Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Grand Valley State

With the love & recognition that the wrestling team still receives to this day, it's hard to believe that wrestling at the varsity status ever left Grand Valley State University.  The NCWA (National Collegiate Wrestling Association) club program that was formed about twenty years ago & has had a tremendous amount of success in a variety of ways.  The team has won the NCWA title in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 & 2008, producing 23 individual NCWA champions, including MMA superstar Tyrone Ferguson.  This also includes seven conference titles & being host to a well attended NCWA championship in 2006.  The club program is well supported with a substantial fan-base.  An area where the reinstatement of varsity wrestling would make tremendous sense.  

At the varsity status, the Lakers had wrestling from the 1967-1968 season to the 1992-1993 season.  They were tremendously successful at both the NAIA & NCAA Division II levels.  Two runner-up finishes & three fourth places finishes in the NAIA throughout the mid 1970's into the early 1980's.  Three top 10 finishes in NCAA Division II.    During their time in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association (GLIAC) they won five titles, finishing as the runner up on ten occasions & one third place showing.  

Mike Abrams
158, 167 lbs 

A five time All American, Abrams earned medals at the NAIA, NCAA Division II & NCAA Division I levels.  The graduate of Pontiac North high school, Abrams earned his first All American honor with a fourth place finish at the 1977 NAIA nationals.  He'd follow that up by winning a NAIA title in 1978.  In 1979 he'd finish third in the NAIA, winning a NCAA Division II title & finishing his career with a sixth place finish at the NCAA Division I tournament.  His record 88-15.  He later went on to coach & teach physical education at Roy Martin junior high in Las Vegas. 

Ron Essink
HWT 

It's safe to say that former Seattle Seahawk/Dallas Cowboy Ron Essink learned the sport of wrestling fairly quickly.  He decided to give it a try his senior year at Zeeland high school & he went undefeated winning the state title! In doing so he became Zeeland's first state champion in any sport.   At Grand Valley State despite only having one year of high school wrestling under his belt he made the NAIA finals in 1978, winning a title in 1980 & adding to it an NCAA Division II title as well.  At the NCAA Division I level he finished seventh in the nation.  After a career in the NFL Essink returned to Zeeland to coach both football & wrestling. 

Roger Singleton
118 lbs 

Singleton had an outstanding career for the Lakers winning three GLIAC titles & earning All American status at both the NCAA Division II & Division I levels.  As a sophomore in 1986 he took fifth in DII.  He followed that up with a runner-up finish in 1987, taking sixth in Division I. He'd end his career with an NCAA Division II title in 1988. 

Mark Mangianti
126 lbs 

A graduate of Mt. Clemens High School, Mangianti won four GLIAC titles, earning All American status three times with a 138-12 career record. He won an NAIA title in 1974, finishing third at both the NAIA & NCAA Division II championships in 1976. 

Ed King
190 lbs 

King earned All American status twice for the Lakers in 1979. He placed fifth at the NAIA level & sixth at the NCAA Division II level. 

Mike Gohn
HWT

A state champion of Sparta High School, Mike Gohn took third place All American honors at the NCAA Division II tournament in 1989. 

Steve Bolleback
HWT 

Bolleback was third at the 1975 NAIA championships.  

Dorr Granger
142 lbs 

A four time GLIAC champion, Granger put together a 99-38 career record with twenty-eight falls earning All American status on four occasions.  He placed sixth at the 1980 NAIA championships, following it up with an eighth place finish in 1981, which also included a third place showing at the NCAA Division II championships.  He'd end his career placing fifth in NCAA Division II in 1982. 

Jamie Hosford
177, 190 lbs 

If you're looking for a multi-sport athlete, here you go.  Hosford not only wrestled at Grand Valley State, he also played football, golf, baseball & participated in track & field.   All in all he earned twelve varsity letters. An All American on the gridiron he rushed for 1,313 yards in a single season, rushing for 3,157 during his career.  As a wrestler he put together a record of 113-12 with nearly all of his losses being at the national tournaments.  At the NAIA level he placed fourth his freshman & sophomore seasons of 1974 & 1975.  As a junior in 1976 he took third, capping his career off with a NAIA title in 1977. 

Paul Neumann
150 lbs 

Neumann was an NAIA runner up in 1979. 

Tim Horn
142 lbs 

Horn who to this day still has an invitational named in his honor, placed third for the Lakers in the 1980 NAIA championships. 

