The Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance will induct two new members into its Hall of Fame this summer as former Sanford head coach Dick Faulkner and former wrestling standout and current Mt. Ararat/Brunswick coach Erick Jensen both got the nod.
The two newest members of the MAWA Hall of Fame will be honored at the upcoming Rumble at The Ballpark wrestling tournament in Old Orchard Beach on July 17. They will also be invited to the 2022 Hall of Fame dinner.
Faulkner put together a stellar coaching career at Sanford where he went 134-25-1 in eight years.
The legendary coach was the mentor to 40 state place winners, 29 state finalists, 13 state champions and also led Sanford to team championships in 1979, 1980, 1991 and 1992. In 1979, Faulkner led Sanford to a team state title with two individual state champions and five runners up as all seven wrestlers he brought to the state meet made the finals.
Jensen was a two-time state champion in Wisconsin Class A at 145 pounds in 1983 and 1984. He was also a USA Wrestling High School All-American in 1984 and a four-year captain of his high school team. He would be recruited by Iowa State and Michigan State University before picking the Spartans and competing for four years at Michigan State. Jensen was a four-year letter recipient at MSU and the team captain in his final two years.
After coaching two years of high school wrestling in Wisconsin, he would join legendary coach Al Kirk at Deering High School before taking over as head coach at Mt. Ararat.
Since 1999, Jensen has produced 19 individual state champions, one three-time champion and a pair of two-time champions. He has won over 350 dual meets and led Mt. Ararat/Brunswick to the Class A team
championship in 2019.
Jensen was instrumental in bringing Brunswick wrestlers into the program and was one of the founders of the Eagles Wrestling Club and youth wrestling program.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
