Northgate wrestling HC Mike Wenzell heads into retirement, 15 seasons of success
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — It鈥檚 hard to imagine that anyone could fill the shoes of retiring Northgate Wrestling Coach Mike Wenzell. But all eras must eventually come to an end, and Tom Booth, an assistant coach for the past five years, will try.
Wenzell began his wrestling career at the age of 10 in Pennsylvania where wrestling is a popular youth sport. He wrestled through middle and high school. In his senior year he finished 4th in the state and was captain of the team. He received a partial scholarship to attend Rider University in New Jersey, a Division I school for wrestling. In 1980 he won the East Coast Conference Championship at the 126 pound weight class, which qualified him for the NCAA Division I Championships.
After college he volunteered as a referee and youth coach for about five years while working in real estate finance. When he moved to Walnut Creek, he discovered wrestling was not as popular here, and there were no options for his young son to wrestle.
It was not until 2008 that Wenzell was reunited with the sport he loves. 鈥淥nce wrestling is in your blood,鈥� he says, 鈥渋t鈥檚 there forever.鈥� And when he found the chance to help out with Northgate High School鈥檚 wrestling program and the accompanying Walnut Creek Wrestling Club for 1st – 8th graders, it was destiny.
In 2014 he assumed head coaching responsibility from the departing coach Carlos Sumulong. During his tenure as Head Coach, Wenzell鈥檚 teams have amassed a regular season record of 73 wins and 15 losses, earned three league championships, and in 2017 won the NCS Division II Dual Meet Championships for the first time in Northgate鈥檚 history. Under his leadership the teams have won NCS Dual Meet Championships twice, placed 2nd twice and 3rd twice.
The 2020 season was the most memorable, ending right before the pandemic shutdown. That year they went 13-0 in dual meets, won the league and NCS Dual Meet Championships for the 2nd time, and placed 5th in the NCS Individual Championships (out of 100+ schools, the highest finish in Northgate history). Wenzell fondly remembers the highlight of that season during the NCS finals when they were competing against Benicia. Just 10 days earlier they had beat Benicia unexpectedly during the regular season on a 9th tie breaker after a 36-36 dual meet deadlock. Benicia expected to beat Northgate in the rematch at the NCS finals, but instead, Northgate smashed Benicia, winning 57-24. That year Wenzell was also named Diablo Athletic League Coach of the Year. He attributes the success to the hard work of the entire coaching staff (an army of 8 assistant coaches) and the wrestling families.
鈥淚 see wrestling as a metaphor for life,鈥� explains Wenzell. 鈥淭he determination and effort needed in this individual sport are the same as the skills needed in life. So I see my role as building character. At the end of the day, it鈥檚 not about their record; it鈥檚 about responsibility, accountability, dedication. That鈥檚 what determines their success in the sport and in the character they develop.鈥� Wenzell likes to remind his wrestlers of something the 1972 gold medalist wrestler Dan Gable said: 鈥淥nce you鈥檝e wrestled, everything else in life is easy.鈥�
In 2015 Wenzell welcomed the first girls to the Northgate team; they now have 9. In 2016 he spearheaded the building of a wrestling room so the team could have their own dedicated space. It was years in the making to receive administration and district approval, then to raise the funds, which primarily came from his own donations and those of friends and wrestling families.
During his time, Northgate has also had individual wrestlers earn accolades. From 2015 鈥� 2020, Northgate has had 21 wrestlers earn medals at the NCS Championships (the top 8 wrestlers in each weight class earn medals), and six wrestlers qualify for the CIF State Championships. In 2020 Cole Sanchez won 1st place; Northgate鈥檚 first NCS champion in 20 years. This year鈥檚 State Championships will take place on Feb. 24-26 (after printing of this magazine), and they hope to have several wrestlers competing.
Current senior Angelo Esposito is expected to compete at the State Championships and has committed to Rider University, Wenzell鈥檚 alma mater. Three former Northgate wrestlers are also currently competing at the college level: Gage Mettler at San Francisco State, Liv Villanueva at Southern Oregon, and Nic Le Sieur at Worcester Poly Tech Institute in MA.
As Wenzell heads into retirement after his 15 seasons, he reflects, 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny 鈥� you go into coaching a sport like wrestling hoping you will be able to have a positive impact on the lives of young men and women 鈥� and as I look back, I realize that it is those very young men and women that have had a tremendous positive impact on MY life!鈥�
It鈥檚 a hard act to follow, but we wish Tom Booth and the future teams much success as well.
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