Members of the ’69-’70 Three-Peat NCHS State Wrestling Champs Reunite to Celebrate their Coach’s Incredible Life

It's been 55 years since 14 wrestlers from the '69-'70 wrestling team will step back into Natrona County High School at the same time.

They've traveled far and wide to celebrate their former wrestling coach, Gerald "Jerry" Quinlan.

They were on the team during the school's three-peat victory as State Champions in 1968, '69, and '70.

Last night the group met at the Firerock Steakhouse where they were surprised by teammate Mark Mills who brought videography from those years.

"He was way ahead of his time," said Mills, who explained that Quinlan videotaped all the matches and they would watch the footage on the bus afterwards. Sometime in the mid-Seventies Quinlan gave the tapes to Mills, who digitized them.

The Celebration of Life is at 3:00 p.m. today, March 16, at the NCHS Dalton Gym.

Coach Quinlan would've turned 88-years-old in May. According to his obituary, he was the baby of seven children. He attended Natrona County High School, "just as every Quinlan before him," and during his senior year was named the Wyoming State Champion Outstanding Wrestler.

Quinlan began his teaching career in 1961 at East Junior High School in Casper. A year later, he began teaching at NCHS, where he taught history and English. He also served as the department chair of the social studies department, was the activities director, and coached not only wrestling, but football and track.

As a wrestling coach he racked up some impressive statistics, including an overall record of 126 wins, 15 losses, two ties, five regional championships, two state runner-up titles, and four state championships.

During his time as a wrestling coach, Quinlan was named the Wyoming Coaches Association Wrestling Coach of the Year three times, established the record of most consecutive dual wins (35) in Wyoming wrestling, and coached 22 individual state champions.

He was inducted into the Wyoming Coaches Hall of Fame in 1984.