Glenn G. Clark, the founder and head coach of the Mars Area High School wrestling team, was killed, and his wife was critically injured this weekend when their pick-up truck was struck head-on by another truck in Butler County.
"He's going to be missed. Wrestling in Mars Area is going to take a beating because Glenn Clark isn't here," said Thomas Dorsch, assistant varsity coach.
The driver of the other vehicle was not seriously injured.
Clark, 38, was fatally injured at 8:15 p.m. Saturday along Neupert Road in Jefferson Township, Butler County, a state police spokesman said. His wife, Annette M. Clark, 34, remained in critical condition Sunday night with head injuries in the intensive care unit of Allegheny General Hospital, North Side.
Troopers said the Clarks, who both were wearing seat belts, were traveling south when the northbound truck driven by Jennifer Langston, 25, of Cabot went out of control, crossed the center of the roadway and hit the Clarks' truck head-on.
Glenn Clark was flown to Allegheny General Hospital, where he died about an hour later. Langston was treated for moderate injuries at Butler Memorial Hospital, troopers said.
"Glenn was a very dedicated guy. I think Glenn knew more about wrestling than most high school coaches. He was on top of everything that occurred in wrestling and did a lot of promotion for the sport, not only at the high school level but on the pee-wee level, the community level and colleges," Dorsch said.
Mars Area, which serves the communities of Mars and Valencia boroughs and Middlesex and Adams townships in Butler County, had no wrestling program until Clark was hired to constuct one six years ago, Dorsch said.
Clark, a native of Mercer County, wrestled at Reynoldsville High School and Edinboro State University. He coached wrestling at several schools, including Penn Hills, before moving to Mars.
"Glenn knew the coach at Pitt (Rande Stottlemyer) and asked him to come out to put on a demonstration to get the program started," said Dorsch said. "I introduced myself and told him if he needed an assistant, I would be more than happy to help him."
Clark and Dorsch, who wrestled at North Hills High School and for a club team at La Roche College, became fishing and camping buddies and their wives also became friends. The couples last saw each other Saturday morning when the Clarks stopped by the Dorsch home.
Clark taught at Penn Hills until he was hired as a physical education teacher at Mars Middle School several years ago.
"The kids always came first with Glenn. When they did something wrong, he'd tell them. When they did something right, he'd tell them. He was always very fair."
Dorsch said when the team traveled to communities as far away as Mercer or Forest counties to compete, Clark would make a habit of driving back the next day to purchase the out-of-town newspapers. Then, he would save his team's newspaper clippings for a scrapbook.
