Wikipedia

Mark Caso

Mark Caso (born 1960 or 1961[2]) is a retired American artistic gymnast. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and won three medals at the 1983 Pan American Games.

Mark Caso
Born1960 or 1961 (age 64–65)
Height5 ft 4.5 in (164 cm)[1]
Gymnastics career
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Country
represented
United States
(1981–1984)
College team
UCLA Bruins
Head coach
Art Shurlock
Former coach
Ron Caso
Retiredc. 1985
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing  United States
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Pan American Games 0 1 2
Total 0 1 2
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place1983 CaracasTeam
Bronze medal – third place1983 CaracasFloor
Bronze medal – third place1983 CaracasRings

Early life and education

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Caso was born in 1960 or 1961 and raised in Syracuse, New York. As a youth, he participated in gymnastics with his brother, Chris, and both later competed for East Syracuse-Minoa Central High School.[3] He was coached by his father, Ron Caso.[4] At the inaugural Empire State Games in 1978, Caso won seven medals.[5] He graduated in 1979 and enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles to pursue gymnastics.[6]

Gymnastics career

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While a student at UCLA, Caso was a UCLA Bruins men's gymnastics team member. He competed from 1980 to 1984 and was the captain of the 1984 NCAA men's gymnastics championships-winning Bruins team.[7] His brother, Chris, would also later join him at UCLA and was a member of the championship-winning team.[1]

During his freshman year on January 31, 1980, Caso suffered a cervical fracture at practice while attempting a one-and-a-half twisting, one-and-three-quarters Arabian on the floor.[2][8] The fracture resulted in paralysis and doctors fused his fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae using bone from his hip.[8][9] Caso's doctor said that he was "a millimeter away from being paralyzed completely."[8] He endured a two-month hospitalization and nearly ten months of rehabilitation.[8][9] As a result, he was unable to compete in the 1980 United States Olympic trials.[10]

The following year, Caso became a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team for the first time.[9][11] At the 1981 U.S. National Sports Festival in front of a hometown Syracuse crowd, Caso won four medals, one shy of the NSF record, and was given two standing ovations.[4][12]

Caso represented the United States at the 1983 Pan American Games. He won a silver medal in the team all-around and added two individual bronze medals on the floor and still rings.[11] He was a finalist for the 1984 Nissen-Emery Award, awarded to the top senior men's collegiate gymnast.[13] He later competed at the 1984 United States Olympic trials and placed 10th, missing the Olympic team by two spots.[10] Following the event, he intended to retire from gymnastics, and it was later reported to be the case.[9][11] Despite the reports, Caso competed at the 1985 Worlds team selection trials for the United States.[14] He tied for 14th place and was not selected for the team.[15]

Later career, legacy, and personal life

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After gymnastics, Caso pursued an acting career in 1985 and had appeared in 30 commercials by 1988.[9] He was a student at the Joanne Baron acting school.[9] With his background in gymnastics, Caso was cast and performed in the 1991 movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze as Leonardo.[9][16][17] He reprised the role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.[18] He appeared as a series regular on Xuxa.[19]

He later had a corporate career with Bruder.[16]

Caso was inducted into the greater Syracuse hall of fame as part of the class of 2000.[5] In 2009, he was inducted into the East Syracuse-Minoa Central School District hall of fame.[20][21] He has been rated as the top athlete to ever come from the school across all sports.[7]

Caso is married to Beate Caso and their daughter, Francesca, competed in collegiate gymnastics for the Oregon State Beavers women's gymnastics team.[22]

References

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  1. 1 2 Ripton, Ray (March 14, 1985). "Bruin Gymnast Brothers Make 'Played in Pain' Sound Like a Walk in the Park". Westside Sports. Los Angeles Times. Vol. CIV, no. 101. pp. 20, 23. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  2. 1 2 van der Horst, Roger (December 18, 1980). "Caso Willing to Risk His Neck After Near-Fatal Gymnastics Fall". Neighbors North. Syracuse Post-Standard. Vol. 152, no. 94. pp. 10–11. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  3. ↑ "ES-M's Caso brothers star". Syracuse Herald-Journal. Vol. 105, no. 31, 480. December 26, 1981. p. B-2. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Smith, Pohla (July 29, 1981). "All Mark Caso wants out of gymnastics competition these..." upi.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Mark Caso". greatersyracusesportshalloffame.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  6. ↑ "WNY Is 4th In States". The Buffalo News. Vol. CXCVII, no. 54. December 3, 1978. p. B-10. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Kramer, Lindsay (May 1, 2019). "The 52 greatest athletes in East Syracuse Minoa history". syracuse.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "UCLA's Caso on his way back". The Camarillo Daily News. No. 154. May 31, 1984. p. C3. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bock, Chuck (September 29, 1991). "Gymnast Breaks Out of His Shell". Los Angeles Times. p. C17. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Reilly, Rick (June 10, 1984). "Going the Distance". Los Angeles Times. Vol. CIII, no. 190. pp. 3, 12. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 MacGraw, Ali (January–February 1984). "Mark Caso, Gymnastics". Interview. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  12. ↑ Lader, Martin (July 28, 1981). "Mark Caso, temporarily paralyzed from the neck down a..." upi.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Nissen-Emery Award". usagym.org. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  14. ↑ "World team trials". Minneapolis Star and Tribune. Vol. IV, no. 176. September 27, 1985. p. 7D. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  15. ↑ Thornton, Ralph (September 28, 1985). "Winner of world gym trials says it's all in your mind". Minneapolis Star and Tribune. Vol. IV, no. 177. p. 5D. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  16. 1 2 Fox, Tim (November 3, 2023). "Tell Me Something Good: From athlete to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle". localsyr.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  17. ↑ King, Susan (March 23, 1991). "Mark Caso Discovers Life as a Turtle Isn't Always So Ultra-Cool". Los Angeles Times. Vol. CX, no. 110. p. F4. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  18. ↑ Maslin, Janet (March 23, 1993). "Third time around carries nicer aura". The Plain Dealer. p. 5-C. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Mark Caso: Jam the Jaguar". imdb.com. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ "ESM Athletic Hall of Fame". esmschools.org. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  21. ↑ Doran, Elizabeth (January 22, 2009). "ES-M adds 6 to hall". syracuse.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Four Join the OSU Gymnastics Program". pac-12.com. November 10, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
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