West girls and boys wrestling team coaches take their commitment to Washington D.C.

You’ll hear the titles teacher and coach applied to West’s girls’ and boys’ wrestling team coaches, Dave Lehr and Margaret Lehr.

However, there’s one more that could be added to Dave’s list: soldier.

And although all three titles have  afforded both Dave and Margaret many opportunities, the soldier title has recently allowed a conversion of all three.

On Sunday, October 12, both Lehrs will be running the Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C.

The run will be around the mall and over the bridge of the Potomac River.

Dave, West’s woods and metals teacher, has served in the U.S. army for 34 years, currently holding the various titles including Brigade Command, Sergeant Major, and Engineer Senior Sergeant,, but he has continued to coach Unit 5’s wrestling team since 1998: starting at Kingsley, then moving to West in 2018 where he has been head coach for three years.

Margaret, one of West’s family and consumer science teachers, joined West’s wrestling program in 2021 as a volunteer but moved to the assistant coach position and is currently heading up the girls’ program. 

The Army Ten-Miler run supports the NWR, morale welfare, and the Recreation Department for the Army.

Dave has done the run numerous times to help support such programs and the army: “It helps fund things all over the world where soldiers are based, so you go to a their base and they have things to help soldiers online,” Dave explains.

However, while Dave has run the Army Ten-Miler before, Margaret will be racing in the run for the first time this year. 

“It’s something I’ve done a few times where I’ll take soldiers, and it will be their first trip, and this is Mrs. Lehr’s first [run],” Dave states.

While Mr. and Mrs. Lehr signed up for the race back in the spring, they had been brainstorming ideas of how to raise money for the wrestling team.

“We’re in a position where ultimately our wrestling program needs new equipment (…) That’s where the idea really came from, [we wanted to show our athletes] that we were just as committed to [the wrestling] program as they are. We expect them to be able to [push their] limits. We’re wrestlers, we’re not runners, running ten miles for the average wrestler [and average person] is a lot,” Margaret explains.

Not only are they wanting to show their commitment to the team, but also Mr. Lehr’s commitment to the army: “[He’s] showing his continued commitment on another level to still his beliefs in our country, beliefs in the military, and commitment to things that are important,” Mrs. Lehr says.

“I push my soldiers to get better every day. I push my wrestlers to get better every day. I push my students to get better every day. And this is a way that we’re pushing ourselves to get better as well,” Mr. Lehr states.

While the wrestling team is in pre-season and not directly involved with the run, the race will be livestreamed on their Facebook page: @normalwestwildcatwrestling.

Mr. and Mrs. Lehr will not be showing up to the race unprepared, as they have started a training pattern: they run three to four days a week with each other, and have added miles as they continue.

In fact, their most recent run was an eleven-mile run.

“[My physical fitness exams] are not that hard, but I’m not a minimum guy, right? I am gonna do the best I can, and everything that I do,” Mr. Lehr states.

“I love being able to train with my wife. You run around the neighborhood, and we’re the only couple out there running; [some couples walk], but we run. Even though we work in the same place, we coach the same sport, our lives are very busy, and we don’t get much time together, and this is one of the things that we do together,” he adds.

“Being a military spouse and showing that kind of respect and giving back to something that has given so much to our family, I think, is pretty awesome. (…) [Our athletes] know we love the sport, but to see us do something big like this for the team collaboratively and together, I think, is really, really important for them to see,” Margaret explains.

As stated before, the run is conducted to be a fundraiser for West’s wrestling team. Mr. and Mrs. Lehr are looking to raise $10,000 that will go towards equipment for the wrestling team, but most importantly, new mats. 

“Mats cost anywhere between $8,000 and $13,000 (…) We don’t have a dedicated space; we have to roll the mats up every single day, and in the process of rolling them up, it does damage to the mat, so they just don’t last as long as they should,” Dave explains.

“We’re at a point where we truly do need it for safety for our wrestlers, and because these mats have gotten damaged, they don’t stay connected together the way that they are supposed to. So then we end up with gaps in the mat, and it’s a much higher chance of injury. Wrestling already has a chance of injury, [because of] the nature of the sport, but then adding something like this, where it becomes an environmental hazard to them,” Margaret describes.

Mr. and Mrs. Lehr’s concerns continue to grow as the wrestling program continues to grow: “We’ve gotten to a point where our girls’ program has grown so much that we are doing two full practices every day in a space and on mats that weren’t intended for the wear and tear level that we’re giving them. It’s critical for the growth of our program,” Margaret states.

“You know this is a fundraiser for our program, and anyone can donate, and any amount helps. Everyone says your sports team is like your family, but wrestling is truly special in that way; when you think of it, it’s our family that we’re taking care of, our house for our family, and we want to be able to do this for our team. We’re hopeful that it’s going to work out, and even if it doesn’t, even if we don’t raise all that we need, we’ve raised something and raised awareness for our program,” Dave explains.

If you would like to donate to West’s wrestling team, you can send it to Margaret. Lehr via Venmo below or write a check to Normal West Wrestling.

The link to the Normal West wrestling Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/share/19og8MNR5D/?mibextid=wwXIfr