Bryon Magill, Class of 1991: Wrestling

There were very few wrestling events that Bryon Magill didn’t win while at Peddie. National Prep Champion at 103 pounds as a freshman and again at 130 pounds a senior, Magill was fourth at 109 pounds as a sophomore and won 124 matches his junior year. Elected captain in his junior year, Magill was on a 17-match winning streak before dislocating his elbow during a match against a Rutgers Prep athlete. According to teammate Joe Asterino ’91, Magill still went on to win the match despite not having the use of one arm.

Magill was sidelined for the last three months of the season while the Rutgers Prep athlete went on to win nationals that year at his weight. Despite his injury, Magill continued coming to every practice, went to every away match and helped as an assistant coach to the junior varsity team.

Magill found himself rebuilding his timing, wind and confidence at the start of his senior year. The ultimate test of his recovery was when he faced the same Rutgers Prep athlete in the Prep State finals that year. He knew he was back when he won that matchup 15-1 to place first in the state tournament at 130 pounds. He won all six of his bouts, two by pin.

A product of South Jersey, Magill won the Mercer County Tournament three times, working his way up through the weight categories: 103, 112 and 130. One can’t help but wonder what his overall record would have been had he not missed most of his junior year due to injury. Completing his career with a 124-10 record placed Magill second on the all-time list for number of wins in Mercer County behind Falcon Marty Fajerman ’87 (125).

Magill was named 1991 Trenton Times wrestler of the Year for “dominating each of the three postseason tournaments he participated in.” He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Mercer County Tournament, where he helped lead Peddie to the MCT title, and again at the Prep State Tournament where he won the 130-pound title and helped Peddie win its first state title since 1986.

According to his coach, Magill “was the best wrestler in my 20 years at Peddie for being consistently good from his freshman year through his senior year. If he ever got a lead in a match, he was almost impossible to beat. He was a good student, a good person and a very good wrestler.” His classmates elected him president his senior year.

After leaving Peddie, Magill grappled for Franklin & Marshall. His collegiate career record was 55-26, which tied him for 17th on the Franklin & Marshall all-time wins record.