Lennie Zalesky
A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Lennie Zalesky was a state champion for Cedar Rapids Prairie High School.
He was a three-time All-American and three-time Big Ten champion who helped the University of Iowa win four straight NCAA team championships. After a fourth-place finish as a sophomore, Zalesky went 73-2-1 as a junior and senior while advancing to the NCAA finals at 142 pounds both seasons.
He won the Henry Deglane Tournament in Nice, France in 1983 and the Cerro Pelado International Tournament in Cuba in 1986 while capturing silver medals at the 1983 Pan American Games, the 1984 World Cup, the 1984 Tbilisi Tournament and the 1983 Canadian Cup.
Zalesky received bachelor’s degrees in finance, education and Russian language from Iowa while earning his master’s degree in Slavic linguistics and literature from the University of Indiana.
After coaching at his alma mater from 1986-90, he spent eight seasons as the head wrestling coach at Palmer High School in Palmer, Alaska. Zalesky was inducted into the Alaska Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2010.
He then coached nine years at the University of California at Davis, being named Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2007. Zalesky was head coach at California Baptist University from 2011 until his retirement in 2022.
He was named NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in 2017 and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2016.
Awards:
Year
2023
|
Award
Glen Brand Inductee
|
Chapter/Region
National
|
Year
2022
|
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
|
Chapter/Region
California
|
All American Awards:
Season
1982
|
School
Iowa
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
142
|
Place
2
|
Season
1981
|
School
Iowa
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
142
|
Place
2
|
Season
1980
|
School
Iowa
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
142
|
Place
4
|
All Coaching Dual Records:
Season
2010
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
15
|
Wins
3
|
Losses
12
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
20
|
Season
2009
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
13
|
Wins
7
|
Losses
6
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
53.85
|
Season
2008
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
12
|
Wins
4
|
Losses
8
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
33.33
|
Season
2007
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
15
|
Wins
8
|
Losses
7
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
53.33
|
Season
2006
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
17
|
Wins
8
|
Losses
9
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
47.06
|
Season
2005
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
12
|
Wins
6
|
Losses
5
|
Ties
1
|
Win PCT.
50
|
Season
2004
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
15
|
Wins
6
|
Losses
9
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
40
|
Season
2003
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
14
|
Wins
7
|
Losses
7
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
50
|
Season
2002
|
School
California-Davis
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
0
|
Wins
0
|
Losses
0
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
0
|
Season
Career
|
Duals
113
|
Wins
49
|
Losses
63
|
Ties
1
|
Win PCT.
43.36
|
All Rankings:
Season
1982
|
Rank Date
12/14/1981
|
Weight
142
|
Rank
1
|
School
Iowa
|
Season
1982
|
Rank Date
12/31/1981
|
Weight
142
|
Rank
1
|
School
Iowa
|
Season
1982
|
Rank Date
01/18/1982
|
Weight
142
|
Rank
1
|
School
Iowa
|
Season
1982
|
Rank Date
01/31/1982
|
Weight
142
|
Rank
1
|
School
Iowa
|
Season
1981
|
Rank Date
02/26/1981
|
Weight
142
|
Rank
1
|
School
Iowa
|
Season
1981
|
Rank Date
03/12/1981
|
Weight
142
|
Rank
1
|
School
Iowa
|