In an effort to acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments of numerous former student-athletes during the University's nearly 75 years of existence, Hofstra University announced last year that a group of 20 past Pride athletes will have their jersey numbers retired.
"The honoring of these 20 former student-athletes is a celebration of the outstanding history of Hofstra Athletics," commented Hofstra University Director of Athletics Jack Hayes.
Gallo, a three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, captured the 126-pound national championship and was named the NCAA Championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1977. He earned All-America honors in 1975, by placing fourth and 1977 with the national title. During his four years at Hofstra Gallo recorded a 104-14 record. He was a silver medalist in the 1980 World Cup, Pan American Trials Champion in 1979, and a member of the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Teams.
In 1979, Gallo returned to Hofstra as the head wrestling coach and proceeded to record a 49-25-0 record over the next four years including East Coast Conference championships in 1980, 1982 and 1983. In his first season he led the Pride to a 15-6 dual match record. A year later Hofstra placed 26th at the NCAA Championships with only two participants, Ed Pidgeon and Mike Hogan. In 1982 the Pride returned to the top of the ECC with a 12-4 record and sent three wrestlers to the national tournament. In his final year as coach Gallo led the Pride to a 13-3 mark, captured their third ECC title, sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships and finished 24th in the country.
Gallo, who was inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, is also a member of the Suffolk Country Hall of Fame and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is currently the president of TW Promotions, the exclusive New York metropolitan area distributor of the RESILITE wrestling mat and protective wall padding line, and supplier of ASICS products.
To purchase Hofstra wrestling tickets online for the Hofstra-Cornell match, visit www.Hofstra.edu/athletics or call 516-HOF-TIXX (463-8499).
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