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Wrestling Coach Pins Down Honor On March 9, Lars Jensen (B.A., '81; M.A., '87) was inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. During his 23-year tenure as SFSU's head wrestling coach, Jensen has coached 87 NCAA Division II National Qualifiers, 50 All-Americans, 28 All-Academic Team members and nine national champions. Seven of his teams have placed in the top ten at the nationals. Jensen, a former Gator wrestler, qualified for the NCAA Division II Nationals during both his junior and senior years. He also captured the California Collegiate Wrestling Championship. In 1980, Jensen placed first in the Northern California United States Olympic Trials and went on to compete in the national trials. Wrestling runs in Jensen's family. In high school, much to their parents' chagrin, he and his twin brother, Thor, also an accomplished wrestler, practiced wrestling holds and takedowns in their Menlo Park home. "There were a lot of broken windows and furniture," recalls Jensen, who says his parents were happy to see the damage subside when he and his brother attended separate California State University campuses. -- Adrianne Bee |