Jim Shutich
134 lbs 

A graduate of nearby Grand Rapids West Catholic, Shutich began his career at the NJCAA level competing for Grand Rapids Community College (a program we no longer have).  Wrestling for the Lakers, Shutich won the NAIA crown in 1977. 

Bill Roersma
142 lbs 

Putting together a career record of 66-10, Roersma won the NAIA title in 1977. 

John Harris
134 lbs 

A graduate of Battle Creek Central high school, Harris put together an impressive career at Grand Valley State.  A record of 117-19, he won three GLIAC titles twice finishing as the NAIA runner up in 1976 & 1977. 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = UNLV

UNLV Runnin' Rebel wrestling only lasted for a short time, but it did give us what many believe is the best in season tournament in NCAA Division I wrestling.  What we now refer to as the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational was originally started & hosted by UNLV.   According to writer Alex Steen, UNLV had a winning record in all of their seasons.  The program was discontinued after the 1983-1984 season. 

Tyrone Rose
134 lbs 

Rose was a two time NCAA qualifier for the Runnin' Rebels in 1978 & 1979

Larry Buckner
142 lbs 

A graduate of Wichita Heights high school in Kansas, Buckner began his collegiate career at Garden City Community College (another program we've lost) before transferring to UNLV.  Competing for the Runnin' Rebels he qualified for the NCAA championships in 1978 & 1979.

Roger Desart
118 lbs 

Desart was a three time NCAA qualifier for UNLV, making trips to the NCAA tournament in 1980, 1981 & 1983. 

Kahlan O'Hara
HWT 

A Nevada native of Chaparral High school, O'Hara was the most successful wrestler on the Runnin' Rebel team. After transferring from the University of Nebraska,  he placed eighth in the nation as a sophomore in 1983 & followed it up with a fifth place finish as a junior in 1984.  Forced to transfer after UNLV dropped wrestling, O'Haras finished up his career at Oklahoma State where he took sixth at the NCAA championships in 1985. 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Marshall

Started in the 1967-1968 season by legendary football coach Larry Coyer who served at various teams throughout the NCAA & NFL level, Thundering Herd wrestling lasted until the 1981-1982 season.  Their best years were saved for their final years when they joined the Southern Conference during the 1976-1977 season.  

Ralph Truitt
142 lbs 

A graduate of McKinley high school where he placed fifth in the Ohio state championships, Truitt made history in 1978 when he became the Thundering Herd's first Southern Conference Champion & NCAA qualifier. 

David Coyle
167 lbs 

A native of Sayerville, New Jersey, Coyle damn near joined Truitt in a trip to the NCAA's in 1978 when he lost a heartbreaker in the Southern Conference finals.  He would not be denied the next season as he won the 1979 title & made a trip to the NCAA tournament. 

Jeremiah Gagnon
190 lbs  

Gagnon won the Southern Conference title earning NCAA qualification in 1978. 

Tim Jones
167 lbs 

Jones was the final Southern Conference champion & NCAA qualifier for the Thundering Herd, winning his title in 1981. 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their best = Connecticut

I haven't been able to find out a whole lot about the Connecticut Husky wrestling team but I do know that UCONN did indeed have a team & I'm pretty sure I can name their best wrestler. More than happy to add anything anyone else has.  Sometimes I'm able to find out a lot of information & sometimes I'm not.  This was one I couldn't find much for. 

Joe Viola
118, 126 lbs 

From what I've been able to find, two time NCAA Qualifier, two time New England Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion, Joe Viola was the best in Husky wrestling history.  He graduated with a career record of 69-10 & later became the head coach at Summitt High School in Oregon.  He also worked as the director of campus services at Central Oregon Community College. 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Central Connecticut State

From the time Blue Devil wrestling started in the 1966-1967 season until the time it ended in the 1995-1996 season, it was one of the most successful programs on the Conference level at Central Connecticut State.  During their time in NCAA Division II under the leadership of the late George Redman twenty-two New England Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (NEIWA) place-winners were produced & seven All Americans.  When Central Connecticut State moved up to the Division I ranks now under the tutelage of Ken DeStefanis, in twelve seasons three NEIWA titles (1987, 1988 & 1989) were won & one Eastern Collegiate Wrestling Association (ECWA in 1992) was won.  In all twelve of those seasons wrestlers were sent to the NCAA tournament every season, a total of thirty qualifiers.  16 of which won NEIWA titles & 10 of which won ECWA titles.  

