Former Trinity wresting great, Veryl Long, dies
Veryl Long, one of the most successful wrestlers in Trinity High School history, has died.
PA Power Wrestling and InterMat posted the news Monday night and Tuesday morning.
At Trinity, Long was a state champion in 1956, a runner-up in 1955 and a WPIAL and regional champion as a junior and senior. He finished with a varsity record of 66-3.
For 27 years, Long stood as the last area wrestler to win an NCAA championship. He won that gold medal in 1965 while wrestling for Iowa State. Sylvester Terkay captured the heavyweight championship in 1992 to end that drought.
Since that time, a number of other wrestlers, including Cary Kolat and Coleman Scott, have accomplished that feat.
Long was a three-year starter for the Cyclones and two-time Big 8 Conference champion. He was a three-time All-American.
At the 1965 NCAA tournament at the University of Wyoming, Long defeated Joe Bavaro of Gettysburg, 5-0, 0-0 on a split referee decision in the finals to win the 147-pound championship.
Long also was a member of the 1959 Pan-Am Team and was an alternate on the 1960 U.S. Olympic wrestling team.
In freestyle competition, he was a two-time winner of the All-Army Tournament, and took third place in the 1960 National AAU Championships.
Long coached at Montclair State and Duquesne University before heading to Carrick High School in the Pittsburgh City League. He coached 46 city league champions, 24 runners-up and 15 bronze medalists.
Long, a PIAA official for 14 years, was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1987, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in 2001, the Trinity High School Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.