There is something to be said about being first. It takes courage, perseverance, mental toughness, hard work and discipline. All of these qualities came together in the form of 12 young men who in 1957 became the first varsity wrestling team in Albright’s history.

Athletics Director Gene Shirk circulated word around campus that a wrestling program was going to be started. After a good response from the students, he enlisted the help of wrestling coach Gerald Barger to come to Albright and take over the newly formed program. With the season already under way, Shirk was only able to schedule meets with schools that had openings. The team came up against several Division III opponents such as Lycoming, but others came in the form of Division I power Lehigh University.

The trip to Lehigh was a personal highlight for team member Harry Humphreys ’60. Lehigh’s “so-called” JV team had just lost their last qualifying match to wrestle against Navy, at that time one of the best wrestling schools in the country. “It was quite an experience and we left with some battle scars but we learned from it,” he says.

Despite losing all seven matches in their opening season, the Lions gained valuable experience both on and off the mat. “Wrestling is a one-on-one sport. You have to rely on your own abilities and it doesn’t give you the opportunity to point fingers,” says Humphreys. The Lions would not be down for long. The team bounced back the next year to win five of their ten matches to post a .500 winning percentage.

— Amy M. Buzinski ’03