Al Poser never planned on being a wrestler. In his freshman year of high school, he was a proud member of the Waukesha High School swimming team. Then, just prior to his sophomore year, school district lines were re-drawn and he was transferred to Brookfield Central. Al looked forward to swimming for Brookfield – but there was one small problem. In the early 1960’s, Brookfield Central didn’t have a swimming pool.

As a three-sport athlete at Brookfield Central, wrestling quickly became Al’s sport of choice. For several seasons, Al learned how to be a good loser…but as he developed strength and wrestling-coordination, he engrossed himself in the mechanics of wrestling. Starting in 1962, Al also became a became a meticulous student of Judo at the Waukesha YMCA Dojo. There he studied the Japanese principles of human balance and leverage. He studied how to effectively use an opponent’s own weight, strength and momentum against himself. His high school coach, Dr. Howard Matthias, (1985 George Martin Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame) tutored Al in many of the key upper-body techniques utilized in Greco-Roman wrestling.

With the help of the great Brookfield Central wrestling coaches, Al learned to adapt his burgeoning “leverage-skills” to wrestling. He found that while the Judo was profoundly reliant on the use of the heavy canvas-like uniform called a “Gi” -- wrestling and Judo shared numerous “fulcrum – fundamentals” especially the “Nage-Waza” methods of taking a wrestler to the mat from a standing position – and “Katame-Waza” the Japanese grappling technique of holding an opponent on his back for points.

In the fall of 1964, Al entered the (now named) University of Wisconsin – La Crosse (UWL) business program – and wrestling team.

UWL head coach, Bill Floyd helped Al focus on “stand-up, upper-body wrestling mechanics.” Al’s style quickly achieved a high pin-ratio because many of his upper-body takedowns would immediately land the opponent on their back in a pinning-combination. In one of Al’s national tournament matches, he pinned a formidable state-champion in 49 seconds by simply increasing the opponent’s already aggressive forward motion – creating a slight imbalance – and throwing the opponent to the mat and into a solid pinning position. For Al, wrestling was about the mechanicals of human momentum, leverage and balance.

For any success Al achieved 50 years ago on the mat, he would like to thank all the coaches in his life. They deserve all the credit!

Al was raised in Brookfield, Wisconsin and graduated from Brookfield Central High school in 1964. He was an energetic contributor to Lancer football, wrestling and track.
At age 18 (1964), Al won the Wisconsin Heavyweight Judo Championship.
At UWL in 1966 and 1967 Al Poser was wrestling team captain, two-time Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC) Champion and two-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American.
As a sophomore, in 1966, Al became the first Wisconsin athlete to win a national wrestling championship taking home the NAIA title at 191 pounds.
Al was invited to the 1966 United States Olympic Wrestling Team Trials.

Inducted into the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Athletic Wall of Fame in 1978.
Inducted into the George Martin Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016.

Al had a successful 30-year business career in marketing. In retirement, Al provides Branding Symbols and Marketing Techniques to churches across the nation.

Graduate of Brookfield Central High School - 1964
Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse - 1969
Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse - 1972
Wisconsin Heavyweight Judo Champion - 1964
Captain - University of Wisconsin La Crosse Wrestling team - 1966
Wisconsin State University Collegiate Wrestling Champion - 191 pounds - 1966
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champion - 191 pounds - 1966
First Wisconsin athlete to win a National Wrestling Championship
NAIA All American - 1966
Invited to Olympic try-outs - 1966
Captain - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Wrestling team - 1967
Wisconsin State University Collegiate Wrestling Champion – 191 pounds - 1967
NAIA All American - 1967
Inducted into the University of Wisconsin La Crosse Athletic Wall of Fame - 1979
Inducted into George Martin Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame 2016

Inducted - 2016

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