Hall of Athletic Honor
With Ortenzio and 1998 Hall of Athletic Honor inductee Craig Helmuth anchoring the lower weights, the 1976 Bullet wrestling tied a program record for dual meet wins and captured the 1976 Middle Atlantic Conference team championship. It was the team's first conference title in 21 years. Wrestling at 118 pounds, Ortenzio was named that event's outstanding wrestler and went on to earn All-America honors at the NCAA championships that season.
Ortenzio finished his career as the winningest wrestler in Gettysburg history with a record of 94-17-3. He earned All-America status two more times during his career, finishing as high as third place at nationals,. He won a total of three individual MAC championships. In 1979, after his senior season, he was again chosen as the MAC Outstanding Wrestler, this time at 126 pounds. A scholar as well as an athlete, he earned the Marguerite Fisher Memorial Award in 1978 by posting the highest grade-point average among all varsity athletes.
A native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., he graduated in 1979 with a degree in political science.
