Bloomsburg Athletics

Gerst lettered all four years in wrestling and football. In 1968 he was named the 1968 winner of the Robert B. Redman Award as the top senior male athlete. As a member of the football team under legendary coach Russ Houk, he helped the team post a 6-3 record his senior season, the first winning season in seven years. During his four years of wrestling, the team had a record of 40-10-3. As a junior in 1967 he won the NAIA national championship at 152 pounds and finished second as a senior. He was also was a two-time PSAC champion, winning titles as both a junior and senior. In football, he gained a team-high 531 yards as a sophomore with five touchdowns, and added 412 yards rushing and five touchdowns as a junior. He missed a portion of his senior season due to an injury.