Lehigh Sports Forum

Back in, I believe, 1961, my senior year at LU, I went to a dual meet in Grace Hall with, I believe, Oklahoma State, and in addition to the regular dual meet sequence there was, at “half-time” I believe, an exhbition match between an unheralded (red-shirt?)LU wrestler named Kirk Pendleton and an Oklahoma State wrestler- -whose name escapes me. It was the most scintillating wrestling I’ve ever seen. Was it with Phil Kinyon?? Or with Greg Ruth? Can anybody settle this question for me?

We wrestled Oklahoma in '60 at home which was Kirk's fr year but Kinyon was Ok State and we didn't wrestle them until '86. And Ruth wrestled at Lehigh in 59 then went into the service for 4 years wrestling for Okla in 65/66. So I suppose it's possible they did something that year.

LU61 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 10:16 pm Back in, I believe, 1961, my senior year at LU, I went to a dual meet in Grace Hall with, I believe, Oklahoma State, and in addition to the regular dual meet sequence there was, at “half-time” I believe, an exhbition match between an unheralded (red-shirt?)LU wrestler named Kirk Pendleton and an Oklahoma State wrestler- -whose name escapes me. It was the most scintillating wrestling I’ve ever seen. Was it with Phil Kinyon?? Or with Greg Ruth? Can anybody settle this question for me?

Would have been Oklahoma who also had a star freshman that year Earl Perillo who would wrestler in 1962 and 1963 NCAA. Bob Deupree held 157 in 1961. Then Earl broke through for 1962 and 1963.

If there was an exhibition bout, most likely it would have been Earl Perillo. Only other possible scenario is that Larry Gregory, Bob Johnson or Sid Terry agreed to do an exhibition bout. If break was after 147, then it is possible Larry Gregory agreed to go again, but he would have just finished. Unlikely that Johnson up next would have gone or that Sid Terry who had Thad Turner would have gone who were essentially the premier bout of the night.

I would go that possibly they brough Earl Perillo along. This is one to probably through out to Coach Thad Turner if he remembers.

We wrestled Oklahoma on 12/17/1959, which would be Pendleton's freshman year. The 12/15/59 edition of The Brown & White ran a preview but did not mention an exhibition bout; the next edition was 1/8/60 and by then it was old news, so no mention of the dual results.

1961! I guess there was still smoke coming out of the stacks down the street?

Last cast 11-18-95, a very sad day indeed for those of us that grew up in Betlum


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Pretty sure it was Wayne Baughman. Much bigger than Kirk so the freshman struggled.

They ought to do a coffee table book on the history of Lehigh wrestling. Still a lot of people with memories that go way back.

The Kid wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2024 10:06 pm They ought to do a coffee table book on the history of Lehigh wrestling. Still a lot of people with memories that go way back.

+1 to that - that would be incredible to have many of these stories in print with pictures. Very doable, too. Many things like this that could be accomplished if there was a structured fan organization of some kind. It would take a lot of energy for someone to coordinate though.

It was Von Henry, a varsity 190 (or was it 189) for the Sooners. Pendleton was a 157, so it was definately a size mismatch and the one-sided result proved that. Kirk did not wrestle on the freshman team, for reasons no one among the freshman class understtod. He was thought to have maybe taken some PG courses in prep school which might have adversely effected his eligibilty in subsequent years, but it was only a guess. What did we know? Not much. No internet, not much in the wahy of communications. The only thing for sure was his outstanding varsity career, on ofthe 6 or 7 best in LU history. Why he was sent out to wrestle an Oklahoma 190 upper classman will always be a mystery.
p.s. Mat Power by the late, great Denny Diehl is the coffee table book you want.