Pingleton enshrined in Wrestling Hall of Fame

Upon being enshrined in the IHSWCA Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame on Sunday, former Greencastle High School wrestler Charlie Pingleton (center) is congratulated by former Tiger Cub assistant coach Danny Struck (left) and GHS principal and former head wrestling coach Russ Hesler.

Courtesy photo

CARMEL — A two-time state runner-up as a high schooler and later a national champion in college, Greencastle High School graduate Charlie Pingleton entered the IHSWCA Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Pingleton was joined at the Hall of Fame Banquet at Jonathan Byrd’s Event Center by his high school coach Russ Hesler as well as former assistant coach Danny Struck.

As a Tiger Cub, Pingleton was a two-time state runner-up, two-time semi-state champion, two-time regional champion and four-time sectional champion. He was also a four-time WCC and Putnam County champion.

During his high school career, Pingleton had 165 wins with only nine losses, going 54-1 as a senior.

At the collegiate level, Pingleton wrestled at the University of Indianapolis, where he twice earned All-American status.

He then transferred to Lindsey Wilson College, where he became the program’s first-ever individual national champion after winning the 157-pound bracket at the 2011-12 NAIA National Championships.

Pingleton finished as an NAIA All-American and the program’s first Mid-South Conference Wrestler of the Year that season, as well as a First-Team All-MSC selection.

Pingleton then joined the Blue Raider coaching ranks as an assistant for two years. He helped guide Lindsey Wilson to back-to-back fifth-place finishes at the 2012-13 and 2013-14 NAIA national championships.

In his time on the staff, Pingleton helped coach 10 NAIA All-Americans, an MSC Wrestler of the Year, 11 all-conference selections, including nine first-team members, a trio of NAIA National Wrestlers of the Week, three NAIA Scholar-Athletes and six Academic All-MSC honorees.

In 2014 Pingleton took the reins as the head coach of the Greencastle High School Tiger Cubs, where he revitalized the program until health issues forced him to step down.

“We have always known Charlie Pingleton has a Hall of Fame character, now everyone knows that he is a member of the Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame as well,” Hesler, now GHS principal, said. “It is a well-deserved award for an outstanding young man and we could not be more proud of Charlie and his many accomplishments.”