Jason Christenson

2023 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Jason Christenson just wanted to prove that he belonged growing up in Anamosa, Iowa. It is safe to say he did just that, and much more during his 30 years of coaching high school wrestling. After his wrestling days were over at Iowa Central College, he spent six seasons as the head coach at Collins-Maxwell-Baxter. He started his coaching career with a 9-32 dual meet record but finished his last season at CMB with a 12-2 record. Jason then moved to Oskaloosa to be the head coach from 1997 to 2001. Finally, in 2001, he landed his dream job as head coach at Southeast Polk. “When the job was posted in the newspaper, my wife tossed it at me and told me to apply right away.”

In 2013, Christenson led his team to the championship podium, marking the first time in over 50 years that Southeast Polk had won a state championship. From that point on, the floodgates opened. Christenson retired as head coach at Southeast Polk in 2020.

During his legendary career, he compiled a 482-106-6 dual meet record. Christenson coached 186 state qualifiers, 127 place winners, and 25 state champions, including 9 state team titles (5 duals, 4 traditional), 6 team runner-up finishes (2 duals, 4 traditional), and 22 top-four team finishes.

He has coached 22 USA Wrestling National Champions and over 85 USA Wrestling All-Americans, including 45 Fargo All-Americans and 7 Fargo Champions. His athletes have found success beyond high school, with 9 Division I All-Americans, including National Champion Cory Clark.

Christenson was named Iowa USA Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2001, 2010, and 2012; IWCOA Class 3A Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2012; USA Wrestling National Developmental Coach of the Year in 2007; and the recipient of the USA Wrestling “Chuck Elvin Award” in 2014. He was also honored as the Des Moines Register All-Iowa Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2016, NWCA National Scholastic Coach of the Year in 2019, and IWCOA Coach of the Year in 2019. In 2020, he received the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lifetime Service Award.

The Christenson family legacy has run strong for many years and will continue. Jason and his father, Denny, were the second father-son duo to coach state title-winning teams in Iowa. The family has now sent four generations of wrestlers to the Iowa state wrestling tournament: Dennis (Jason’s grandfather) in 1942, Denny (Jason’s father) in 1965, Jason in 1987, and Gabe (Jason’s son) in 2017.

Christenson credits his coaching success to outstanding assistant coaches, hardworking student-athletes, and strong community support. “Having assistant coaches who were selfless and took the time with the JV, what we called ‘Jeff’s Varsity’ is what made us successful at Southeast Polk.”

Jason Christenson was inducted into the 2023 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame with Ken Gallagher, Dan McCool, and Cliff Moore.