An Eagle's Pride: Westmar's winningest coach inducted into Wrestling Hall of Fame

Milt Martin was the only wrestling coach Westmar College ever had. In a career that began with the school in 1962 and ended with the 1997 closing of the college, Martin's teams racked up an astonishing 462 victories, 138 losses, and 12 ties. He'll be honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday. [Click to enlarge]

-- The number of years he served as coach for Westmar University's wrestling team: 35.

-- The number of Tri-State Conference tournaments wins his team had: 26.

Gathering for a Westmar Wrestling Reunion in July 2007 with the college's longtime wrestling coach, Milt Martin, were, front row (from left) -- Andrea Crooks ‘70, Ft. Madison, (Tri-State Conference Wrestling Queen 1970); cheerleaders June Mikkelson ‘88, Remsen; Julie (Andersen) Lesko ‘87, Sioux City; Niki Knapp ‘93, Akron; and Diann Terpstra ‘93, Brandon, S.D. Second row -- Dick Wendt ‘79, Magee, Miss.; Don Featherston ‘75, Red Wing, Minn.; Jerry Wendt ‘75, Le Mars; coach Milt Martin ‘53, Le Mars; D. Kip Johnson ‘70, Sioux City; Jim Fisher ‘70, Moville; Darl C. Weaver ‘67, Des Moines. Third row -- Derek Briggs ‘93, Akron; Tim DeLarm ‘86, Le Mars; Steve Mohning ‘71, Le Mars; Ron Crooks ‘70, Ft. Madison; Steve Lemmke ‘84, Sibley; K.C. Kersten ‘84, Logan; Lloyd C. Petersen ‘65, Marshall, Minn.; Dan Tepstra ‘93, Brandon, S.D. Back row -- Tim Krosch ‘93, Westfield, Mass.; Ed Huff ‘92, Sioux City; Tom Joaquin, ‘90; Tom Hildreth ‘81, Rockwell City. The wrestlers presented Martin with a plaque in appreciation of his years of coaching Westmar wrestling. [Click to enlarge]

-- The number of straight NAIA National Records his teams held: 52.

Over a career that spanned from 1962 until the 1997 close of Westmar University, Martin's teams racked up an astonishing 462 victories, 138 losses, and 12 ties.

It is for these reasons (and many others) that Martin will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in an honor celebration to be held in Des Moines on Saturday.

"The National Wrestling Hall of Fame's ‘Lifetime Service to Wrestling' Award," writes Hall of Fame executive director Lee Roy Smith, "acknowledges that your life has been significant and you are leaving behind a benchmark and legacy that others will follow. You will have a special place in the History of Wrestling and that place is the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma."

"Milt," Smith continued, "you are leaving your family, friends and wrestling fans a valuable asset ... a respectable name and reputation for serving a sport that we all have learned to respect and love."

Not too shabby for the young man from Forbes, North Dakota.

"This honor is just so overwhelming," Martin says days before the induction ceremony. "All I ever wanted to do was recruit some good young athletes and teach them the basic virtues of loyalty, honesty, and hard work."

He pauses for a moment.

"Like I said," Martin says, shaking his head in disbelief, "this has just been overwhelming."

Sitting in his airy kitchen of his Le Mars home, the man still known affectionately as "Coach Milt" reflects upon a career that gave him an "eagle-eyed" view of the world of wrestling at Westmar.

"Everything started at Westmar," he says simply. "It's the only place I've ever wanted to be."

Martin earned his bachelors degree from Westmar in 1953 and quickly began teaching in a number of small community high schools.

"I taught for a few years in Hazel, S.D.," he remembers. "Then I moved on to Morton, Minn., before going to Sibley where I taught for four years."

These high schools proved to be valuable training grounds for Martin.

"Since the schools were so small and the number of teachers so limited," he recalls, "everybody became a coach."

"I was the math, science, and physical education teacher," Martin says, laughing at the memory, "but I was also the coach for both the football and track teams."

Earning a masters from the University of Northern Colorado, he was contacted by Dr. Harry Kalas, the president of his old alma mater, Westmar.

"In the spring of 1962, Dr. Kalas offered me a contract to become a phys. ed. instructor," Martin explains. "In addition, I'd become an assistant coach in their football and track programs."

"Shortly after I arrived," he adds, "Dr. Kalas asked me if I'd like to also coach Westmar's wrestling team. I immediately said: ‘I'd love to!'"

The ambitious young Martin became wrestling coach despite the fact he had never seen a match before in his life!

Now, a little history lesson.

Iowa wrestling, despite its colorful history at the high school and collegiate level, didn't really catch on until the late ‘50s. The first wrestling program at Westmar began under the tutelage of Duane "Tug" Wilson, who took the wrestling Eagles to an unenviable record 0-3 its first year.

With Wilson moving from coach to the dean of student affairs, the wannabe Westmar grapplers became more of a sports club.

In their second season the boys scored a victory over the University of South Dakota but still racked up eight losses their sophomore season.

