Charlie Ungulli (’61)
Charlie Ingulli was an outstanding three sport athlete at Glen Rock High School. He was a leader of one of the school’s most successful football teams, was one of the most successful wrestlers in school history and was a school record setter in multiple track & field events.
Charlie Ingulli was a Co-Captain and leader on the 1960 Football Team that put Glen Rock High School on the map in New Jersey interscholastic sports. The team had a 9-0 record, scoring 262 points, nearly 30 points per game, and giving up only 26 points, less than 3 points per game. In addition to being North Jersey Conference Champions, the team was selected by The Bergen Record as mythical County Co-Champions with Pascack Valley, the only other undefeated and untied team in Bergen County.
Charlie was an outstanding tight end – a great receiver and a punishing blocker – and a leader of the team’s nearly impregnable defense. He was selected for the Second Team, All NJC and the First Team, All-Suburban (by The Ridgewood News). He also received Honorable Mention, All County (by The Bergen Record).
Charlie was one of the best wrestlers in the school’s history. A three year starter, as a senior wrestling at 156 pounds (and team Co-Captain), he was the #1 wrestler in his weight class in the NJC (being undefeated and shutting out his opponents in all of the team’s meets) and the #1 wrestler in his weight class in Bergen County (having won an individual championship at the Bergen County Christmas Tournament (and helping lead his team to a third place finish). Charlie then won the All-Group, District Championship and helped lead his team to a second place finish in that meet. He then won the All- Group, Regional Championship before being decisioned in his All-Group, State Semifinal match. Charlie is one of only four Glen Rock wrestlers to have ever advanced to the NJSIAA semifinals (the equivalent of being All Group, Sectional Champion in other sports).
Charlie played baseball as a sophomore but switched to track & field as a junior. During that year and his senior year, he helped Glen Rock win the NJC Championship, scoring points in both the pole vault and the javelin. Charlie graduated with then-school records in both of those events: 10’ 6” in the pole vault and 167’ 6” in the javelin throw.
Charlie went on to Wittenberg University where he received a BA in Education. He taught fourth grade in Xenia, Ohio and then was drafted into the U.S. Air Force. He was a highly decorated airman and pararescue recovery specialist for his actions in the Vietnam War, receiving the Silver Star for being lowered to the ground of an extremely hostile jungle and then finding and rescuing a pilot who had been downed by enemy fire and the Distinguished Flying Cross for being lowered through multiple layers of an extremely hostile jungle and rescuing two helicopter crewmen who had been downed by enemy fire. After being deployed to Hawaii, he received an Air Force Commendation medal for rescuing and saving the life of a fisherman. He was subsequently selected for the 1971 edition of “Outstanding Young Men of America” and Wittenberg University honored him with its Alumni Citation for his exceptional accomplishments in Vietnam displaying “continuing dedication to the ideals for which the university stands.”
After serving heroically in the Air Force, Charlie went on to receive a Masters Degree in Education from Springfield College.