Racine Park/Horlick Wrestling
Panther Wrestling History
Park High School was one of the first high schools in Wisconsin to have wrestling. "Buck" Weaver started and coached the team in 1933. The state meet was held at Park High School in 1948. Since then it has been held in Madison at the UW Fieldhouse and the Kohl Center. Park has produced 20 State Champions. The last State Champion from Park was Mark Sommer in 1992. Park has also produced 16 runner-ups. Park has won 2 State Championships, in 1967 and 1969. Those teams were led by Duane Kleven who would eventually go on to become the Head Coach at the University of Wisconsin. In 1994, Park produced a record 10 State Qualifiers to the State Individual Wrestling Tournament as well as qualifying for the State Team Tournament. In 2000, Park produced 6 State Qualifiers and again won the Team Sectional giving Park it's 2nd appearance at the State Team Tournament. In 2003 Park sent 7 State Qualifiers to Madison, and the 2009 team sent 6 State Qualifiers to wrestle at the Kohl Center. In all, Park wrestlers have medaled at the State Tournament over 70 times. In addition, Park has had over 150 individuals qualify for the State Individual Tournament.
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In 2022, a new era of Racine wrestling began with the combination of the Park High School and Horlick High School wrestling teams. Although the combined team still in it's infancy, both schools look to rebuild together and once again become a state power and continue the tradition of having some of the state's finest wrestlers come from the City of Racine.
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In the history of Park wrestling, there have been 14 Head Coaches:
Guy H. Weaver 1933-1959
William Miller 1943
Edward Groshuesch 1960-1961
Gilbert Manalli 1962
Larry Larson 1963
Robert Zold 1964
Boyd Gibbs 1965
Duane Kleven 1966-1969
Alan Polakowski 1970-1971
Andy Fenderson 1972-2005
Dan Kiel 2006
Tom Adams 2007-2011
Jon Burdick & Adrian Langlois(Co-Head Coaches) 2011-2012
Jon Burdick 2012-2023
Adrian Langlois 2013
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