By Jordan J. Michael

GUILDERLAND –– The Guilderland wrestling program will be honoring every wrestler since 1960 with a reunion celebration at Casey’s Banquet House in Rensselaer on Nov. 7 at 5:00 p.m.

“The original idea was to have a Hall of Fame induction for a select amount of athletes,” said wrestling Coach Korey Rogotzke. “We decided that it would be better to honor every single wrestler first before we single people out.”

Rogotzke has been coaching wrestling at Guilderland for seven years and is entering his second year as the varsity head coach. He said that he wanted to be better acquainted with the history of the program. “I started doing some research this summer,” he said.

He worked out a plan with Chuck Foster, Bob and Linda Romeo, Ray Greene, Nancy Halek, and Chip Foster from the Alumni Association, to make a directory of wrestlers from 1960 to 2008.

“It was a ton of work. First, we went to the high school and looked for an Alumni directory done by a former principal from 1953 to 2000,” said Rogotzke. “Herm Wild, Guilderland’s first wrestling coach, had a picture book and we took the names out and researched them.”

The reunion will have an address directory with 65 to70 percent of the wrestlers who competed for the Dutchmen over its 48-year history. “Some day we’ll get a full directory. I’ll give it three or four years,” Rogotzke said.

The Alumni Association is calling for any person involved in Guilderland wrestling over the years to send in his address. The information can be sent to [email protected] or  [email protected].

“We know that these former athletes are out there,” said Rogotzke. “Some may be far and some may be near. We would love to know where everyone is.”