LIFETIME SERVICE TO WRESTLING

1970-1973 Blaine High School  

1973-1998 Medical Lake High School  

Mike Carr began his wrestling career at Davis High School in Yakima and then continued wrestling at Whitworth College.  He earned All-American honors, placing second in 1969, becoming Whitworth College’s first and only All-American wrestler. Carr was also a starting lineman for the Whitworth football team. He was named a Who’s Who of College Football in the United States in 1969. Mike placed 7th at the 1972 Olympic Trials. 

After graduation, Carr began teaching and coaching at Blaine High School, helping to start their wrestling program. In 1973 he moved to Medical Lake High School as a teacher and coach.  At Medical Lake he taught World and US History for 38 years and was the head wrestling coach for 25 years. His wrestling teams compiled a 252-130-7 dual meet record, won 10 league championships, ten district championships and four regional titles. His teams placed in the top 10 at state eight times winning the state championship in 1992, the only title for the school in all sports at that time. He coached 67 state placers and six state champions. 

Coach Carr started the little kids wrestling program in Medical Lake and assisted the Mat Maulers program in gaining access to the wrestling room at the High School. Carr was also very active beyond the wrestling room where he spent over twenty years as a football official and several years as a youth baseball coach. He was also an assistant football coach for 5 years and assistant baseball coach for 12 years at Medical Lake High School. In the Medical Lake community, he served as president of the Founders Day and the Medical Lake Float Association and was a member of the local Kiwanis Club. He helped start the annual Easter Egg Hunt in the 1980’s, a program he is very proud to say still happens each year in Medical Lake.

Coach Carr credits much of Medical Lake’s wrestling success to his assistant coach Larry Peterson, where together they made a positive impact on many of their wrestlers, teaching them the love of the sport which is shown by several former Medical Lake wrestlers becoming head coaches today. 

Carr has earned numerous honors for his contributions in education. He was chosen by the Yakima Herald as one of the 100 people from the valley who made a difference over the years going back to William O. Douglas. He was selected as the League wrestling Coach of the Year several times and was inducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005. He also was inducted into the Medical Lake High School Hall of Fame for coaching in 2012.

Mike and his wife, Helen, have been married for 55 years and continue to reside in Medical Lake. They have three adult children, Michelle (53), Allison (50) and Aaron (43). They are also proud grandparents to eight grandchildren: Anthony, Aramis, Emmett, Kaitlyn, Kayden, Serenity, Trenton and Elliott.