Mickey Haley, Howard Hammonds, T.J. McCance and Donnie Brown during a 5 p.m. ceremony Sept. 18 in the high school cafeteria. The inductees will also be presented on the field prior to the Golden Tornado’s home football game against North Hills that night.

“I’m humbled and honored to be joining the Hall of Frame fraternity, with so many outstanding athletes and coaches,” Diehl said.

With no plans to enter gymnastics, Diehl said he was “recruited” for the team out of ninth grade gym class.

“Coach (Paul) Uram asked if I would like to come up and work out with the high school team,” Diehl said. “I was happy to do that. The next year, I was on the team.”

Diehl wound up lettering for three years in gymnastics. He was a three-time WPIAL champion his junior year — all around, parallel and horizontal bars — and won the state title on the parallel bars that season.

He became a three-time state champion his senior year, winning all around, parallel and horizontal bars. Diehl competed during the Golden Tornado gymnastics era that saw Uram rattle off more than 100 consecutive meet victories without a loss.

“That’s a record that will never be duplicated,” Diehl said. “Coach Uram was the guy who made it happen.

“He had tremendous knowledge of the sport and the ability to physically demonstrate specific skills. That was invaluable to us.

“He recognized your talent, honed your skills, then pushed you to achieve,” Diehl added.

After graduating from Butler, Diehl went on to Michigan State. He finished second in the Big 10 on the parallel bars in 1968 and qualified for the NCAA Championships in Tucson, Ariz.

“To succeed at that level was really special,” he said of collegiate gymnastics. “Everybody was so good.”

Diehl’s gymnastics career ended his junior year in college due to partial dislocations in both of his shoulders.

“It was a progressive thing, mainly because of the nature of the events I specialized in,” he said. “There was a lot of wear and tear. I just couldn’t compete anymore.”

But he has no regrets. Diehl went on to become a high school gymnastics judge for a few years.

Diehl put together a career in construction after graduating from Michigan State.

“Lessons that Coach Uram taught me have stayed with me,” Diehl said. “He taught me to never quit, to challenge myself to be the best. He always gave us inspiration and motivation.

“He was a football coach, a great golfer — he was an athlete himself.”

Diehl also played baseball at Meridian, from youth through legion ball. But gymnastics provide his fondest memories and current joy.

“They used to fill our gym for gymnastics meets like they do for basketball now,” he said. “For the WPIAL Championships, they brought the band in. It was really a big deal back then.

“Now I have two grand-daughters competing as gymnasts. Taylor Diehl, 7 year sold, is in Avon Lake, Ohio, and Emily Mueller, 9, competes for X-Cel in Cranberry.

“I love watching them. It brings back memories,” Diehl added.