Three Former Mavericks to be Inducted into Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame;
Gangestad, Amundson and Kenning to be Recognized March 13
February 22, 2008
Mankato, MN-- The NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association has announced that three former Minnesota State wrestlers are amongst this year’s class of the Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Howie Gangestad (MSU 1962-65), Larry Amundson (1965-68) and Tony
Kenning (MSU 1994-96) will be officially inducted at a ceremony March
13, 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Division II Hall of Fame
Ceremony will be held in conjunction with a reception for coaches and
dignitaries on the Thursday evening preceding the start of the of the
46th annual NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids.
Gangestad, a Luverne, Minn., native won a 123-pound national title for
MSU in 1964 and 1965. He also placed second at the 1964 Division
I national meet. MSU captured a national team championship in
1964 and finished second in 1964 and won two Northern Intercollegiate
Conference team titles during this time. Gangestad was inducted
into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.
Amundson, a Windom, Minn., native, placed third at the NCAA meet as a
sophomore 160-pounder. As a senior he moved up to 177-pounds and
captured the NCAA Division II championship before placing second at the
NCAA Division I meet. MSU placed first, second, fourth and fourth
at the NCAA meet during his year’s with the team and he was inducted
into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.
Kenning, a Luxemburg, Minn., native was a national junior college
champion at Ridgewater Community College prior to joining MSU in
1994. In his two seasons with the Mavericks he posted a 77-7
won-loss record and two North Central Conference championships and
captured national heavyweight titles in 1995 and 1996 despite weighing
only 210 pounds.
This year’s threesome joins four other MSU luminaries in coach Rummy
Macias (inducted in 1999), and wrestlers Bob Soulek (2004), Jack
Eustice (2004) and Jim Gale (2004) as members of the Division II
Wrestling Hall fame.