Despite all of this success, especially in comparison to the other sports programs at Central Connecticut State, athletic director Charlie Jones felt that when budget cuts became inevitable that the only sport that he could cut was wrestling. 

Mark Salge
142 lbs 

Salge was one of the most successful wrestlers at Central Connecticut State.  Putting together a career record of 126-26 he won two NEIWA titles & two Eastern Regional titles capturing All American status at the NCAA Division II level twice.  He placed third in 1978 & eighth in 1979. 

Jim Valerian
126 lbs 

Valerian was an NCAA Division II All American in 1981 capturing a 7th place finish. 

Dave Rothman
167, 177 lbs 

Dave Rothman earned two seventh place finishes at the NCAA Division II tournament in 1981 & 1983. 

Joe Glowacki
177 lbs  

Glowacki earned NCAA Division II All American honors in 1981 with a sixth place finish. 

Dave Cameron
190 lbs 

Dave Cameron suffered a life threatening ordeal his freshman season & it seemed that he may never wrestle again.  Instead he came back to win two Eastern Regional titles for the Blue Devils & take fourth place at the NCAA Division II tournament his senior season of 1981.  He was then an assistant at Central Connecticut State & later took over as head coach of Sacred Heart. 

Sal Profaci
126 lbs   

When the Blue Devils transitioned from NCAA Division I to NCAA Division II status, Sal Profaci wasted no time in giving Central Connecticut State their first NCAA qualifier in 1987. He'd qualify two more times in 1989 & 1990.  His son also named Sal was a two time NCAA qualifier himself.  Once for the University of Michigan & once for American University. 

Ryan Johnson
134, 142 lbs 

Johnson was a three time NCAA qualifier for the Blue Devils in 1987,1988 & 1989. 

Mike Gibbons
177, 167 lbs 

Gibbons was the Blue Devils sole four time NCAA Division I qualifier making trips to the nationals in 1987, 1988, 1989 & 1990. 

Mark Furshone
177 lbs   

Furshone was a three time NCAA qualifier for the Blue Devils going in 90', 92' & 93'. 

Mike Kosis
134, 142 lbs  

A New Jersey Native, Mike Kocsis was a three time NCAA qualifier in 1991, 92' & 93'.  As a senior in 93 he finished out the regular season undefeated winning an ECWA title.  

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Southern Connecticut

From the 1973-1974 season until the 1997-1998 season when the program was dropped, wrestling was one of the most successful sports at Southern Connecticut State.  Matter of fact, when looking at accomplishments & credentials, it still is.  The Owls have throughout their history sponsored 19 varsity sports.  In terms of All Americans produced, wrestling to this day still ranks ninth, even though it has been gone from the University for twenty two years.   The only other sport that Southern Connecticut State has dropped is Men's Gymnastics, which still to this day in All Americans produced, ranked fourth out of nineteen.  Not to mention Men's Gymnastics won NCAA Division II titles in 1973, 1975 & 1976.  Wrestling was better on an individual level, although they were consistently a top 25 team. 

Paul Bulzomi
126 lbs 

Bulzomi was a three time NCAA Division II All American for the Owls capturing a sixht place finish in 1978, a fourth place finish in 1979 & a third place finish in 1980. 

Sean Bilodeau
177 lbs 

Bilodeau took third place All American honors at the NCAA Division II tournament in 1978.  His son, also named Sean won Fargo in 2007. 

Pete Dalaker
134 lbs 

A graduate of Islip High School in New York, Dalaker placed third at the 1982 NCAA Division II championships.  He later returned to Islip to coach both wrestling & baseball. 

Mark Piterski
118 lbs  

Mark Piterski had back to back third place All American showings at the 1987 & 1988 NCAA Division II tournaments. 

Denzil Forrester
177 lbs 

Placing fifth at the 1987 NCAA Division II championships, Forrester would take runner-up honors in 1988 becoming the only Owl to ever be invited to participate in the NCAA Division I tournament. 

Joe Bena
177 lbs 

A graduate of Niskayuna High school, Bena was a two time All American for the Owls.  He placed sixth in 1991 & third in 1992 at the NCAA Division II tournament. 

