Paul Bengston One of Minnesota's most legendary names in high school wrestling is the name "Bengtson." Paul's "brothers" were great wrestlers for Owatonna High School in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Paul's brother Jack became Owatonna's first State Wrestling Champion in 1948. Dick (1951) was a two-time Region Champion and placed 4th in Sate, twice. Sam was a State Champion in 1954, and Runner-up in 1953, while Tom (the oldest) became head wrestling coach at Waterville High School in Minnesota. Among the four brothers one became a legendary Head Wrestling Coach in Paul "Don" Bengtson. Paul became one of the premiere coaches of the 1960's at Hopkins High School in Minnesota. His teams won three State Titles in 1963,1967 and 1968. Bengtson's Hopkins teams also produced numerous great wrestles, as great teams do. Four of those wrestlers represented the United States in the Olympic Games, Two as regulars on the team, and two as alternates. Bengtson, an Owatonna native, got his start in wrestling under Coach Paul Becker at Owatonna High School. At OHS Paul went on to place second in State in 1951 and captured the State Title at 145 lbs. in 1952 in the old "One Class' system. He was a Region Champion his Junior and Senior years. He was also a rare 7-year Letterman at OHS in Football and Wrestling. He served as Team Captain in both Football and Wrestling. In Football he called the offense and defense signals for the 1951-1952 seasons. Paul also represented the South Team as Co-Captain for the annual Minnesota High School "North vs South All-Star Game." He played Center and Linebacker the entire game. He was All-Conference in Football and All-State Honorable Mention at the position of Center. After graduating from OHS in 1952, he attended the University of Minnesota where he Wrestled and Lettered in 1954. He was a Williams Scholar and received his Bachelor's Degree in 1958 after serving the United States Army. Bengtson stared his coaching career in Wisconsin, at Amery High School. His team did very well. The team was undefeated in Wisconsin, (1958-1959), qualifying 9 wrestlers out of 10 to the Wisconsin State Tournament. Paul went on to take a new challenge as Head Wrestling Coach at the University of Chicago for one year. He then headed back to his home state of Minnesota to start the wrestling program at Hopkins High School. When Paul interviewed for the Head Wrestling Coach's job at Hopkins in 1960 he made a promise to the administration that his team would win a State Team Championship in three years, or they could fi re him. He was hired! Coach Bengtson did not take long to start producing stellar teams. In his fi rst year as coach his team qualified two wrestlers to the Minnesota State "One Class" Tournament. In his second year he produced the school's first State Wrestling Campion. With his leadership the Hopkins wrestling team did win the Minnesota State Team Wrestling Title, as promised, in 1963. Bengtson presented the Hopkins High School with the Championship Trophy! Two more State Team Championship Titles came in 1967 and 1968, a State Runner-up team, and a 4th Place and a 8th Place Team. In just 8 years Bengtson coached 9 individual State Champions and several State Place winners. During those years Paul also served as an Assistant Football coach. He was a pioneer of sports for girls, as her started the Hopkins High School girls track team. Paul coached a State Champion in the 880 (1/2 Mile) Run his first year. The following year he coached a State Champion in the One Mile Run. A former 1968 Hopkins State Wrestling Champion, Pat Marcy, who went on to become Augsburg College's first National Wrestling Champion and member of the 1974, 1975, an d1977 USA World Teams, as well as a 1975 Pam American Games Gold Medalist in Greco-Roman Wrestling. Pat says, "I was extremely lucky to have Paul as my high school wrestling coach. He was my first wrestling coach and instilled in me a passion for the sport, which has guided me through life. The successes I've had in wrestling and in life is a direct result of Coach Bengtson's efforts. He was the best coach I've ever had." For his teams' success Coach Paul "Don" Bengtson was voted 1969 Minnesota Wrestling "Coach of the Year." He was also inducted as a "Charter Member" of the Dave Bartlema-Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame. IN addition, in 1994 Bengtson was recipient of the coveted "Butch Nash Award," from the Minnesota State Football Coaches Association, representing the state's "Outstanding Assistant Football Coach." Bengtson was an inspiration to his wrestlers. Hall of Fame Coach Buzz Cummins says, "He was always upbeat, was a positive thinker, and he always made us believe we could succeed. His contributions to others in wrestling did not stop with the end of his coaching career days. He helped many of us in a quiet way behind the scenes. I don't think his willingness to share and to help others with his knowledge, understanding, strategy, and inspiration ever stopped. I owe my success I have achieved to the help he gave mem throughout my coaching career!" From 1968-1970 Paul served as Athletic Director at Mound High School in Minnesota. Form 1970-1974 he served as Head Wrestling Coach at Hopkins-Eisenhauer High School. During his years of coaching and after Bengtson served as a Mentor to several coaches and was also a Region Tournament Director. Other honors came Paul's way too. In 1952 Paul was featured in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Sunday's "Believe it or Not" sports page for his outstanding performance as a high school athlete. In 1993 he was elected to the Hopkins School Board, became known as the "Wise Old Owl" was re-elected and served a total of 13 years. In 1994 Paul was named Hopkins Rasberry Festival Senior King. IN 1995 he was chosen as the "Minneapolis Aquatennial Senior Commodore," He was inducted into the Owatonna High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Hopkins Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. Former teammate to Bengtson at the University of Minnesota, and Hall of Fame Coach Pete Veldman says, "Paul was not only an outstanding athlete, a great coach and a great teacher, but also most importantly a great parent. The energy that he put into his profession was unbelievable and the really rubbed off on the athlete and coaches he worked with." That is certainly a statement of great respect too, considering Veldman was a former rival wrestler from Albert Lea High School. Wrestling fans in Southern Minnesota are well aware of the long rivalry between Owatonna and Albert Lea teams over the years. Paul's supportive family are wife, Shirley, and his adult children Rhonda Lee Bengtson and Dr. and Mrs. William Paul Bengtson, grandchildren and great grandchildren. They all are aware of Paul's enthusiasm for every undertaking he takes on, that enthusiasm made him one of the "True Legends" in Minnesota High School Wrestling History. He is now a proud member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame-Minnesota Chapter, an honor that is long overdue! Congratulations Coach Paul "Don" Bengtson!