JOSEPH OLBRYS
- Sep 19, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Aug 19
The Pennington School & Trenton Central – Mid-Distance
Joe “Buddy” Olbrys went undefeated in the 880 Yard Run his senior year at Trenton Central, culminating in a 1936 NJ Class A State Championship victory.
He spent one year at The Pennington School as a post-graduate--where he took runner-up in the half mile at the 1937 NJ State Prep meet--before enrolling at The University of Notre Dame.
At N.D. he was captain of the Fighting Irish track team. He also ran cross country and was part of two top ten team finishes at the NCAA championships in 1939 and 1940.
Olbrys’s running career took a detour when World War II broke out in 1941. Joe enlisted in the Navy and served aboard the USS Cape Johnson as a Second Lt. He was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries received in enemy action. After his military service he worked for The U.S. Veterans Unit of the State of Wisconsin.