Bernard Valentin
158 lbs 

A graduate of Long Beach High School in New York, Valentin took third place at the state championships before coming to Southern Connecticut State.  Competing for the Owls he garnered 100 career victories taking eighth place in 1993 & fifth place in 1995 at the NCAA Division II championships.  Post college he was an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut state up until the program was dropped after the 1997-1998 season.  He then returned to Long Beach High School where he worked as the school psychologist & headed the junior varsity wrestling program. 

Anthony Brockman
142, 150 lbs 

Brockman earned two back to back fifth place All American showings for the Owls at the NCAA Division II tournament in 1994 & 1995. 

Gene Hanemann
150, 158 lbs 

Gene Hanemann was a two time state qualifier in the state of New Jersey, but he never made his way on to the award stand.  Come college, he wouldn't be denied.   Starting his career off at Southern Connecticut State he took eighth place honors at the 1993 NCAA Division II tournament.  He followed up with a fifth place showing in 1994.  Transferring to St. Cloud State for his final season, he capped off an outstanding collegiate career by winning the 1995 title. 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Montclair State

While not quite Ohioans or Pennsylvanians, the wrestling fans of New Jersey are quite proud of the talent the state produces & are never shy when it comes to putting in their two cents when arguments breakout over the world wide web on where the best wrestlers come from.  The only thing missing from these discussions is a mixture of braggadocios, yet backed up pride of having one of the best NCAA Division III teams the nation ever saw & a bitter anger that the team no longer exist. 

I hear New Jerseyans/Jersyites/Jerseymen speak quite often on their high school wrestling & anymore with Rider, Rutgers & especially Princeton upping their game, quite a bit of love goes out to Division I.  Occasionally the College of New Jersey gets a bit of love too.  Yet, if anyone ever wants to talk about how good Montclair State was, they have every right to. 

Now the Redhawks used to be known as the Indians, but for the purpose of this article I'm going to use Redhawks.    

To give you an idea as to how good the team was....

We're talking throughout the Mid 70's until the team was dropped in the mid 00's, eighteen top ten finishes at the NCAA Division III tournament.  This includes winning the 1976 & 1986 titles with two runner up, three third place finishes and three fourth place finishes.  Not to mention a numerous amount of Metropolitan Championship titles.  

The debate as to the best NCAA Division I team we've ever lost often goes to Syracuse.  The best Division II team Nebraska-Omaha.  The best Division III team?  Well, it of course is always subjective, but trust me, you're perfectly safe claiming Montclair State. 

Larry Sciacchetano
190, HWT 

One of the most prolific individuals in our sport, Larry Sciacchetano had a standout career for the Redhawks earning All American status on three occasions.  In 1962 & 1964 he placed third at the NAIA championships, also capturing a fourth place finish at the 1964 NCAA Division II championships.  Along with wrestling, he also competed in both football and Track & Field. He later coached at Montclair State, as well as New York Maritime & Louisiana State.  All three programs we no longer have. 

Later in life Sciacchetano was president of USA Wrestling.  We sadly lost him in October of 2019. 

Florian Ghinea

A Romanian Olympian, Ginea had an outstanding career at Montclair State capturing NCAA Division III titles in 1998 & 1999, finishing in third place in 2000.  He also fared well against Division I competition placing fifth, fourth & eighth at the Midlands tournament.  Post college Ghinea has coached at the club level, training such talent as Penn State NCAA runner-up Dan Vallimont. 

Nabil Guteklov
118, 126 lbs 

A Native of Germany, Nabil Guteklov won two NCAA Division III championships for the Redhawks in 1974 & 1975.  Invited to participate in the NCAA Division I championships, he placed fifth in 1975. 

Ken Mallory
134 lbs 

Ken Mallory has quite the story as the high school he attended, South End in Boston, Massachusetts didn't even have a wrestling team.  Instead he learned the sport from coach Jim Peckham who ran a club at Union Gym.  Despite whatever disadvantages some might think Mallory was up against, he won four NCAA titles during his time as a Redhawk. Three of them were at the NCAA Division III level.  One of them was at the NCAA Division I level.   When he won the DI title in 1978 as a junior, he became the one & only Division III wrestler to ever win a Division I title. 

John Monaco
167, 177 lbs 

One half of the Monaco brothers, John won three NCAA Division III titles for the Redhawks in 1985, 1986 & 1987.  Invited to the NCAA Division I tournament in all three of these seasons, John placed fourth in 1985.   Post college he helps to run the Edgewater wrestling club. 