The team had no uniforms, no mats, no practice area, and up to that point, no coach. Instead, the guys worked out, on canvas-backed horsehair mats, along the sidelines of the basketball court.

The rumor mill had it that these would-be "rasslers" became more adept at shooting hoops than they were at the ancient art of hand-to-hand combat.

Well, that was before Martin entered the picture.

"The college was ready to drop the wrestling program following the 1960-61 program," he remembers, "but the wrestlers, themselves, started circulating a petition to get the sport reinstated."

So, in the fall of 1962, wrestling at Westmar was given a whole new lease on life inside the basement of Weidler Hall.

And with it, Martin was about to begin a new chapter in his life.

"At that point," he smiles, "I had no experience in organized, inter-school wrestling. I had never seen a match in my life and the first match I ever saw was the first one that I coached."

But the idea of wrestling had Martin intrigued.

"I enjoyed rough and tumble sports back in grade school and in high school," he surmises. "Don't know if you could call it ‘wrestling,' but I reasonably excelled in it."

Also while coaching in Minnesota, Martin taught a unit of it during his phys. ed. class curriculum.

"I knew nothing about what I was getting myself into," he smiles, "but I knew I wanted to be a part of it."

So in the fall of 1962, the wrestlers' canvas-backed horsehair mats gave way to a new composition rubber 24' by 24' square mat and their first year uniforms (maroon colored long tights, no shirts) were ones that Martin remembers they got on the cheap.

"The following year we got our blue tights," he recalls, "and sold the maroon ones to Morningside College."

That first year, Martin admits he knew nothing about the sport and the wrestlers knew he knew nothing.

"I didn't try to fool ‘em," he says. "But I believe I knew a thing or two about the psychology behind coaching and the importance of conditioning."

In Martin's mind, the group of grapplers who came the first year came to symbolize all of his future teams.

He explains: "Ray Babb, our senior captain, finished his season 7-1-1 and also won a match in the national competition. Ken Fiester went 9-4 that year, becoming All-American the following year. Marvin Grabau had a 12-3 record and became Westmar's first All-American, not only in wrestling but in all sports."

What set the Eagles apart from the rest of the flock?

According to Martin, "they were young men with a little talent but a whole lotta courage. They brought a mental toughness and a desire to compete in wrestling."

They also had a coach who pushed them as much in the classroom as he did in the gym.

"If they stuck with the program and stayed with it, they'd end up graduating," Martin says deliberately. "That, in and of itself, is phenomenal."

"Our young men were as tough as they were smart," he continues. "They wanted to make something of themselves."

In fact, many of Martin's former charges saw him as an inspiration.

"Many of the young men that I coached went into education," he says proudly, "and became coaches and administrators for themselves."

And Martin continued to see many of them through the years.

"It's a nice feeling to see somebody that you coached suddenly become a colleague," he smiles. "Many of them became friends too."

Martin talks about the many reunions he's shared with his former wrestlers over the years.

"Some of them became educators," he replies. "Others chose different vocations. But they're all good men who never forgot the basic virtues of loyalty, honesty, and hard work."

And another thing they've never forgotten?

Their coach: Milt Martin. He hasn't forgotten them either.

"It's times like this that you get to reflect on your career," he says softly. "When I started coaching at Westmar I didn't think I'd be there for 35 years. But the years just flew by. Why? Because Westmar was home for me."

"I had offers to go elsewhere," Martin says, shaking his head. "But, nope, this was where I wanted to be."

As he is inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, he'll be sharing it with all of his former students whom he still calls "fine young men."

"Over the years," Martin allows, "these young men have got out into the world, have been successful in their own right, and their success is my success as well."

"It's been a good career" he says "and a good life and I'm so happy that I've been able to impact so many people along the way."

Former Westmar wrestlers reminsce about Milt Martin

Many of Milt Martin's former wrestlers say their coach has made a difference in their lives. They wanted to share their memories and reflections on the man before his induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday:

I will go to my grave still remembering Milt's Eagle cry " G O  E A G L E S !!!!!!!!!!!!!".

Milt exemplified the Eagle spirit. He was and still is an Ambassador to Westmar , wrestling and development of young adults that the community can be proud of. He influenced the lives of all that he touched -- young athletes , cheerleaders and faculty alike. As a student athlete, I know he expected us to excel as students first and athletes second. He expected us to represent our school with respect and spirit. I can not think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Milt. I will always remember my years with Milt and my fellow Westmar Friends.

Tim De Larm

It's truly amazing to me that for a university sport, where they change coaches faster than tree leaves change colors, that one such school, Westmar College, only had one wrestling coach. 

From the initiation of the sport of wrestling at Westmar to its unfortunate demise, after Milt had possibly recruited his best team ever, Westmar wrestling had one and only one coach, the inestimable Milton Martin. 

Perhaps it's just as well - who possibly could have replaced him?

One other thing I've noticed about Milt is that I'm not sure he ever stopped coaching. Oh sure, he retired about 10 years ago. 

