John Garrels

John Carlyle Garrels (November 18, 1885 – October 21, 1956) was an American athlete who excelled in the 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, shot put, and as a fullback and end in American football.

Garrels won the silver medal in the men's 110 metres hurdles and a bronze medal in the shot put at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. On at least four occasions, he broke world records in the discus throw and 110 metres hurdles, though the Amateur Athletic Union declined to recognize the record on each occasion. He was also a starting left end and fullback for the 1904, 1905, and 1906 Michigan Wolverines football teams.

In 1911, the famed trainer and U.S. Olympic track and field coach Mike Murphy rated Garrels as one of the four athletes in the preceding 30 years "who towered head and shoulders above any other athletes of their time." In 1932, Keene Fitzpatrick, who trained multiple Olympic gold medalists, called Garrels the best all-around athlete he ever handled.

After retiring from athletics, Garrels worked as a chemical engineer. He was a technical director at Wyandotte Chemical Company for 27 years. He died in 1956 at Grosse Ile Township, Michigan.

Garrels was born in Bay City, Michigan in 1885. His father was a printer. He attended Central High School in Detroit, Michigan, serving as class president.

In March 1903, Garrels won the all-round indoor championship of the YMCA at a meet held in Detroit. At age 17, Garrels scored 21 points at the meet with first place finishes in the fence vault (6 feet, 9 inches), running high kick (9 feet), hop, step and jump (27 feet, 5 inches), and second place finishes in the shot put and running high jump.

Garrels enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1903 and received a degree in chemical engineering in 1907. While attending Michigan, Garrels became one of the most accomplished athletes in the university's history. He excelled as a member of Michigan's football teams from 1904 to 1906 and as a member of its track and field team from 1904 to 1907. He was also a member of the Tau Beta Pi fraternity and the Michigamua and Vulcan societies at Michigan.

In April 1904, Garrels, while still a freshman, demonstrated his ability by throwing the discus "around 118 and 119 feet"—a distance that would have won the event at the prior week's Philadelphia meet. Garrels announced at the time that he intended to make a specialty of the discus throw.