Story by Dan Bly
& Oran Sorenson
This last weekend at the state wrestling tournament in Rapid City, ten new deserving faces of South Dakota wrestling were added to the South Dakota High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. One of those was former Garretson standout Doug Rinken, who has spent many years now in Sioux Falls.
Rinken wrestled for Garretson from 1976-78, finishing sixth his junior year and earning the championship title at 105 lbs., which was the second of twelve weight classes, his senior year. He continued wrestling at Dakota State thereafter for two years. Doug coached middle and high school wrestling while at Canton and later Sioux Falls Washington under Marc Murren.
Besides coaching the sport he loved for 36 years, Doug served as a board member of the South Dakota High School Coaches Association from 2007-19. Rinken also has been the director for various tournaments throughout the years and has earned many coaching awards including but not limited to Wrestling Coach of the Year multiple times, the 25-year coaching award, as well as an Appreciation Award for Dedicated Service. Doug and his wife Jan have four children, Gretchen, Ben, Jed, and Ian, and have also been blessed with eleven grandchildren.
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Former teammates Dan Bly and Mike McPadden said of Rinken, “Doug was a hard worker as well as an important part of Garretson wrestling success during our high school years. For instance, he helped us win the Region title in 1977 and helped us finish fifth in the State B finals that year.” Rinken’s title helped the Blue Dragon team coached by Al Bowar also finish fifth the following year.
Doug’s entire family was involved in the sport. Sister Deb was one of Garretson’s first ever wrestling cheerleaders in 1970. His older brother Mike was a state runner up when Garretson finished second in the state in 1975. Rinken also had two younger brothers Paul and Joe who wrestled a few years later. Paul would finish with the fourth-place medal in 1984. Doug’s wife Jan is the daughter of Madeline and the late Dennis Hoven, who also had family members quite involved in the sport of wrestling while at Garretson High School.
Rinken is the fourth Garretson wrestler to be inducted into the Wrestling HOF as well as their coach Al Bowar. At least four wrestlers since have met what most believe to be sufficient criteria as well as more recent coaches who will one day also be honored.