But as you know, Milt considering coaching the actual sport of wrestling at Westmar only part of the job. He also desired to teach life lessons during a student's tenure at Westmar, and Milt took that part of the job very seriously, as he would frequently check up on you and see how you, or your parents, were doing. 

And that part of the job he has not relinquished. He continues to check in on me and still asks me about my mother.  He was and is an uncommon man with uncommon traits doing uncommon things. 

Milt's one of a kind!

Jerry Wendt

One of the things I remember about Coach Martin was the first time that I met him and he would make you feel like you were the most important student on campus as well as the most important wrestler. He ALWAYS took time for everyone!

As a coach, he never pretended to know everything - he was as eager to teach his wrestlers as he was to learn from his wrestlers. We were at River Falls, WI at the National Tournament my sophomore year and we stayed on campus to save money as our wrestling budget would not afford much - we heard a load roar outside and looked out to see a number of kids streaking

across campus. Milt smiled and said "That would never happen at Westmar."

That is, until we returned to campus the next week. There we found

pictures of streakers in the school paper!

My junior year Coach Martin went on sabbatical the second semester to finish his Doctorate in Colorado - as I was one of the Captains and hurt I got to do quite a bit of coaching. When Coach came back and we sat down and talked he shared a lot of insight about how to treat kids and how not to treat kids that I still use today.

He had a great influence on me and is VERY VERY deserving of this induction.

Ken Rigler, 1972-1976

Milt Martin built a strong wrestling program at Westmar and was the leader of that program for decades.  Over the years, Milt had an unbelievable winning tradition, but gave his athletes much more than that.  Milt tried to teach each of us how to be a good person and instilled in us the importance of having character.  He taught us the importance of these positive traits and was the perfect example of them.  My father (Roger Trulock) wrestled for Milt in the 60's and has mentioned these same attributes.  Milt poured his life into the success of Westmar College and had great pride in the young men he helped mold.  He did a great job of that!

Jim Trulock, Class of 1989

Heavyweight Drill! How can the big guys ever forget the two or three times a season we did that exercise!

Personally, Milt would put me through Heavyweight Drill after Thanksgiving vacation. He would say, "Swanny, you leave early for vacation but make up for it by coming back late! Lets see what kind of shape you are in!"

"HEAVYWEIGHT DRILL!" That's what I'll always remember about Milt.

Dean L. Swanson

Coach Martin is very deserving of an honor of this magnitude. He has touched and helped shape many lives over the course of his career.

It was a pleasure for me to have wrestled for him. 

Stan Peterson, Class of 1975

I remember the first day of practice in 1962 and we had a new coach "Milt Martin." I had never wrestled before nor had Coach Martin ever coached wrestling before. That first year what ever Coach Martin lacked in wrestling technique knowledge he made up for ten fold in conditioning and motivation. Boy, did we do the push ups, sit ups, etc. and we wrestled until our tongues hung to the floor.  Some of the team members were already experienced wrestlers (Fiester, Grabau) but all of us were in great condition and that really help us win. 

Leland Gustafson, Westmar (1960-1964)

Whenever I see Milt Martin, I see Westmar.  Milt embodies the Spirt of Westmar and all that it means to each of us. Walking across Westmar's campus, in the classroom and at events he always had a hi and a smile. But more then that he had time to talk about your experience at Westmar and life. His care for students and Christian attitude was always evident. 

 My professional career has been dedicated to higher education and serving students. It was my experience at Westmar and faculty members like Milt Martin who have inspired me to serve in higher education. Westmar and Milt Martin have touched my life and I am thankful and a better person because of my experience. Milt like an Eagle is a cherished leader and he will forever soar in all of our hearts.

Kaylyn Pick (Busch 1988)

I had the opportunity to be mentored by Milt for 7 years, 4 as wrestler and 3 as an assistant coach for Westmar Wrestling. Westmar Wrestling and Milt gave me an opportunity to continue doing what I loved from high school and by the way I got an education at the same time. As a student athlete his focus on student first athlete second drove me to get my education if for no other reason I did not want to do the push ups for missing class.  More importantly the lessons Milt taught me are life lessons. Always work hard and do your best. Take responsibility for your actions.  Things are easy when they are going great, it is most important to focus when they are not. As an assistant coach Milt's ability to negotiate a seeding meeting, talk to young men and relate to his team were great. Oh, yeah. Don't forget to have a slush fund so that you may never miss a National Tournament.  

Congratulations Milt and thank you for your continued influence on my life. 

Gene Boerger, Class of 1985

Milt Martin was a constant constructive influence in the lives of young men who needed Milt more than Milt needed us - and he continues to provide direction for many of us to this day. We came to Westmar to wrestle and receive an education and we left with our college education and, more importantly, an education in what life is all about. Wrestling was the vehicle through which Milt guided so many of us, and the main reason Westmar wrestling had a consistent record of on-the-mat success was Milt's influence in our lives off the mat. It was a true honor to step on the mat with Milt in the corner and we are better people as a result. Congratulations goes out to Milt as he receives this great award -- no one deserves it more.

Derek Briggs