Dr. Eldon Faine, a state wrestling champion for the Fort Dodge Dodgers in 1942, died last Saturday.

He was 98 years old.

Faine, who lived in Webster City and had a long-time chiropractic business, was a teammate of Fort Dodge legend Bill Koll. He was the Dodgers’ 28th state champ, taking the title at 129 pounds under legendary head coach Fred Cooper. Koll had captured gold the previous season at 135.

In an exerpt from the late Dan McCool’s book, Reach For The Stars: The Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament, Faine was quoted as saying he started wrestling after attending the 1939 state meet in Fort Dodge.

“I tihnk it was like everybody else, I was small and the only sport I think I could have done good in was wrestling,” Faine said. “I thought I was pretty good in junior high, so they sent me up to the high school and who do I start wrestling with but Bill Koll.”

Faine added that Koll “was very determined. He never eased up. He never goofed off and he was always serious and going full-blast all the time. He was an introverted type of guy –kind of a loner. He didn’t run around, drink or smoke.