Melvin Crosby
Melvin Crosby attended and graduated from Academy High in 1988 where he began wrestling in the ninth grade at age fourteen. During his freshman year, he won only eleven matches. After that, because he was only fourteen years old he began Jo Wrestling and won the Jo State Championship his first year.
Crosby finished high school with a record of 132-28, 21 of those losses came from his freshman year. Crosby went to High School State 3 times of his 4 years in high school and finished with a one-time State Championship in 1988.
Crosby attended Chowan Jr. College where he became a two-time All American. He finished second in the County as a freshman and first his sophomore year. Crosby went on to APP State for three years where he redshirted his first year there and finished as a two-time nation qualifier. During Crosby’s last year, he lost his baby brother and decided to go home to be with his family.
In 2015, Crosby started “Reapers” a community wrestling club for boys and girls age 5 to 14 at the Booker T. Washington Center. Crosby had an urgency to offer more boys and girls the opportunity to experience the discipline and education offered through the sport of wrestling.
In 2018, with the help of a team (board of governors), he spearheaded the uniting of all three neighborhood centers: Booker T. Washington Center, John F. Kennedy Center, Inc., and (new central location for Reapers) the Bayfront NATO, Inc. Martin Luther King Center.
In addition, Crosby coached his son for five years and assisted him to earn the eight-time state qualifier. He placed high as fifth, first, second, first, and fifth while wrestling for Cathedral Prep Ramblers High School where Crosby currently serves as an assistant wrestling coach.