1. sports
2. wrestling

The Guillotine • April 17, 2015
F
Page 5
ew communities in Minnesota can match their sustained our tournaments.”
say about you? What influences did you leave on people’s lives
excellence, the footprint they have placed on the world of
In the room, the coaches try to keep the practices high tempo.
and on the program?”
wrestling or their success both domestically and internationally.
“We want kids to come into practice looking forward to practice,”
Finding those kinds of student athletes who are solid on and
Few communities can match Anoka’s wrestling history. If you don’t said the head coach. “We work on being mentally tough. We call off the mat has never been a problem for Springer’s program. He
believe the claim, just walk into the Tornadoes’ wrestling room. ourselves the Anoka Brawlers. We want to wrestle that brawler has had a lot of help.
At Anoka High School, wrestling history is not only made in that style. We want to be aggressive, we want to be attacking.”
“I think I am the luckiest guy around for that aspect. Our head
room, it is immortalized
Over the years, Anoka principal – Mike Farley - has a wrestling background. He is sending
on its walls.
has developed a good tilt me guys all the time. The support I get from him and the adminThe man who has
series.
istration is huge. He is my big recruiter. I also think I have a great
been in charge of keeping
“We are getting known relationship with our head football coach – Jeff Buerkle. He was a
Anoka wrestling at the
for a tilt series, cross wrist. wrestling coach in Texas before coming here. He and I have a very
high standard it is and has
We do a dive tilt series. We good working relationship. He realizes the benefits that his football
been for the past thirteen
call it the Iowa State bar players get from wrestling. In turn, I don’t cross those boundaries
seasons is Todd Springer.
arm series on top. From for football players that want to wrestle in the fall. We’ve got a good
A native of Anoka, the
our feet, we are a head- understanding to share sports. We all want three-sport athletes.”
leader of the Tornadoes
pounding high-c kind of
That relationship tends to work out. Springer has gone to the
wrestling team started his
team.”
football field before and turned guys into wrestlers. One notable
By Brian Jerzak
athletic career not on the
Like all programs, success story was state champion Jake Kettler who came right
mat, but on the ice.
Springer and his staff off the football field with very little wrestling experience. This
“I grew up as a hockey
stress their wrestlers are year Springer went to Berkley earlier because he knew he would
player,” Springer said. “My dad was an organizer of Anoka hockey not only good on the mat, but good in the classroom. The Tornadoes have a hole near the top of his lineup. Berkley suggested Hunter
and he helped build the first ice arena in Anoka. My sister played have had success in the classroom that can go toe to toe with any Wallace who had never wrestled before but has been the team’s
hockey, but going into eighth grade I went to an Anoka police program in the state.
starting 182 pounder.
federation wrestling clinic – which we still run today – and after
“We try to get these kids to be good people – not just in the
From the extreme of guys who have never wrestled to guys who
that I fell in love with wrestling. It wasn’t far from being a goalie. wrestling room. We have great students. Ever since I have been wrestle all the time is a group of kids Anoka is familiar. With the
You are on a team, but you are still an individual back there and here we have never dropped below a 3.0 team grade point aver- freestyle and Greco roots of the town, Springer thinks it depends
take a lot of responsibility for your team’s success. I was drawn age. We have had some great academic success. We tell them you on the kid and how much offseason wrestling each kid should do.
into the physical aspect and the mental toughness of wrestling.”
never know when you are going to be done wrestling. You could
“There are those special athletes – the Jake Deitchlers, the
Starting so late, Springer started at the bottom but quickly moved have that injury tomorrow, just like I did in college and then what Brandon Paulsons – who are just going to do one sport. That is
up the hierarchy of Anoka wrestling.
are you going to do? What do you want people to look back and fine. For the average wrestler, I get more out of that athlete if they
“A volunteer assistant coach took note of me – Doug
participate in something else to just get away from it.
