Poff Family Gifts 6-Figure Endowment to Lock Haven Wrestling

LOCK HAVEN, PA-Former Lock Haven head wrestling coach Carl Poff, and his wife Sharon, have proudly supported the Lock Haven Bald Eagle wrestling program and Mat-Town, USA for more than 30 years, including establishing their first scholarship for Lock Haven wrestlers — The Poff Family Wrestling Scholarship — in 1999, followed by a second scholarship in 2017.

Now, with their most-recent gift to the Lock Haven University Foundation — a six-figure endowment to The Poff Family Wrestling Scholarship — Carl and Sharon are honored to further propel “The Rise” of current head coach, Scott Moore, and the nationally-ranked, back-to-back MAC-Champion Bald Eagles.

For the Poffs, supporting Lock Haven wrestling is about much more than simply paying it forward in support of the historic Mat-Town, USA legacy that they are so proud to be a part of. It’s about honoring the brotherhood and sisterhood that personifies the Mat-Town, USA wrestling family; a camaraderie that Carl and Sharon know firsthand transforms lives, and creates champions in all aspects of life.

Even before he became a freestyle state champion at Council Rock High School in 1974, Carl, a 2021 inductee into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, knew exactly what his mission in life would be: to teach and coach the sport of wrestling to young men and women.

Half a century later, the name Carl Poff remains synonymous with wrestling excellence, especially in the annals of Mat-Town, USA lore, where his 167 team victories and fifth place national finish in 1997 are still tops in school history.

During his 12-seasons at the helm of Lock Haven Wrestling, Carl led 80 national qualifiers, 14 All-Americans, 20 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Champions and 30 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champions.

He coached the Bald Eagles to four PSAC team championships and one EWL team championship over the course of his tenure, including during the team’s historic 1996-97 season in which the Bald Eagles won both the PSAC and EWL Championship on their way to placing five All-Americans, and crowning Cary Kolat ’03 National Champion.

The achievements of Carl’s 1996-97 team led to its induction into the Lock Haven Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018; Carl was personally inducted a year earlier. In 2021, he received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Carl’s statistical resume and high-level knowledge of the sport are undeniable, however, the relationships he was able to build, and the ways in which he was able to positively influence the lives of his student-athletes and their families will always stand out to him over any of the numbers in the record books.

At a time when women’s collegiate wrestling was not an official sport sponsored by college athletic departments, Carl opened up Lock Haven’s wrestling facilities to mentor female wrestlers at The Haven — one of the few men’s coaches in the country to do so at the time. Many of his female wrestlers went on to Senior, Olympic and World-Team careers, including Dr. Jenny Wong, Erin (Tomeo) Vandiver, Jenna (Pavlik) Day ’05 and Sara McMann ’03.

Carl believes the most rewarding aspects of his coaching career always centered on the bonds of brotherhood fostered among his wrestlers, and the ways in which he was able to meaningfully connect with student-athletes to better understand their intrinsic motivations and help them reach their fullest potential, not only on the mat, but in life.

One of the most impactful relationships forged during his coaching career involved Andy Salamone ’97, a blind student-athlete on Lock Haven’s 1996-97 hall-of-fame squad who had both of his eyes removed at the age of two due to retinoblastoma — a rare form of eye cancer.

Salamone set a personal goal at the start of his freshman year to wrestle in a dual meet in Thomas Fieldhouse before graduating. While he was not a starter, Carl held him to the same training standards as the rest of the team, challenging him daily on the mat, academically and in life.

Salamone never missed a practice and, over time, improved his skill level greatly. On Senior Night of his final season, Salamone’s dream came true, with his teammates rushing the mat in front of an erupted Thomas Fieldhouse to carry him off in storybook fashion.

Salamone went on to become a Civilian Intelligence Officer with the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence. Just one piece of a team loaded with blue-chip talent, it was Salamone and his four-year tale of grit, commitment and perseverance who inspirationally gave the 1996-97 team’s acceptance speech at their 2018 Lock Haven Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Despite retiring from collegiate coaching, Carl never stopped sharing his passion for wrestling with others. He continues serving as the director of TNT Wrestling Camp in Kutztown, instilling his wrestling knowledge, wisdom and friendship in young wrestlers competing in junior and senior high school.

“It’s nice to still be a part of the sport,” Carl said. “I really enjoy helping people in coaching or in life. I take a lot of pride in going out of my way to try and help others.”

Carl’s service to the wrestling world has made a positive impact on thousands of athletes, allowing him to build meaningful lifelong relationships with wrestlers and their families that he carries near and dear to his heart to this day. He is also proud of his nearly 30 years as a member of Lock Haven’s faculty — including his stint as Lock Haven’s athletic director — and subsequent service as executive director of the LHU Foundation.

Despite departing Lock Haven in 2018, Carl and Sharon continue their avid support of Mat-Town, USA from afar, and they are both excited for the future of Lock Haven wrestling under the guidance of current leader, Scott Moore.

“Lock Haven is a small school with a big-time wrestling program, a great history of success, and tremendous community support,” Carl said. “After putting my heart and soul into the program, it’s great to see coach Moore pouring his heart and soul into it and doing the same.

“The student-athletes I coached were special then, and they continue to be special now,” he added. “Sharon and I are very grateful to be a part of so many special journeys, and we’re honored that our scholarship will forever support student-athletes at a place as special as Lock Haven.”

“On behalf of coach Moore, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to Carl and Sharon for their decades of support of Lock Haven wrestling that is magnified through their most-recent gift,” said Bashar W. Hanna, Commonwealth University president. “Carl and Sharon have dedicated themselves to the Lock Haven wrestling community for more than 30 years. Their impact on the program is immeasurable, and this gift guarantees their Lock Haven legacies will live on with Mat-Town, USA forever.”

As an endowment, the Poff Family Wrestling Scholarship will be awarded in perpetuity, with at least one Lock Haven wrestler receiving the scholarship annually.

This year’s recipient is the 2022 MAC Wrestler of the Year, and returning All-American, Anthony Noto. Noto, a redshirt-junior, currently sits atop the NCAA’s rankings as the No. 1 ranked 125-pound wrestler in the country.

“Both, Sharon and I are honored that Anthony will be receiving the Poff Family Scholarship this year,” Carl said, upon learning Noto was awarded this season’s scholarship. “We are privileged to be able to have an impact and help support someone who represents the program the right way, both on and off the mat.”