Though Rick Mahonski’s older brothers, Bob and Bill, wrestled, he did not intend to become a wrestler. In fact, it wasn’t until a 7th-grade gym class with Coach Hank Green that Mahonski seriously considered it. “Coach Green had these unbelievably tall climbing ropes in class, and if you could get to the top, he basically steered you into wrestling,” said Mahonski. “I was able to climb up and down with only my upper body. He said, ‘You know you can use your legs.’ From then on, I wrestled.”

Monhoski was quick to point out that the middle school team at Roosevelt, where he got his start, was undefeated for 16 years under Coach Green and that Green was certainly one of his greatest influences. Among other influences, Mahonski cited Dick Connors, who coached him at Williamsport High School, John Reese, his coach at Wilkes University, and Coach Gray Simons from the Granby School of Wrestling. “Coach Connors would push you to the limit. He got the best out of you and demanded 100 percent,” said Mahonski. “Coach Reese put out great teams, especially for a school the size of Wilkes. We were often competing with D1 teams and winning. Coach Simons taught me the ‘Granby,’ one of my favorite all-time moves.” Another huge influence for Rick was his father, Robert. “My dad always had words of encouragement. He’s told me I was going to be a champ even before I believed it was possible.”

When asked if there was a moment or match that was most memorable, Mahonski replied that a couple stood out in particular. “I’ve had a lot of memorable moments, but a couple especially stand out. In the PA State finals my junior year of high school in 1972, I wrestled Wayne Packer from Bald Eagle. No one thought I could win. Wayne was beating me 8-0 at the end of the first period. I said to myself, ‘I’m going to have to pin him to win.’ So, I went out and gave it everything and was able to come back and beat him 13-12. Another great match was in 9th grade. I was set to wrestle Ben Shipman from Jersey Shore. He was a great wrestler, and I considered dropping weight to be in another weight class to avoid Ben. Coach Green pulled me aside and said, ‘You do what you want, but if you don’t face the best, you will be running the rest of your life.” Mahonski went on to win the match against Shipman.

Second only to his parents, Mahonski credits wrestling for his success in life. “Wrestling is a life-changing sport. If a parent were to ask me whether their child should wrestle, I would tell them it’s brutal, hard, and tough. That’s why numbers are dropping. But it’s also a character builder. You are alone on the mat with your opponent. There are no excuses.”

When asked what getting inducted into the Wilkes University Wrestling Hall of Fame meant to him, Mahonski said, “It means so much. In the 1970s Wilkes was a wrestling powerhouse. We competed against tremendous teams and were the D3 champs. It was the golden age of wrestling.” Rick Mahonski went on to take second at the NCAA Division III Championships in 1974 and was a major factor for Wilkes when they won the overall team championship. Another major accolade was taking runner-up in the 1976 EIWA’s. Mahonski lost both finals to hall of famer Rick Mast.

Referring to the photo with this story, Mahonski said, “I keep that photo by my workbench. It’s very special to me because I was injured my sophomore year of college. That was my first match back my junior year. I was nervous and wasn’t sure if I still had ‘it.’ You can see Coach Reese in the background, wondering how it would turn out. I ended up tying my opponent 4-4, and I considered it a victory. Coach Reese was thrilled. He patted me on the back and said, ‘You’re back Ricky.’” When asked about wrestling and life in general, Mahonski replied, “I’ve been blessed.”