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THE HISTORY OF HOFSTRA WRESTLING
The history of Hofstra Wrestling dates
back almost 60 years. The program,
which began as a club team in 1945,
grew quickly and became nationally recognized
within two decades.
The first season of Hofstra Wrestling saw
Walter “Brick” Stone as the team’s head coach.
In its first season as a club team, Hofstra went
undefeated in six matches. Home matches were
held at Hempstead High School. Three
members who helped initiate the first team
were Dick Bemson, Frank Fusco and Jim
Geiger.
Wrestling became a varsity sport during the
1947-48 season. That year Hofstra entered the
NCAA Championships held at Lehigh University
after compiling a 5-2-1 record.
Under Stone’s direction, the wrestlers set a
school record of 16 straight victories during the
early ‘50s. The 1951-52 squad suffered only
two losses en route to a 10-2 season. One of
the early program’s outstanding wrestlers was
Art Strunk.
The next Hofstra wrestlers to enter the national
spotlight were Dan Notine and Pete Damone. In
1956 Notine became the first Hofstra wrestler
to capture a coveted Middle Atlantic Conference
Championship. Damone replaced Stone as the
team’s coach in 1960.
The early tradition of success continued during
Damone’s six-year reign as head coach.
Damone produced several fine wrestlers,
including Don Hannon (‘60), Tom Haseman
(‘61), Dick Snyder (‘63) and Ken Robinson
(‘64). The 1965-66 squad won the Metropolitan
Intercollegiate Championship and crowned its
first Metro title winner, Art Rudolph.
In 1966 Bob Getchell became the program’s
third coach. Getchell’s first squad produced two
Metro Conference winners, Butch Jemmott and
Ken Robinson. His second team won the Metro
title with Jemmott, Dave Berman and Marty
Willigan all taking individual titles, and
wrestlers such as Steve Molello offering great
contributions to the team. Willigan was named
the 1968 Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.
He then went on to the NCAA Championships
where he took fourth place, becoming Hofstra’s
first All-American.
In 1969 the team finished third in the
Metropolitan and Middle Atlantic Conference
Championships. Willigan captured second place
in the NCAA Championships, losing in the final
round to Iowa State’s legendary Dan Gable, the
top wrestler in the United States. Gable would
later coach Hofstra’s current head coach, Tom
Ryan, while he attended Iowa.
The wrestling program continued to develop
under Getchell’s direction. Joel Kislin became
Hofstra’s second All-American when he placed
third at the NCAA Championships in 1973. In
1972-73, Hofstra hosted the Middle Atlantic
Conference Championships and placed second.
In the mid-1970s, standouts Nick Gallo, a 126pounder,
and Don Mayorga, a heavyweight,
began to make their presence felt. They
powered Hofstra to three East Coast Conference
Championships. (The Middle Atlantic
Conference formed the East Coast Conference
during this time.) Gallo went on to become an
alternate for the United States team in the 1976
Olympic Games. In 1977 he captured the NCAA
Championship at 126 pounds. He also earned
the Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler Award.
Bob Getchell then left the coaching ranks to
become Hofstra’s Director of Athletics. Al
Bevilacqua replaced him and continued the
winning tradition. Hofstra won six straight ECC
Championships from 1975 through 1980. After
missing a year at the top in 1981, Hofstra
captured two more titles in 1982 and 1983.
Hofstra standout Nick Gallo returned to his
alma mater in 1979 to direct the program. In
his four years at Hofstra, the team posted a 48-
16 record and captured three ECC
championships. As head coach, Gallo sent 11
wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Among
these 11, Ed Pidgeon, a 1981 All-American,
finished fourth nationally while Peter Capone, a
two-time All-American, finished seventh and
second at the NCAAs.
Joe Bavaro took over the reigns as head coach
from 1983 through 1987, posting a 23-36
record, and leading the Dutchmen to another
ECC Championship in 1983. Under Bavaro’s
leadership, Capone, a 167-pounder, was named
the ECC Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.
Mike Arena, a 150-pounder and three-time
conference champion, was also named the ECC
Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler under
Bavaro.
HOFSTRA PRIDE WRESTLING
WRESTLING
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