Dick DeWalt

Dick DeWalt ’62

Career Record: 65-12-4, 2x D11 Champ, 2x Regional Champ, 2x Medalist, State Champ

Tournament Championships: 2x Boiling Springs Champ

College: Penn State (EIWA Champion, NCAA Qualifier)

1962 – 133 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Champ (22-0-3)

1961 – 127 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Semifinals (16-1)

1960 – 105 lbs.: District Runner-Up (11-5)

1959 – 98 lbs.: District Runner-Up (16-6)

Dick DeWalt followed Malcolm Purdy as freshman starters for the Red Rovers. He opened his career with a first period fall over Bruce Yaeck (Emmaus) and barely looked back, culminating in the 1962 state championship at 133 pounds.

As a freshman, he won the Washington (NJ) Invitational, and went 10-5 in dual meets, including a tight 11-9 loss to Dick Rushatz (Allentown). In the D11 tournament, DeWalt advanced to finals with a revenge win over Larry Suranofsky (Northampton) to get a second crack and Rushatz, but he fell to the Canary, getting pinned in the third period. Rushatz went on to win the state title that season.

As a sophomore, DeWalt was the runner-up at the Boilings Springs Holiday Tournament to state finalist John Diminico (Pennsbury). DeWalt again was the D11 runner-up, defeating Suranofsky in semifinals again (after getting pinned in the dual), but fell for a second time to Rushatz (now at newly opened Dieruff), 6-0 to end his second season.

As a junior, DeWalt opened the year winning at Boiling Springs, with a 3-2 win over Ron Eleuteri (Pennsbury) in the final. He rolled to a undefeated dual meet season. In the D11 tournament, he defeated future NCAA All American Jon Rushatz (Dieruff) in the semifinals to earn his third trip to the championship, where he would face defending D11 champ Bob Guzzo (Wilson). DeWalt beat the future All American and NC State coach in a classic, 3-1 win in overtime. DeWalt would beat a second All American, Mark Scureman (Kingston) the following week to win a Northeast Regional championship. However, in the state semifinal, DeWalt had a rematch of the Boiling Springs final with Ron Eleuteri (Pennsbury), who snapped his 16 match win streak and turned the tables with a 7-1 win. Eleuteri would lose in finals.

As a senior, DeWalt opened with a second Boiling Springs championship with a 6-1 win over Southcentral Regional champ Dwight Bomberger (Manheim Central). He went unbeaten during the regular season, with a win over future state finalist and East Stroudsburg NCAA qualifier Jim Purdy (Wilson), but tied Scureman and defending D11 champ Dave Cleary (Bethlehem), who dropped to 133 for the match to challenge DeWalt. Cleary was the state runner-up up at 138 in March. At the D11 tournament, but blitzed the field, finishing off his second D11 title with a 4-0 win over Dave Micio (Northampton). He joined Purdy as a four-time D11 finalist. In the Northeast Regional tournament, DeWalt earned his second straight finals win over Mark Scureman, this time by a 6-4 decision. In his second trip to states, DeWalt opened with future NCAA champion Bill Blacksmith (Cedar Cliff), where he earned a tough 5-3 win. DeWalt gave up the first takedown, and trailed 3-2 deep into the match before a takedown in the final minute won him the match. In the finals, he wrestled 1964 state champion Ron Hamilton (Bedford), and cruised to a 5-1 victory to be Easton’s third state champion, a mere few minutes after Bowyer was champ number two.

After Easton, DeWalt was the first Rover to wrestle at Penn State, where he was an EIWA champion and NCAA qualifier after battling injuries early in his career.