Born February 15, 1919, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. David Hengsteler joined the US Marines after graduating from high school. He attended Los Angeles High School and University of California Santa Barbara, where he excelled in Boxing, wrestling and football. Hengsteler was a collegiate heavyweight boxing champion in 1941 and collegiate heavyweight wrestling champion in 1942.
His teaching and coaching career began at Inglewood High School in 1948 and in 1953 was hired at El Camino College to teach and coach wrestling. Over the next 25 years his teams went on to win five Junior College state championships and his wrestlers went on to excel at the state, national, international, and Olympic levels.
Because of his successful coaching, Mr. Hensteler was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, University of California Santa Barbara Athletic Hall of Fame, and the El Camino College Athletic Hall of Fame.
Many of his wrestlers went on to achieve success on and off the mat. Some of his wrestling pupils who went on to have great amateur careers, were;
-Bob Anderson, undefeated Junior College state champion as a sophomore, two-time National Association Intercollegiate Association Champion and National Collegiate Athletic Association All-American in Division I for Adams State. Also a 1968 Olympic participant in Greco-Roman.
-Dominic “Nick” Carollo, Two-time Junior College state champion, two-time time National Association Intercollegiate Association Champion, and the 1968 National Collegiate Athletic Association champion for Adams State.
-Tom Hazell, A Junior College state champion and Most Valuable Player. At Oklahoma State he was a Big VIII Champion at Heavyweight as well as being a two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association All-American.
-Rich Tamble, undefeated Junior College state champion, a two-time time National Association Intercollegiate Association All-American, and a 1968 Olympic participant in Greco-Roman. Becoming the first ever Olympian for Adam State.
-Kent Wyatt, two-time Junior College state champion, a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II champion and a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I All-American for Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
“It’s a big loss for the state of California and the wrestling fans. He was one of the few pioneers who started a great tradition in the Junior College Level. He will be miss by all”- Said, Bill Grant, Owner of The California Wrestler.
He will be miss by all wrestling fans in the Golden State.
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Photos provided by various colleges, Tom Hazell and John Sachs from www.tech-fall.com