Roaring crowds, shining gold medals, thrilling emotions, and a flood of congratulations make a victory in the present a feeling unlike any other. But what happens after the fact? Does a win stay forever rooted in a particular gym only to be remembered by those who witnessed the act? Maybe not in today’s society with live streaming, photographs, and videos that can be saved and rewatched for years to come. However, the moments from the 1930’s may be hard to come by.
At Canon-McMillan HS there are certain ways that these victories live on in the wrestling room. 416 plaques currently hang on the walls of four different boards in the “Christopher Mary” wrestling room. The plaques display the names of every Section, WPIAL, and State Champion to ever make his way through the Big Mac wrestling program. One state board, one WPIAL board, and two Section boards because the other one filled up in 2013.
This year the team has added 5 names to the Section board and 1 name to the WPIAL board. They seek to nail 3 more names to the State board this weekend at the PIAA tournament. The boards have meaning to the wrestlers because they know that the plaques help their names and legacy to live on in the room. Coach Havelka told the Observer Reporter after the Section tournament:
“There is a lot of history and tradition at Canon-Mac. It’s a big deal to get your name up on that wall. The kids see it every day and know once your name is up there, it will be there forever.”
Though many of these modern era wrestlers have never seen or met many of the wrestlers from the 1930’s, they know the names that stick out. Robert Haney (127 lbs) is the first name on the Section title board, which started in 1960. Andy Puchany, who later became Canonsburg/CM’s head coach in the late 50’s through 1970, appears at the top of the WPIAL board from 1936 at 85 lbs. Of course, George Custer’s name sticks out on the State board because he is Canonsburg’s first ever State Champion. He won at a weight that no longer exists -- 95 lbs -- in a time that seems foreign to many current wrestlers -- 1938. Custer is also one of only two 3-timers hanging in the wrestling room. Custer is one of the big motivations for the wrestlers who seek a State title, including Gerrit Nijenuis. He told the Observer Reporter:
“It’s really a big motivation for me. In the (practice) room on the wall is a list of state champions. There are some really big names there. I want to keep working until I see my name on that wall. It drives me every day.”
As for the wrestler with the most individual plaques on the wall? That honor goes to Solomon Chishko, with 10 total: 4 Section, 4 WPIAL, and 2 State titles. Close behind him are Mark Angle, Connor Schram, and Colin Johnston with 9 plaques.
A new board is now hanging outside of the wrestling room that marks all of the program’s team championships. Chris Mary, with the help of the Alumni Association, put the board up not only to display the program’s accomplishments, but to give motivation to CM’s wrestling teams of the future. Wrestlers set goals every season, but seeing what they are striving for is something that helps to achieve those goals. The trip to Hershey this weekend may bring fantastic memories, but it may also be the beginning of a road to eternal glory and recognition.