Upper Iowa University Athletics Hall of Fame
Ken Estling, class of 1969, is being inducted into the Upper Iowa University Athletics Hall of Fame as a coach. He was a two-year letter winner for the Peacocks in 1966 and ‘67. Estling placed 4th in 1966 and 3rd in 1967 in the I.I.A.C. Tournaments.
Estling earned his B.A. degree in Social Science and Physical Education in 1969. He started an illustrious coaching career in 1969 at Menlo High School and in 1970 he moved to Bondurant-Farrar High School. He served as Wrestling Coach for 32 years, with an outstanding record in dual meets of 316-112-7, tied for 18th all-time in the state of Iowa. For 20 years, he also acted as the Girls Track Coach. He was inducted into the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1996 and was honored with a Lifetime Service Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. He was also named Class 1A Coach of the Year twice in 1992 and 1998.
His interscholastic wrestling record shows 96 State Qualifiers, 36 Place Winners plus six individual Champions. In State Dual Meet Tournaments, his Blue Jays wrestled to a 1st place title in 1997, a runner up finish in 1992 and a third place run in 1998. As the girls’ track coach, his squad earned 12 individual and relay state championships with four district team titles as well. His track teams placed five times in the state tournament with the 1989 team finishing second in class 2A.
Estling is a graduate of West Delaware High School in Manchester, Iowa where he was an outstanding athlete in wrestling and baseball. Since 1992, he has been an insurance agent and now works with the Mid-America Insurance Group. Ken and his wife of 33 years, Kathy, are the parents of two sons, Chris and Kyle, and live in Altoona, Iowa.