Karl Monaco
142, 150 lbs 

Like his brother John, Karl won three NCAA Division III titles for the Redhawks in 1987, 1988 & 1989.  Invited to the NCAA Division I championships in these three seasons, he damn near joined Mallory as a DIII wrestler to win a DI championship when he finished at the runner-up in 1989.  Along with John, he helps to coach the Edgewater Wrestling Club. 

Vince Tundo
134 lbs 

Starting off his career at Alfred State back when the Pioneers were a community college, Vince Tundo won a NJCAA title in 1973 before coming to Montclair State. Competing for the Redhawks he finished at the NCAA Division III runner up in 1975 before capping off his career as a national champion in 1976. 

Peter Gonzalez
126 lbs 

Gonzalez had an exceptionally successful career at Montclair State earning All American honors on six occasions.  At the NCAA Division III level, Gonzalez finished as the NCAA runner-up in 1986, taking third place honors in 1987, before winning titles in 1988 & 1989.  At the Division I level he placed seventh in 1988 & fifth in 1989. 

Greg Gibacthino
150 lbs 

Gibacthino was a two time NCAA Division III All American with back to back third place finishes at the 1975 & 1976 tournaments. 

Steve Caldwell
HWT 

One of the earlier products of Blair Academy, Caldwell was a two time NCAA Division III All American with a runner up finish in 1975 & a third place showing in 1976. 

Mike Blakely
134, 142 lbs 

A graduate of John F Kennedy-Patterson high school where he finished third in the state championships, Blakely was a two time NCAA Division III All American for the Redhawks.  He took runner up honors in 1976, finishing in fourth place in 1978. 

Rick Freitas
142 lbs 

"First" is a word to be used when talking about Rick Freitas. A 1971 Massachusetts state champion for Lowell High School & a 1972 New England prep Champion for Tabor Academy, Freitas started off his career at the University of Boston.  As a freshman he became the first Terrier to win a NEIWA (New England Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) title & to be named the outstanding wrestler of the tournament.  Transferring to Montclair State, he came the first wrestler from the state of Massachusetts to win an NCAA title.   He late coached at Upsala, The University of Massachusetts & Amherst. While Upsala isn't even around anymore, neither Massachusetts or Amherst have wrestling programs anymore. 

Dante Caprio
167 lbs 

Caprio won a NCAA Division III title for the Redhawks in 1976. 

Jeff Mase 
126 lbs 

A State champion out of Bridgewater West High School, Mase made the NCAA Division III finals in 1977. 

Mike Sickles
150, 134 lbs 

Another on the long list of Blair Academy products, Sickles placed sixth at the 1978 NCAA Division III championships before capping off his career with a title in 1979. 

Nick Milonas
126 lbs  

Milonas was a two time NCAA Division III champion for the Redhawks in 1985 & 1986.  

Jim Petty
HWT

The late Jim Petty made the NCAA Division III finals in 1986.  An 89-11 record for the Redhawks he was also a three time conference & two time Regional champion.  He later coached and taught special ed. 

Pete Georgoutsos
177 lbs   

Georgoutsos was an NCAA Division III champion for the Redhawks in 1988.  He later became an assistant coach at Montclair State. 

Armando Nardone
126 lbs 

A 1988 state champion for Belleville High School, Nardone was a three time NCAA Division III All American for the Redhawks.  He placed seventh in 1990, fifth in 1992 & third in 1993. 

Scott Vega
190 lbs 

Also a member of the Redhawks football team, Scott Vega finished as the 1990 NCAA Division III runner up before winning a title in 1991. 

Jim Sloan
177 lbs  

Sloan finished as the 1991 NCAA Division III runner up, winning a title in 1993. 

Dominic Dellagatta
157, 165 lbs 

Dellagatta was a two time NCAA Division III champion for the Redhawks in 1999 & 2000.  

Rami Ratel
149 lbs 

A graduate of Bloomfield High school Ratel made the NCAA Division III finals in 2000.  He'd come back in 2003 to go 39-0, winning both the NCAA Division III title & the outstanding wrestler award.  Post graduation he coached at Cedar-Grove high school. 

Eduard Aliakseynka
174 lbs 

Aliakseynka was a four time All American for the Redhawks Aliakseynka placed fifth 2001, won a title in 2002, & finished as the runner-up in 2003 & 2004.