David Imler
Chestnut Ridge’s Dave Imler is recognized as one of the finest athletes to attend Chestnut Ridge High School, and it is not hard to see how that was determined.
The 1983 graduate of Chestnut Ridge was a four-year letterwinner in wrestling as well as a three-year letterwinner in football and baseball.
In football, he was a two-time Bedford County All-Star and earned an Associated Press All-State Honorable Mention at linebacker following his senior year.
Imler was also a strong baseball player. He was a Bedford County League All-Star his junior year and made the BCL honorable mention list his senior year.
But it was on the wrestling mat where Imler made most of his news.
He was the first Chestnut Ridge wrestler to reach 100 wins, and he ended his career with a record of 103-13-2. Six of those losses came at the state tournament. He was also a three-time AA Northwest Regional champion as well as a three-time District 5-AA champion.
Two of the wins in the regional finals came against wrestlers from Cambria Heights his senior and sophomore years. Rick Yahner was undefeated going into the final in 1983, but Imler won 5-3 in the battle of unbeatens. In the 1981 final, Imler also topped Rick Yahner of Cambria Heights, 1-0, when Yahner was undefeated going into the regional final.
His junior year, he knocked off Greenville’s Tim Blatt, 6-0, for the regional championship.
Imler was 32-0-1 going to states his senior year; 26-0 his junior year; and 28-2 his sophomore year.
His sophomore year, he won his first match at states, 15-3, over Hanover’s A.J. Karpovich before losing to Schuylkill Valley’s Dave DeWald, 7-4, in the quarterfinals.
In 1982, the state tournament came around and he topped Troy Anspach of Warrior Run, 6-5, in his opening match. He dropped his match in the quarterfinals to Kerry Enders of Halifax, 7-5, but the Lion wrestled his way back. He beat John Kuntz of Waynesburg, 2-0, to assure himself of a medal.
After falling to Mike Testen of Athens in the consolation semifinals, 2-1, he got a rematch with Enders. This time the Lion came out on top, 5-3, to earn a fifth-place medal.
Imler had an undefeated record going into states his senior year, but he had a tough first-round opponent in South Western’s Mark Egloff. Egloff topped Imler, 7-0, and the state tournament did not have wrestlebacks at that time, so his high school wrestling career was complete. Egloff went on to capture the state championship that season.
Imler went on to wrestle at Penn State, and he compiled a 7-7 record with the Nittany Lions from 1985-1987.
Chestnut Ridge’s Dave Imler is recognized as one of the finest athletes to attend Chestnut Ridge High School, and it is not hard to see how that was determined.
The 1983 graduate of Chestnut Ridge was a four-year letterwinner in wrestling as well as a three-year letterwinner in football and baseball.
In football, he was a two-time Bedford County All-Star and earned an Associated Press All-State Honorable Mention at linebacker following his senior year.
Imler was also a strong baseball player. He was a Bedford County League All-Star his junior year and made the BCL honorable mention list his senior year.
But it was on the wrestling mat where Imler made most of his news.
He was the first Chestnut Ridge wrestler to reach 100 wins, and he ended his career with a record of 103-13-2. Six of those losses came at the state tournament. He was also a three-time AA Northwest Regional champion as well as a three-time District 5-AA champion.
Two of the wins in the regional finals came against wrestlers from Cambria Heights his senior and sophomore years. Rick Yahner was undefeated going into the final in 1983, but Imler won 5-3 in the battle of unbeatens. In the 1981 final, Imler also topped Rick Yahner of Cambria Heights, 1-0, when Yahner was undefeated going into the regional final.
His junior year, he knocked off Greenville’s Tim Blatt, 6-0, for the regional championship.
Imler was 32-0-1 going to states his senior year; 26-0 his junior year; and 28-2 his sophomore year.
His sophomore year, he won his first match at states, 15-3, over Hanover’s A.J. Karpovich before losing to Schuylkill Valley’s Dave DeWald, 7-4, in the quarterfinals.
In 1982, the state tournament came around and he topped Troy Anspach of Warrior Run, 6-5, in his opening match. He dropped his match in the quarterfinals to Kerry Enders of Halifax, 7-5, but the Lion wrestled his way back. He beat John Kuntz of Waynesburg, 2-0, to assure himself of a medal.
After falling to Mike Testen of Athens in the consolation semifinals, 2-1, he got a rematch with Enders. This time the Lion came out on top, 5-3, to earn a fifth-place medal.
Imler had an undefeated record going into states his senior year, but he had a tough first-round opponent in South Western’s Mark Egloff. Egloff topped Imler, 7-0, and the state tournament did not have wrestlebacks at that time, so his high school wrestling career was complete. Egloff went on to capture the state championship that season.
Imler went on to wrestle at Penn State, and he compiled a 7-7 record with the Nittany Lions from 1985-1987.
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Class of 2015
Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame
Class of 2015