Although Frank "Sprig" Gardner did not wrestle at F&M, hewas elected to the Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions tothat sport. Gardner simply wanted to start a high school wrestlingprogram, and to teach skills and sportsmanship to young athletes.Following graduation from F&M, he organized his first team atMepham High School, Long Island, in 1937. He remained at thecoaching helm for 21 years, except for a three-year stint duringWorld War II when he served as a lieutenant commander on anaircraft carrier.
Later, he spent two years restoring the wrestling program atGettysburg College. After a year at the junior varsity level,Mepham burst onto the scholastic scene. Not for eight years wouldGardner's teams know defeat. In January 1946, Baldwin High Schoolended a streak of 100 consecutive victories, yet the loss wasmerely an interlude to greater success. Mepham would not fall againuntil January 1955, when a one-point loss to Amityville ended astring of 130 triumphs. In 18 years, Gardner's teams won 37consecutive South Shore and Sectional tournaments. The battle linesspread beyond Long Island. Mepham overpowered the best teams andeven all-star squads from five neighboring states. Overall,Gardner's wrestlers won 254 dual meets, lost five, and drew one.His tournament teams won four titles, shared one, and placed secondthree times. Gardner and his Mepham wrestlers were featured in afive-page article in Life Magazine.
Two of his proteges, George Creason and Sid Nodland, wonNational AAU championships while still in high school. Eighteen ofGardner's grapplers went on to win EIWA titles during theircollegiate wrestling careers. In two decades at Mepham High School,Gardner sent his teams to the mats 304 times for dual meets ortournament competitions. Only 19 times did they fail to finishfirst, and two of those times ended in ties. Innovation was the keyto Gardner's success. His drill system revolutionized the sport. Heshared his concepts through books and articles and by turning hiswrestling room into an ?open house? where anyone might come andlearn. In recognition of his fabulous coaching career, and lifetimeof leadership in the development of wrestling, the late Frank"Sprig" Gardner is also honored as a Distinguished Member of theNational Collegiate Wrestling Hall of Fame.
