In his early youth, Richard Fronheiser’s fate as a high school and collegiate wrestler was already in the cards. He admittedly had the endurance.

Fronheiser was the kid who figuratively, and possibly literally, couldn’t sit still. There was an initial other outlet for him, but wrestling was his destiny from Lehighton to his current state at King’s University.

“I started wrestling at the age of 5 because I was a very energetic kid,” boasted Fronheiser. “So, my parents started me in wrestling to help me in school.

“I actually wanted to play basketball, but I was too young to play at the time. I thought wrestling was just another time to be with my friends. At the time, wrestling was my first sport, so it was a new experience for my parents and I.”

From there, Fronheiser took his unbound energy and continued to transform into the Lehighton youth and high school wrestling program.

In high school, Fronheiser compiled an overall record of 79-42. His top finishes include posting a fourth in leagues in 2019, and a third in districts in 2021.

Fronheiser also excelled in the classroom as an honor roll student all four years.

Yet, his high school career did end on a high note despite battling with a state of despair.

“My most memorable high school moment would have to be qualifying for regionals as a senior,” recalled Fronheiser. “After dealing with COVID, I came up short at Districts, but got an extra breath of life as an alternate that was chosen to attend regionals.”

Through the years, Lehighton head wrestling coach Floyd Brown watched Fronheiser’s steady development.

“Richard has made great strides,” stressed Brown. “In high school he progressed each and every year because of his work ethic. He made a full-time commitment to wrestling, and that helped him to be successful at the high school level.”

Brown saw Fronheiser raise his bar after his sophomore season.

“He really started to hit the weight room going into his junior year,” added Brown. “It helped him turn the corner. He improved his strength a great deal.”

Brown also realized how Fronheiser hadn’t forgotten his roots.

“He truly loves the sport, and devotes time to our booster program as well,” said Brown. “Richard is an asset to our program, as he frequently gives back to our program from the elementary level up through the high school level.”

Fronheiser’s approach was in line with his coach’s evaluation.

“In my opinion, you never get comfortable with the sport, the sport is always adapting as most have seen in years past, and there’s always new and better competition right around the corner,” evaluated Fronheiser. “In terms of confidence, I feel like my confidence really started in middle school. The confidence started piling up after winning many matches in a row, and being able to compete with the best in the area.”

Today, Fronheiser is on the verge of completing his senior season at King’s College. Heading into Thursday’s match at Cortland State, Fronheiser had an overall 8-10 record at 197 pounds, battling through a series of injuries. He currently has a career mark of 59-41.

After Lehighton, Fronheiser saw King’s as a perfect fit. He also excelled academically, being named to the NWCA Scholar All-Academic team, MAC Honor Role, and the CSC Academic All-District team.

“I ended up at King’s because of the small campus and family environment,” noted Fronheiser. “King’s is close to home, but also felt like home.

“At King’s, I have worked on refining my technique, and continuing to grow with the help of new coaches and partners.”

“I have seen my career progress extravagantly since I stepped foot on Kim’s Campus. On the mat, I have went from just being a kid with a dream of wrestling at the next level to succeeding at it.”

With his career winding down, Fronheiser is seeking to pursue an accounting-related career upon graduation. He is grateful to his father Lamar, a former Palmerton wrestler, who has provided his biggest inspiration along the way.

Fronheiser also sees himself returning to Lehighton as a coach one day.

Still, he is confident that the season’s final weeks can weight in his favor.

“This season has been a bumpy road because of a few minor injuries,” stated Fronheiser. “But I can see it ending on a very high note with hopefully, a trip to the national tournament.”

However it ends, Fronheiser’s road has been one about moving forward and giving back.

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Tamaqua grads Hailey Toth and Alexis Buchala recently helped Penn State-Altoona close a successful season with a 135-38 victory over Pitt-Bradford. Both Toth and Buchala excelled throughout the season.

Toth, a senior, notched a first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:15.02, and Buchala, a freshman, recorded first-place finishes in the 1,000-yard freestyle (12:04.44) and in the 500-yard freestyle (5:55.93).

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Former Marian standout and current Kutztown University junior Michael Fellin set a new program record and an NCAA provisional qualifying time in winning the 60-meter dash recently at Bucknell Bison Open indoor track meet.

Fellin ran in 6.76, and broke his previous record of 6.80. His record time ranks 26th in NCAA Division II, and second in the PSAC this season.

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Gabby Blasko, a former Tamaqua grad, recently took three first-place finishes to help Moravian University’s swim team close out its regular season with a 74-72 win at Lycoming University.

Blasko, a freshman, captured the top spots in the 100-yard backstroke (1:12.16), 200 individual medley (2:37.12), and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:18.46).

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