Paulson [father of Olympian Brandon Paulson]. Still to
Wrestling is such a grind physically and mentally on the
this day Doug volunteers at Anoka. He took me aside he
kids. So to just get away doesn’t harm them at all.”
said, ‘I watched you from the beginning to the end of the
Helping kids with that balance takes a dedicated group
season. I see a lot of potential.’ My son is in eighth grade
of men. It takes a group that is familiar with the landscape.
and I have seen Doug pull him aside and give the exact
Springer, sticking with his original philosophy of hiring
same speech he gave me thirty years ago . . . ‘you’ve
assistants who are smarter than he is, has given his coaches
got to get a hundred matches in during the summer and
a lot of freedom.
these are the tournaments you need to be in. This is what
“Lucas Murray (son of Tim and former Anoka state
is going to make you a champion.’”
champion) has been with me since 2007. He is my head
Springer’s dad was a traveling salesman so he couldn’t
technician. Doug Paulson is probably the best technician
bring young Todd to many tournaments, but Paulson saw
in the state.”
something in Todd and brought him around to many of
Next season Springer has a solid nucleus coming back.
the big youth tournaments and let him work out on mats
Hunter Deleon is a returning captain. Jeremy Rodman was
the Paulson family had at the house. Doug and Todd’s
ranked at 220 as well as Jesse Heifort at heavyweight. At
commitment paid off the following year. A well-rounded
the front of the lineup, Calvin Germinaro-Nahring will
wrestler who feels his strength was on his feet; Springer
be a junior and Tyler Eischens – who Springer refers to
was a three-year starter for Anoka and won a state chamas ‘a little beast’ - will be a sophomore.
pionship in 1989.
Anoka High School has a long history of high-level
Springer went on to wrestle at Southwest Minnesota
wrestling. It is a lot for the kids and the coaching staff to
State. As a sophomore, he qualified for the national tourlive up to. Instead of the pressure of the past paralyzing the
nament, but injuries shortly after ended his competitive
Tornadoes’ program, Anoka has thrived off of it. Walking
Photo by Mark Beshey
wrestling career. It did not end his desire to continue in
into the wrestling room with all that history on the walls
Assistant Coaches Doug Paulson and Lucas Murray, and Head Coach continues to keep Anoka’s wrestlers motivated to make
the sport.
A volunteer as a young man with Special Olympics, Todd Springer congratulate Tyler Eischens after his semifinal win at this their own mark and make their own spot on the wall.
he knew helping kids with special needs was something season’s State Tournament.
he wanted to continue. He also knew he wanted to stay
involved in wrestling, but he could not have foreseen how
quickly it came.
11th Annual
An assistant under Roger Rowbotham – who ran the camp
that originally exposed Springer to the sport – for just two years,
Rowbotham decided to make Springer his co-head coach.
“I had coached freestyle down at Southwest State for a year and
was mentored by Ron Malcolm as a wrestler and Roger Rowbotham
as a coach,” said the special education and varsity wrestling coach.
“I think many head coaches will say you hire assistant coaches that
Concordia College - Moorhead, MN
are better than you and I have had some unbelievable assistants
who are much better technicians than I am. They are much better
2015 World Class Staff
than me in different areas so that helped me get up to speed and
helped get us to where we are at now.”
Luke Becker
Brandon Eggum
Logan Storley
Asst. Coach U of M
Asst. Coach U of M
3X NCAA All-American
The Anoka program rarely has what someone would consider
2X NCAA Champion
World Silver Medalist
2X Jr. Freestyle Alla down year and that was the case for Springer when he took over
4X All-American
3X All-American
American
the program. He did, however, have to revamp the coaching staff.
2X Big Ten Champion
2X Big Ten Champion
Jr. Hodge Winner
“Most of the coaches left. I had to find some young, excited
3X MN State Champ
6X SD State Champ
coaches. That was a huge benefit,” said Springer. “My entire staff
Nick Dardanes
Chris Dardanes
Scott Schiller
is alumni.”
NCAA All-American
2X NCAA All-American
2X NCAA All-American
Although the Anoka fans are realistic and very knowledgeable
2X Illinios State Champ
Illinios State Champ
3X ND State Champ
wrestling fans, the wrestling history in the community has its posi2X Jr. Freestyle AllJr. Freestyle All-American
Jr. Freestyle All-American
tive and negative sides.
American
“I know every coach says this, but we have the best fans in the
world,” said the former state champion. “We’ve got great parents
who make my job so much easier. They realize we are in Section
Camps Special Features • 1 Coach attend free w/ each team of 10 • Daily Team and Individual Competition • Concordia
7AAA and they know it is a real grind.”
