First let me say that wrestling is really been about the pursuit of excellence which I have learned, one move, one match, one win, and one loss at a time. I firmly believe that the people in the sport have had an enormous impact on my thought processes and who I am today. I, of course, did not come anywhere near my goals as a wrestler, but I agree with Baron de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, who stated, “The gold prize is the smallest of all outcomes. It is the pursuit of the excellence that has made all the difference.” So with that in mind I share a few notables.
1 Hachiro Oishi.
Oishi only taught me one-eighth of a move for months at a time until I was ready to move on to the next part of the move. He would say, “Greggy, coming in” and “You cannot eat an elephant in one day.” Hachiro instilled the concept of not being late. He left me to get to the finals of the Midlands one winter evening in the middle of Chicago snowstorm, and, of course, Lorenzo always booked the team in the cheapest motel at the farthest possible location away from the competition. Oishi always knew what to do to keep me in line. Most coaches would have stayed and waited. Not Hachiro. In addition to me being late to meet in the lobby, Jimmy Martin was also in the finals and was, of course, always on time. When I got to the gym after scrambling around to get a cab, we looked at each other and just laughed. Oishi used perfect timing to teach me a great lesson that he was attempting to teach me all season. A lesson which I have not forgotten.
2 John Fritz.
I recall his family being a lot like mine. Italian, giving, caring and stubborn. He always looked at the best in people and had such a positive attitude all the time. What a perfect role model! After college I was a graduate assistant, and I recall being on several long exhausting recruiting trips with Fritz. I was worn out after two years of recruiting with him, and he had been doing it for 10 years at that point. What a never-give-up person!
3 Rich Lorenzo.
I remember being recruited by every major wrestling college in the country and how some would attempt to appeal to the materialistic and glamorous side of an 18-year-old. I was shocked when Rich picked me up at the airport in a 1967 Ford Falcon. The gear shift was “three on the tree.” It was a coincidence that it was the same car my brothers had taught me how to drive in. I immediately felt at home. I wasn’t quite sure what to think, but I knew for sure that he was not trying to impress me. Then I was roomed with Steve Smith on my recruiting trip, and he was yet another example of a person that was a straight shooter. I think the window I looked in that week made me feel very comfortable about what I saw in Penn State wrestling and was a big factor in my decision to come to PSU.
4 The wrestlers.
I recall having a chance to meet almost everyone’s family on the team at some point and how having those experiences really opened my mind to the personalities of each teammate whose families I met. Families like the Bury’s, Manotti’s, Brugel’s, Koser’s, Johnson’s, Sefter’s, etc. Some individuals had a great impact on me. Jimmy Martin is the most consistent human I have ever known. His consistency was a true motivating force for me. I would see him in the library quite often after wrestling practice. What a tremendously-focused and bright individual. Other than Carl DeStefanis, who was a great influence on me, pound-for-pound, Tim Flynn was the funniest and most energetic wrestler I have ever know with a never-give-up attitude. Watching him take Barry Davis [three-time NCAA champion from Iowa] the distance led me to believe that almost anything was possible if you put your mind to it.
Flynn still insists that I was pinned in Rec Hall once against Iowa, but the ref would not call it cause he was a “homer.” Watching Flynn reenact me on my back for a full period is still a great laugh. John Hanrahan told me once that he was majoring in photography. I saw him a few weeks later and I overheard him tell someone he was majoring in psychology. I pulled him aside and said, “I thought you were studying photography.” He responded, “I was, but I lost my camera so I switched majors.”
I learned a great deal from Chris Bevilacqua as a workout partner. Based on how he competed, I can tell you that I respect no wrestler more. His work ethic and discipline were second to none, and surely the reason that I was able to steadily improve mentally and physically was that he was pushing the bar higher for both of us every day. Early in my PSU career, Chris and I were in a wrestle-off in Lehigh, and I beat him by a point. Three weeks later I was against him again, now in the final wrestle-off for the Espoir National team. I had no idea that he had been quietly preparing. (He took it to me and beat me quite handily I might add). Every time I stood up he threw me to my back for 3 points. The years that followed developed at a great level of competition that was mutually respected and was an outstanding experience. I looked forward to competition in every way.
Two side notes: I still owe Sunderland a steak dinner at the Tavern. Oishi pitted us against each other one day in a winner-take-all, and he took me down, fair and square. Who ever heard of a 42-pounder taking down a 67-pounder? Clearly he has the heart of lion. And I recall taking Big Bird [Greg Haladay] down in a 20-minute battle royal with the entire team around the mat having taken sides as to who would win. One of my greatest memories however, is what Hachiro did to Big Bird. Hachiro transformed him into one of the top wrestlers of all time at PSU… out of nowhere. What a classic!
The three all-time “most valuable and outstanding team efforts” I recall were Kirby Wood not getting pinned by Matt Ghaffari to help us beat Cleveland State. Walnut Head [Ken Chertow] beating one of the best wrestlers of all time, Ricky Bonomo of Bloomsburg. And I think the most memorable of all was Mike Seckler, stepping up three weight classes to wrestle at 190 lbs when our regular at this weight was hurt. Seckler wrestled Steve Metzger of Iowa State, #2-ranked Duane Goldman from Iowa, #1-ranked Dan Chaid from Oklahoma, and then #4-ranked Jim Beichner from Clarion, all within a ten-day period. In every case he wrestled with the heart of a Lion. All in all, the entire experience makes me Penn State proud!
