Paul Lautenschlegar (1991) - Hall of Fame - University of Akron Athletics

Paul Lautenschlegar

Induction:
1991
Class:
1961

1958-61
Wrestling
‘61

Somewhere Andy Maluke is surely smiling tonight! One of his boys, “jaspers”, he called them, is being honored. Paul Lautenschlegar, who labored four years on the mat for Coach Maluke, was one of those rare individuals who had wrestling experience when he enrolled at UA. Organized wrestling programs in the Akron schools was almost non-existent. However, Lautenschlegar was a product of Akron East High, the first high school in Akron that sponsored wrestling. With a little coaching from Maluke, who had revived UA wrestling in 1954, Lautenschlegar started slow due to injuries suffered in an auto accident. In 1959, Lautenschlegar finished runner-up in the Ohio Conference 130-pound championship in 1960. Lautenschlegar’s win as well as teammate and fellow Hall of Fame Larry Wormald’s 147-pound crown helped Akron finish second in the OC to Hiram. As a senior co-captain, Lautenschlegar moved up to the 137-pound class and was equally successful as in 1960. Lautenschlegar captured eight of nine dual meets and then became the only Zip matman to win an individual crown at the OC Championship. His effort earned him the team’s Most Valuable Wrestler Award. After serving four years in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of captain, Lautenschlegar joined the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Now in his 26th year at Goodyear, Lautenschlegar is Operations Manager of Goodyear Joint Venture in Springfield, Ohio. He and his wife Kathleen, have a son, Brent and two daughters, Cinda and Paula Hutton. The Lautenschlegar reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.