Inductees

David started his wrestling career as a 95 lb. freshman in 1956 at Sterling Township High School in Sterling, Illinois, wrestling for IWCOA Hall of Fame coach Homer Musgrove. A 4-year letterman, Kreider qualified twice for the State Finals, placing 5th in his senior year. He was inducted into the Sterling Township High School Hall of Fame in 1998 for 27 years of wrestling contributions in high school, college and coaching.

Kreider received a wrestling scholarship to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from 1960-1964. He was a 3-year varsity letterman, coached by National Wrestling Hall of Fame Coach Ken Kraft. In 1963, David was 2nd at 123 lbs. in the inaugural Ken Kraft Midlands Tournament. He was co-captain of the 1964 team and won the Studeville Award for scoring the most team points. He was 4th in the Big Ten Conference that year while also earning a Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award.

He also received Northwestern’s Kranz Award for Outstanding Senior Male Student of the Year in Physical Education in 1964. After earning his BS Degree at Northwestern, David went to the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona as a Graduate Assistant earning his Masters of Education Degree in 1965. He began his coaching career at the University of Arizona as assistant wrestling coach for National Hall of Fame Member Bill Nelson. David began his high school coaching career in Blythe, California as the varsity wrestling coach at Palo Verde High School from 1965-1966. In 1966 he moved to Brawley to serve as the assistant coach with Jack Gifford, another of tonight’s NWHOF inductees.

From 1971-1975, Kreider became the varsity coach at Brawley, winning three league championships during that tenure. His assistant coaches, Jon Talbott and Drew Williams, went on to have NWHOF careers as coaches at San Diego Mira Mesa and Porterville’s Manache High Schools respectively. The next move took David to Monte Vista High School in San Diego County’s Spring Valley. He served as assistant coach with NWHOF member Bill Clauder there from 1975-1983. David is still active in the wrestling community, serving as the Secretary for the California Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame since 2010. He has enjoyed 36 years of non-consecutive service to wrestling.