Sports History
Mat Madness
By Anne Madarasz

This is the time of year when thoughts turn to college basketball-huddled in front of the TV on Selection Sunday, pens and brackets in hand. The time when excuses are made to be out of the office or at the TV that first Thursday and Friday of the tournament, charting the upsets, cheering on favorites. At the same time, for a smaller, but equally rabid group of fans, this is also the time to gather in high school and college gyms across the region, arguing weight class match-ups and watching the clock tick down as men take to the mats to battle one-on-one for supremacy.

There are certain names, Bruno, Bruce, and Kurt, that all of us recognize. These men established a national and even international reputation in the sport. An Italian immigrant, Bruno Sammartino settled in Pittsburgh and made it his home base during his legendary career as a professional wrestler. A true athlete and competitor, he won heavyweight titles in 1963 and 1973.

Freestyle heavyweight wrestler Bruce Baumgartner achieved at every level-capturing a national championship in his senior year at Indiana State, a season where he had a perfect 44-0 record. His link to this region came in 1984 when he joined the coaching staff at Edinboro, and with Mike DeAnna oversaw the team's transition from Division II to a nationally ranked Division I team. Baumgartner took over sole leadership of the team in 1991, producing 11 All-Americans in the next six years. During that time, he continued his own wrestling career, dominating nationally and medaling at four Olympics with two golds in 1984 and 1992.

Kurt Angle, a Mt. Lebanon native, won an NCAA title and was three times named an All American while wrestling as a heavyweight for Clarion University. He captured gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta then launched a successful professional career.

In addition to these household names, this region has a long association with high school and college wrestling that dates to the 1930s. High schools like Canon-McMillan, Trinity, and Waynesburg are state powers. Three of the first four wrestlers to win four consecutive WPIAL titles attended Canonsburg (now Canon-Mac). Andrew Puchany, wrestling from 1936-39, was the first to capture this honor, adding several state wrestling titles to his four WPIAL wins.

Strong coaching and competition at the high school level benefited the University of Pittsburgh in the 1950s, when five native sons captured NCAA titles while wrestling for Pitt, including three time champion Ed Peery from Shaler. Though college wrestling is strongest west of this area, West Virginia, Penn State, Edinboro, Clarion, and Lock Haven always field strong teams and produce NCAA winners and All-Americans, often drawing on locally developed talent.

Anne Madarasz is the Director of the Western PA Sports Museum which features the story of wrestling.