KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dennis McComak was a three-sport athlete growing up in Columbus, Kansas.
He was an All-Southeast Kansas Conference performer at wide receiver in football, played basketball and ran track.
But archery is what led him to the 1972 Munich Olympics.
McComak, a 1970 graduate of Columbus High, finished 11th in the men’s archery competition, totaling 2,398 points and missing a medal by 69 points.
One week later, at the World Field Archery Championships, McComak took second behind only fellow U.S. competitor and Olympic gold medalist John Williams.
McComak received a degree in biology from Pittsburg State and served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel after a career in intelligence.
He was inducted into the Columbus High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
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The Kansas City region has a deep, rich history with respect to the Olympic Games. As the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games approach with the Opening Ceremony scheduled for July 23, we will profile an athlete with ties to Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas each day.
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