Wrestlers stay in dorms • Weight Training Instruction • Commuters welcome at discount savings • Laundry will be washed
“(The history) weighs heavy on me,” said Springer, “but it moonce daily • Full time certified athletic trainer on duty • All-you-can-eat meals • 2-3 schools may combine to form a team •
tivates me. It is my job to maintain and continue the tradition. It
Individuals welcome (will be placed on teams) • Receive one-on-one coaching • Only camp to offer nightly coaches on the
makes me a better coach just knowing what level is expected from
mat session • Promotes team unity and character building • Awards to top teams and individuals • Free camp T-shirt
the alumni and the community. Everything has to be first class.”
First class is a phrase one could use for the Anoka wrestling
2015 COBBER COACHING STAFF
Sample Daily Schedule
room. When Springer took over, he made it a point of making sure
Matt Nagel
Phil Moenkedick
7:30-8:30 Breakfast
every kid who walks into the room knows about the tradition he is
Head Wrestling Coach
Assistant Wrestling Coach
responsible for upholding.
9:00-10:30 Technique
• 5-Time High School State Champion
• 4X NCAA Div. III National Qualifier
“I kind of had a blank canvas in our wrestling room,” said Springer.
10:30 Competition for All-Camp team
• 3-Time NCAA Qualifier
• 3X NCAA National Finalist
“I got the idea from Augsburg. They have their history displayed
and Iron Man Competition
• NCAA All-American 2005
• 2X NCAA National Champion
with pictures and everything else. I spent the first couple of years
11:30 Lunch
getting all the individual state champions on the walls – pictures
• 3-Time Junior Greco National Champion
• 3X Academic All-American
1:00-3:00 Technique Session
and everything else. It reeks in here of excitement. Who wants to
• Fila Junior Greco Champion
3:00-4:00 Dual Meets, Team Games
get the big picture on the wall and be the next state champion?”
• U of Minnesota Graduate Assistant
5:30 Dinner
Springer has a couple of theories as to how Anoka wrestling
• Coached 2 yrs at St. Michael-Albertville
6:30-8:30 Dual Meets
was able to build such a tradition.
• Coached 13 All-Americans and 2 National Champions
Camp will also feature Cobber
9:00-10:00 Free Time (movies, games)
“We were one of the first schools in Anoka Hennepin. At the
• Coached 5 Consecutive top 15 team finishes at
wrestlers that will mentor and
Dodge ball tournament
time Coon Rapids wasn’t built, Champlin Park wasn’t here. It is a
NCAA Championships
coach teams and individuals
11:00 Lights Out
great hotbed of good hard working, blue collar people. Ron Malcolm
• 2014 West Region Coach of the Year
throughout the camp. *Concordia Fitness Center Open Daily
was here for over thirty years. That has been such a huge thing for
• 2014 Member of the Minnesota Wrestling Hall of
1-10 ratio of coaches to wrestlers.
6:00 am-10:00 pm
Fame
us – the consistency in coaches. The last fifty years we have had
three coaches. That consistency in knowing that style – we haven’t
changed that much. We’ve evolved over time, but we are still doing
Be a part of the Concordia Tradition and Attend Cobber Wrestling Team Camp 2015
the Anoka style of wrestling.”
“Teamwork
is the ability to work together toward a common vision, the ability to direct individual accomplishment
Consistency has also been a hallmark of the feeder program.
toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
“Tim Murray is our head youth wrestling coach. He has been
with us for twenty years,” said Springer. “We get people from all
TO RECEIVE AN APPLICATION OR TO ASK QUESTIONS REGARDING CAMP PLEASE CONTACT:
over the place who want to be coached by Tim Murray. He is kind
Matt Nagel-Camp Director • Office: 218-299-4433 • Cell: 612-396-8749 • email: mnagel@cord.edu or
of the pinnacle of why our youth is so strong. Our youth is so close
Online
registration is preferred www.cobberwrestlingcamp.com - REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE ON JUNE 5TH
to the high school. We help with their tournaments, they help with
Tradition So Thick It Is
Written On The Walls
Anoka Wrestling
Concordia College
Team Wrestling Camp
June 14-18, 2015