Wayne Branstetter Striving for Career Milestone of 450 dual meet wins

Poway Wresting Foundation Contact:
Michael Boyd 858-848-0303 (cell) or Michael.g.boyd@gmail.com
Poway Wrestling Website

Poway, CA – The Poway Wrestling Foundation announces that the legendary and Hall of Fame Coach, Wayne Branstetter, is days away from achieving another career milestone of 450 career dual meet wins. The next dual meet where the milestone is expected to take place will be on December 8th at Poway High in Poway, CA when the Titans wrestle visiting Temecula Valley High School from Temecula, CA. Poway is favored to win and was recently ranked 22nd nationally by www.flowrestling.org.

Wayne Branstetter is originally from Montana and he loves to hunt and fish almost as much as he loves to coach high school wrestling. On Decebmer 8th at 7pm at Poway High in Poway, CA his nationally ranked Poway High wrestling team is in the hunt to win career dual meet 450 for Coach Branstetter. Almost more unbeleiveable is Coach Branstetter’s career dual meet record today of 449 wins, 6 losses, and 2 ties in his 43rd season of coaching high school wrestling.

Wayne Branstetter arrived in Poway in 1978 as the fifth head coach of the Poway High school program. Under his leadership, the Titans have dominated San Diego high school wrestling for over three decades. Poway has won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) San Diego Section Division Wrestling Championships 34 years in a row. In addition, they have won the CIF State Wrestling Team Championship four times (1986, 1999, 2005 and 2009) and have finished in the top five at the state tournament 25 times since the tournament was established in 1973.

“I have made part of my life’s mission to transform high school boys into young men through the sport of wrestling just as it transformed my life. I have always strived to create a positive environment where each wrestler can reach their potential. I have discovered that when you build something on good pricipals, people want to be a part of it and expectations are constantly set higher and higher as the program progresses and it builds and grows upon itself.” Coach Branstetter likes to say “Those That Stay Will Be Champions.” Coach Branstetter admits that not every wrestler will be a champion in their weight class after four years of coaching at Poway High, but Coach Branstetter’s goal is for every wrestler to reach their potential and be a “Champion in Life.” “Most wrestlers only have four years to participate in this great sport. Maybe a handful of wrestlers get to wrestle at the college level and an elite few at the Olympic level. I am primarily concerned with what these wrestlers become after wrestling such as champion students, champion citizens, champion parents, and champion leaders in our communities. We need as many champions in this country as we can develop and I want to do my part,” said Coach Branstetter.

Wayne Branstetter – Head Coach Poway HS

“Coach Branstetter is a great coach and a better person,” said Wade Lair, President of the Poway Wrestling Foundation. Mr. Lair has been associated with Poway Wrestling and Coach Branstetter for nine years during the time when two of his sons wrestled for the legendary coach. Wrestling is one of the most difficult sports and I see it as excellent preparation for life after high school. I am pleased both of my sons learned championship lessons from Coach Branstetter while they wrestled,” said Lair.

“Coach Branstetter has been instrumental in my development as both a wrestler and person. The only person more influential in my life than Coach Branstetter is my dad,” said Chris Bailey a senior and leader on the Titan wrestling team. Bailey is a two time high school All American and wrestled in the Poway Elite kids program before entering Poway High School. Several Division I colleges are recruiting Bailey.

The Poway High School Wrestling Team has 40 League Championships, 33 CIF Titles, 33 Masters Championships, 4 State Titles (1986, 1999, 2005, 2009), 6 State Runner-up finishes, and 25 Top Five State Tournament Finishes. Individual Poway Wrestlers include 15 State Champions, 18x State Runners-up, 103x State Medalists, 303x State Qualifiers, 125x Masters Champions, and 195x CIF Champions

Poway High School is a four-year secondary school in southern California accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges

15500 Espola Road

Poway, CA 92064

The Poway Wrestling Foundation supports wrestling in Poway, California by sponsoring the Poway Slammers kids wrestling club and serving as the booster club for the Poway High School wrestling team.

Poway Wrestling Foundation

P.O. Box 1234

Poway, CA 92074