Gerald R.Sachsel - Jonathan Dayton & Millburn
Jerry Sachsel was a two time State Champion for Springfield High School,now Jonathan Dayton in the 106lb class. An Outstanding two sport athlete Jerry also was selected to the Star Ledger All-Decade Cross Country team. Graduating in 1956 with a 52-1 High School record, Jerry chose Notre Dame for his undergraduate work. At South Bend he would record a 42-4-2 record while becoming the college's first NCAA qualifier and team captain. His dual meet record of 60-0-2 in High School and College is a standerd few wrestlers have attained. In coaching he would start the wrestling program at Millburn High School where his teams would go 155-22-3 over the next fifteen years. That record would include five undefeated seasons,three Essex County Team Championships, and Eight District titles. On an Individual basis his wrestlers win fourteen regional and three State Championships. Jerry attained his Masters Degree in Constitutional History at Seton Hall University, an athlete who attained excellence on the mat and in the classroom Jerry would stress these qualities on every wrestler he coached. Through his coaching his wrestlers learned life values that were imbedded into their character by the role model that their coach was in life.
Fred Christ - Sommerville
An outstanding athlete at Union High School, Fred earned honors in football, wrestling, and track. He attended F&M Academy Prep School where he won a National Prep School Championship in wrestling and placed 2nd in the Eastern Prep School Championships in track.He started coaching at Somerville High School where he remained for 23 seasons compiling a record of 141 wins against only 49 losses.His teams had two undefeated seasons,seven District Championships,finishing as high as second and third as a team when team scoring was kept. Twelve of his wrestlers won State Championships and two were named Outstanding Wrestler. One of those Outstanding Wrestlers, Wayne Hicks would go on to earn All-American Honors at the United States Naval Academy. Fred Crist was an outstanding teacher and coach whose interest in his wrestlers went far beyond wins and losses and although highly competitive on the mats he stressed sportsmanship and fair play to all his boys. One of the most powerful indicators of his contribution to New Jersey Wrestling is that no less than Thirty-one of his wrestlers went on to become Head Wrestling Coaches in the Garden State. For his work with NJ wrestling Fred was awarded the Harry E.Lake Award by the New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Association.
