Jerry Cheynet
Jerry Cheynet served as head coach of the Lake Superior State College wrestling program from 1969 to 1974, establishing one of the most successful stretches in Laker wrestling history.
A native of Wichita, Kansas, Cheynet arrived at LSSU in 1969 and faced a steep challenge — his first team went winless in dual meets. But under his leadership, the Lakers quickly rose to prominence. Over the next four seasons, Cheynet’s teams compiled a 42-17-2 overall record, captured three consecutive NAIA District 23 Championships, and placed in the top 20 at every national tournament from 1971 to 1974.
His 1972–73 squad went undefeated at 13-0, won the GLIAC Championship, and finished 11th at the NAIA national tournament. The following season, the Lakers placed 7th at the NCAA Division III National Championships, one of the program’s best national finishes to date.
Cheynet coached:
- 7 GLIAC individual champions
- 20 NAIA District 23 champions
- 3 NCAA All-Americans: Jim Leyndyke, Jim Fallis, and Dave Jirikovic
- 3 NAIA national place winners, including two NAIA titles and one NCAA Division III national championship for standout Jim Fallis
His teams also collected multiple invitational titles, including the Southwestern Invitational, Grand Valley Invitational, and Golden Northern Invitational, as LSSU became a respected name on the national wrestling scene.
After the 1973–74 season, Cheynet was hired by Virginia Tech, where he served as head wrestling coach for 22 seasons, becoming the program’s all-time wins leader with 188 career victories. He was named CAA Coach of the Year in 1993 after leading the Hokies to a conference championship and coaching the program’s first NCAA All-American. He also coached men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and golf during his nearly 30-year tenure at Tech.
Cheynet was a standout athlete himself. He competed in both wrestling and soccer at Kansas State University, earning All-Big Eight