Scott Christie (’66)
Scott Christie was the most successful wrestler in the history of Glen Rock High
School — as well as an outstanding multi-sport athlete.
Scott Christie was the most successful wrestler in the history of Glen Rock High School.
As a sophomore, he won the All Group, District Championship at 141 pounds and helped lead Glen Rock’s wrestling team to the school’s first District Championship. Scott then advanced to the All Group, Regional Championship tournament and successfully wrestled to the Regional Championship final. However, during the break before the final matches, the Christie family’s car (with Scott in the car) was struck by another car that crossed the center barrier on Route 4. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. However, Scott was forced to miss and therefore forfeit the final match.
As a junior, wrestling now at 157 pounds, Scott won the All Group, District Championship (helping lead the Glen Rock team to a second place finish) and then won the All Group, Regional Championship. He then won his State Semifinal match before being narrowly defeated in the State Finals by a score of 2-0. In that final match, Scott took down his opponent in the closing seconds to apparently tie the score; however, it was ruled that time had just expired before his takedown.
As a senior, Scott won the All Group, District Championship and helped lead Glen Rock’s wrestling team to the school’s second District Championship. He then successfully defended his prior year’s Regional Championship, pinning his opponents in the semifinal and final matches. He advanced to the State Championship tournament with a 20-0 season record (and 15 pins). Unfortunately, in what The Bergen Record called “the biggest surprise” of that tournament, he was upset in his semifinal match by a score of 2-0. He bounced back in the consolation match and pinned his opponent to win the third-place medal.
Only four Glen Rock wrestlers have ever advanced to the NJSIAA semifinals (the equivalent of being All Group, Sectional Champion in other sports) and only Scott accomplished that feat twice. Moreover, only Scott finished third at the State Championship.
In addition to wrestling, Scott was a leading player on the school’s football and baseball teams. In his junior and senior years, he started at halfback and defensive back on the football team, playing an important role in the 1965 team being named the #2 team in the final Group 3, State Section 1 ranking. He was a three-year starter for the baseball team, primarily playing centerfield, and consistently being one of the team’s top hitters. He received All-NBIL honors all three years, and was named to the First Team, All-NBIL, Eastern Division as a senior. That year, he also received Honorable Mention, All-County (by The Bergen Record) and was named to the Second Team, All-Suburban (by The Ridgewood News).
As a senior, Scott was Co-Captain of the football, wrestling and baseball teams and in May 1967 he received the Ridgewood YMCA Sportsmanship Award, given to the most deserving area graduating senior athlete. Finally, in June 1967, Scott and fellow Hall of Fame Inductee Everett Schenk received Glen Rock High School’s esteemed Athlete of the Year Award (a rare example of this award being shared).
After graduating from Glen Rock, Scott attended and graduated from Lehigh University, where he had an outstanding wrestling career. As a junior, he won the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association District 2 championship. As a senior, he was the team captain, repeated as the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association District 2 champion and then won the NCAA District 2 championship.