Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Gallaudet

Wrestling is a sport that often likes to pride itself on the fact that it is all inclusive.  A sport that welcomes all male & female regardless of height, weight, size or even disabilities.  What other sport can have the likes of Anthony Robles of Arizona State or Nick Ackerman of Simpson college win accolades at the highest level?  How many other sports can you name where individuals who are completely blind have participated at the highest level?  

Gallaudet wrestling was started in the 1945-1946 season as a sport for their student-athletes to participate in despite their disabilities.  Gallaudet is an institution in Washington D.C. designed specifically for the deaf and hard of hearing.  For the next *almost* sixty years the Bison would produce quality wrestling teams with quality wrestlers.  While all dropped wrestling programs are an absolute travesty, this one hit in particularly hard.  The top institution in the United States for the hearing impaired rolled up their mats for the final time after the 2004-2005 season.  

I posted *almost* above because Gallaudet also dropped wrestling after the 1979-1980 season & did not have a team from 1980-1981.  They reinstated during the 1981-1982 season, mainly due to the fact that from that point on (up until the program was dropped in 2005) their head coach was unpaid.  

Matter of fact one of their coaches Marty Willigan taught school & was the head coach of near by Model High School.  He would teach for eight hours, run a two hour high school practice & then come over to Gallaudet to run another two hour practice.  One of our many unsung heroes in the sport who often put in a twelve hour day so kids could be a part of this great sport.  

The Bison won the Mason Dixon Conference team title in 1954 & 1955.  They are the only collegiate wrestling team to ever win a conference title with all members being deaf. 

Toselli Silvestri
158 lbs 

A high school state champion for Model High School, Silverstri had Marty Willigan as head coach for both high school & collegiate wrestling.  Deaf, Silverstri was given coaching through American sign language.  He took eighth place All American honors at the NCAA Division III championships in 1989. 

Vincent "Todd" Silvestri 
177 lbs 

Also a member of the Bison football team, Silvestri lead the team in tackles in 1985, 1986 & 1987, being named All-Conference in 1987.  He had 103 career tackles. 

On the mat he earned eighth place All American honors at the NCAA Division III championships in 1989. 

Charles Hammack
150 lbs 

Also a member of the Bison football team, Hammack had a standout season in 1989-1990 where he went 36-3 (all three of his losses were at the NCAA Division III tournament) taking sixth place All American honors.  He graduated with a record of 117-14.