Karpenske inducted into George Martin Wrestling Hall of Fame

GREEN BAY — A former Glenwood City educator and wrestling coach was honored with induction into the George Martin Wrestling Hall of Fame last fall.

David Karpenske, a native of Amery, was enshrined in the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association’s (WWCA) 38th Annual George Martin Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony held November 6 at the Hyatt Hotel in Green Bay.

Karpenske was an outstanding high school and collegiate wrestler, who also had great success as a head coach.

Karpenske was two-time state champion for Amery High School  winning the 133-pound title his junior year and captured the 138-pound crown in his senior season and finished with an impressive 87-3 record.

Following graduation, Karpenske was recruited by former Wisconsin Wrestling coach George Martin, for whom the Hall of Fame is named, to wrestle for the Badgers. David wrestled for one year finishing 9-1 but circumstances forced Karpenske to leave school after that season.

He joined the U.S. Army in August of 1962 and continued to wrestle and was selected to the 1963 All-Army team and trained for the 1964 Olympics at West Point Military Academy in New York. He received an honorable discharge in August of 1965.

Karpenske then enrolled at UW-Superior and graduated in 1969 with a bachelor of science in Education with a major in English and a minor in Physical Education. During his time as Yellowjackets, David posted a 36-7 wrestling record. He was inducted into UW-Superior’s Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2001.

In August of 1969, Karpenske accepted his first teaching and coaching job at West High School in Green Bay. In his three years there, Dave’s teams compiled a 22-7 recored.

In 1972, he joined the Glenwood City School District as teacher and head wrestling coach.

In his ten years at the helm of the wrestling program, the Hilltoppers went 83-17. After stepping down as head coach, Dave remained active in the Glenwood City wrestling program until his retirement from the district in 1998.

Current Glenwood City head wrestling and football coach  and physical education educator Shane Strong attended the induction ceremony along with a pair of Dave’s former Topper wrestlers – brothers Rick and Jon Blaser – and former colleague and Glenwood City coach and teacher Ritchie Narges, who is now an administrator in the Cumberland School District.

“Dave made a positive impact on so many lives in this profession. His character and commitment meant so much to so many people that he worked with,” stated Strong in Facebook post following the ceremony last November.

“Glenwood City is very proud of Dave for his commitment to the school and all of the kids he educated over the years,” added Strong. “Dave is very deserving of this honor and we congratulate him on a tremendous career.”

David Karpenske was joined by four others in the 2015 Hall of  Fame class: Randy Damon, Weir McQuoid (represented by two family members at the ceremony), Fred Brown and Rich Bender.

The George Martin Hall of Fame, which inducted its charter member in 1977, was located inside the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse until 2014 when a new home and display was built at the Woodside Sports Complex at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

The following biography on Dave Karpenske was printed in the Hall of Fame program that was available at the ceremony:

David Karpenske was born and raised in Amery, Wisconsin.  One of nine children of Andrew and Nellie Karpenske.  He enjoyed participating in all sports, and excelled in wrestling.  During his high school years he had four different head wrestling coaches: Don Athman, Paul Bengston, Bob Johnson and Henry Yetter.  In those early years of Wisconsin wrestling, many Amery grapplers learned their moves from pictures that hung on the walls in the make-shift wrestling room.  Each night before and after practice mats had to be stacked and mat covers folded and stored for classes the next day.

Wisconsin wrestling had only one division, and the WIAA was very strict on the number of matches individuals and tournaments teams could have.  There were no elementary or junior high wrestling programs at Amery Public Schools.  At the state tournament his sophomore year, Dave was defeated in his first match, and there were no wrestle-backs.  In his junior year he won the 133 lb. state championship and the 138 lb. weight class his senior year.  His high school record was 87 and 3.

Former Wisconsin wrestling coach George Martin recruited Dave to wrestle for the Badgers.  He was on the team for one year, and as freshman was 9 and 1.  Unfortunately other circumstances forced him to quit school and move on with his life.

In August of 1962 he enlisted in the U.S. Army.  Dave was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. Delivering morning reports to military headquarters, he met his wrestling coach for the next three years, Lt. Col. Felix Salvador, the Inspector General of the 25th Infantry Division.  In addition to Dave’s regular duties, wrestling freestyler and Greco-Roman filled much of his time in the military.  The U.S. army was also instrumental in starting high school wrestling in Hawaii.  In 1963 SP4 Fred Lamb, PFC Lorne Nordahl, PFC David Karpenske, and coach, Capt. Courtney Fritz put on clinics and demonstrations at Baldwin High School on Maui for future high school wrestlers and coaches.

Dave also gained international experience.  As Japan’s national traveling teams were on their way to and from the cultural exchange tours on the mainland of the U.S., matches were arranged with the 25th Infantry Division.

Dave wrestled in many AAU tournaments and in the 1963 National AAU Tournament which was held at the Presidio in San Francisco.  He was selected to the All-Army team in 1963 and trained for the 1964 Olympics at the West Point Military Academy in New York.  Dave’s wrestling record was 120-13.  He received an honorable discharge in August of 1965.

In 1965 Dave continued his college education at UW-Superior and wrestled for Americo “Mertz” Mortorelli.  It was here that he established life-long friendships with several of his teammates, including Dick Kuzminsky, Hall of Fame member and former Mosinee High School wrestling coach.  Dave graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in English and a minor in Physical Education.  His UW-Superior wrestling record was 36 wins and 7 losses.

In August of 1969 Dave’s first teaching and coaching job was at West High School in Green Bay.  He had many fine wrestlers.  His team record for 3 years was 22 wins and 7 losses.

In 1972 Dave took the head coaching job at Glenwood City High School.  His team’s 10 year record was 83 wins and 17 losses.  Dave earned a Master’s Degree in Education at UW-Eau Claire in 1978.

From 1990 until 2012 Dave worked for the WIAA Minimum Weight Control Program.

Dave retired in 1998 after teaching and coaching for 29 years.  He and his wife Jean live on Scott Lake in Comstock.  They have 3 children: 1) Damian (Master Plumber), 2) Jessica (UW-Lacrosse graduate), her husband Daryl and their three children: Alexandra, Isabella, and Carter, and 3) Kara (owner and CEO of Kamaron Design an international interior decorating company).

In 1999, Dave was asked to take the head wrestling coaching position at Cumberland High School.  He did that for two years.  The team’s record was 16 wins and 4 losses.

Throughout Dave’s coaching years his teams won numerous conference, regional, and sectional championships.  Each of the schools had many outstanding and dedicated athletes and wrestlers.

In 2001 Dave was inducted into the UW-Superior Wrestling Hall of Fame and in 2008 he was inducted into the UW-Superior 1966-67 Team Wrestling Hall of Fame.