6A Coach of the Year - 2006

MIKE CHURCH
Wichita South High School

Coach Mike Church of Wichita South led his squad to the runner-up state trophy in 6A after a very successful season in his first year as head coach of the tradition-rich Wichita South squad.

Church’s team went 10-3 in duals and won trophies in seven out of ten tournaments. They were second in City League Duals with a 7-1 record and were second at the City League Tournament. His team also grabbed a runner-up finish at regionals, also, qualifying ten wrestlers for state and placing eight of those ten.

Church previously was an assistant coach at Wichita South from 2003-05.

He was a collegiate wrestler at Carson-Newman, Fort Hays State, and Labette, after a successful high school career in which he was an undefeated state champion at 135 pounds as a senior and a third-place finisher as a junior. He was a four-time state qualifier at Wichita South.

In college, Church was an Academic All-American at Labette and Carson-Newman. He won a Public Relations Award at Labette in 1997.

Church is currently a Special Education/Algebra teacher at Wichita South, graduating from Carson-Newman in 2003.