Thomas F. (Tom) Faust
 

Kansas State University Head Wrestling Coach Fritz Knorr initiates Junior Olympics Wrestling Tournament for youth in Kansas.

Youngest son Lew involved in lessons with Gus Garcia at his home in Haysville, KS. Tom took Lew to some of the sessions and participated in some with Coach Garcia.

Gus Garcia moved to Atwood and Tom coached his son Lew and two other Haysville youth in the home of Bob Everett, where Gus left the mats. The first kids’ dual match on record took place during this year and was held in Douglass, KS.

Tom decided if he was going to coach kids he wanted to it to be youth from Derby, where he resided. Tom’s oldest son Byron was a senior at DHS this year and placed second in the state at 120lbs. Tom coached three young men, son Lew, Randy Rhea and Andrew Chiawski in the one car garage of his home. The surface used as a ‘mat’ was six old carpets. This would be the genesis of the Derby Wrestling Club. This group was the first from Derby to attend and participate in the Junior Olympics Tournament held at Kansas State University. Randy Rhea placed second in his bracket.

Second and final year of practicing in the garage at 568 S. Kokomo in Derby, KS. Competitions were being arranged by the founders of the Mid-Kansas Wrestling Association; Tom Faust-Derby, Bill Stanhope-Andale, Lawrence Alley-Douglass, Doc Hagan-Haysville and later Tony Bontz-Wichita (WWC).

Coach Faust negotiated an arrangement with Derby High School to utilize the high school wrestling room as a practice facility and formally organized the Derby Wrestling Club.

The club consisted of 14 members who participated in the Junior Olympics Tournament at K-State. Three team members placed in the top four: Gary Kerr-2nd, Randy Rhea-3rd and Dean Plagmann-4th. This was the 7th Junior Olympic Tournament hosted by Fritz Knorr and his wrestlers at K-State.

First Regional National Kids Tournament was held. September 1972 Coach Knorr died and with his passing the Junior Olympics Tournament in Kansas came to an end.

Mid-Kansas Wrestling Association developed the format for the first age group State Kids Wrestling Tournament. Tony Bontz was instrumental in drafting this format. This marked the first year that products of the kids program move into high school and their impact was immediately evident, which was part of the “dream-come-true”.

Kansan Tony Bontz became the first president of the U. S. Kids Wrestling Federation (USWF). Kansas wins the Western National Regional Kids Wrestling Championships held at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota.

Derby High School wrestling team goes undefeated and wins the Class 4A State Team Championship. The heart of this team was a product of Coach Faust’s efforts with the Derby Wrestling Club. Derby High School wrestling teams would win five state team titles in the next eleven years (1975, 1976, 1978, 1985 & 1986) with products of the DWC.

Tom Faust elected as Kids Federation State Chairman. January 23, 1977 Faust chaired an organizational meeting for all ‘Kid’ clubs in the state of Kansas in Salina. The Kansas Kids Wrestling Federation (KKWF) State Tournament was held at Wichita State University on 4/15-16/1977.

Coach Tom Faust and his wife Iris were presented plaques at the Mid-Kansas Wrestling Tournament (4/1/78 @ Emporia). Coach Faust’s honor was for founding the Mid-Kansas Wrestling League and Iris’ was for her support of the league and efforts to develop kids wrestling in Kansas. The 7th Regional National Kids Championships were held in Boulder, CO. Kansas Kids won their 7th Region National Championship with a national record point spread of 470 points over their nearest rival.

The 8th and 9th Southern Plains Regional National Kids Championships were held in Hutchinson, KS. In 1979 the KS Kids won their 8th straight USWF National Regional title. Ben Bennett of Junction City, KS was named USWF Man of the Year for 1978-79. Ben had been chairman of USKWF for the last four years. Ken Coover of Topeka was the Tournament Director for the 8th National Kids Tournament held at Hutchinson in 1979. In 1980 Coach Faust was the Director of the tournament and was honored by the USWF for his years of dedicated service to the sport at the end of the tournament. The Kansas Kids won their ninth consecutive title in 1980.

Coach Faust turned over the DWC to Skip Herrington and Rance Wells after the 1979-80 season. He would remain in an advisory role with the club for the next several years, but this marked the end of his leadership role with the Derby Wrestling Club and the USWF.

November 6, 1982 Coach Tom Faust was inducted into the Kansas Wrestling Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the Fritz Knorr Memorial Wrestling Clinic sponsored by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association held at Central High School in Salina, KS.

On June 4, 2000 Tom Faust passed on and was buried in the El Paso Cemetery in Derby, KS on June 7, 2000. The annual Derby Junior Wrestling Tournament was renamed the Tom Faust Memorial Tournament and was dedicated as such on December 30, 2000.