Peter J. Mehringer, the Olympic Gold Medalist, and Hall of Famer started Kinsley's program (1926) and was it's first head coach while he was a sophomore in High School. There are some who say, and no one can really prove it, that he started the first high school wrestling program in the state of Kansas that year. He got interested in it because, while in junior high, he read “Frank Gotch and Farmer Burns School of Wrestling and Physical Culture". There was no program at that time in Kinsley so he, with the blessings of the school, started one. Later, while wrestling for KU, he won the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics at 191 lbs. Too bad these two schools, with that foundational history behind them, dropped their respective programs. I am disappointed with that, but he deserves a place in this conversation because of his historic legacy to wrestling in this nation.

While a young wrestler, wrestling for Kinsley at the time. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Mehringer. I was young and didn't understand his importance. Looking back, I wish I had taken the time to ask him about his life. He led a full one and a fascinating one.