Dan N. Hensley
Inducted in 2004

Clover Park High School 1966-1976
Pacific Lutheran University 1977-1986
Clover Park High School 1988-1991
Olympic Junior High School (Auburn) 1991-1992
Decatur High School 1992-1997

Dan Hensley taught Mathematics at Clover Park High School for 25 years. He began coaching wrestling as an assistant under Warren DePrenger. With Warren they popularized the use of the suspended arena lights for wrestling competition, building theirs from discarded football stadium lights. While coaching at Clover Park, Dan coached in excess of twenty-five state placers including ten state champions. Clover Park became one of the dominating power teams in the state of Washington. Clover Park set and still holds the record of 5 individual state champions in one year during the 1973 tournament, with his team members winning 22 of 24 individual matches in the tournament. During his first several years at CP the school record was 88-12-2.

While teaching at Clover Park Dan went on to coach at Pacific Lutheran U where he developed several All Americans. He was twice chosen NAIA conference coach of the year, and was instrumental in keeping the college program viable while many other colleges were dropping their wrestling programs. From PLU, Dan went on to coach at Decatur High School for 5 years where he coached their first state placer.

Dan was the director for the state AAA wrestling tournament when the tournament was held at PLU. It was there that the state tournament was first held on 6 mats, individual placing was first wrestled off to 8 places, elimination to 8 wrestlers was done during the 1st day of competition to balance individual matches for competitors, and where the computer was first used to keep team score.

Dan attended Mead High School, wrestling for now Hall of Famer, Cash Stone. In 1962 he was the first state wrestling champion in Spokane, competing at 127 pounds. While wrestling for WSU under Roger James, Dan was an NCAA All-American in placing sixth at Nationals and was named the conference Student Athlete of the Year for WSU, while majoring in mathematics. He was undefeated in dual meet competition in his junior and senior years, competing at 147 to 160 pounds.

Dan is now teaching in his 38th year, instructing math at Tyee HS. His wife Georgia is a Dean in the Federal Way School District. His two daughters currently attend WWU. At the present time Dan volunteers his time with wrestling coaching. In addition to coaching wrestling, Dan taught skiing for 10 years, and has been a member of the National Ski Patrol for 21 years, receiving National recognition for his work at Crystal Mountain.

Nominated by Darrel White, Head Wrestling Coach at Clover Park High School. Dan will be inducted by his former high school coach and WSWCA Hall of Fame Member, Cash Stone.