Tom Bloom

"Doom" has carried that nickname since Bob Cordts, a fellow Madison wrestler and now head cross country coach at Madison High School, hung it on Bloom. "Bob was always good for nicknames," says Bloom. "Mine was `Doom' and it's one of the big things about my high school athletic career that sticks out."Bloom earned the nickname by wrestling his way to a 30-3 record and a fourth place in his senior 1986 season in the tough heavyweight division. He finished his career at 76-24, capped off by being the first recipient of the Westberg Pin Award at the '86 state tournament. "Before the last match every night, it always seemed like our duels were ties, and that's when Madison fans started chanting `D-o-o-m'," said Bloom. Bloom was a standout letter-winner in football and field events in track, being a three-sport letter-winner from his sophomore year on. He was also an All-Stater in football and a State A Meet qualifier in the shot put as a senior, which figured in his most valuable athlete honor just before graduation. According to Bloom, Dale Waba and John Collignon shaped him as both a scholar and an athlete. "Dale instilled in me the desire to be a dedicated, hard worker as a student first and then an athlete," said Bloom. "I really respect and owe a lot to Dale for all he did for me as a kid. His values and beliefs stuck with me now in my adult life." As for Collignon, Bloom said, "John was an influence in many students' lives. He was a father figure as well as a coach to me and many people. John was a true coach. He showed all of us the importance of sportsmanship. He didn't emphasize the importance of winning as much as he did about execution, letting the winning take care of itself." Bloom admits he needed all of those positive lessons as a wrestler and football player. "I had good success in wrestling, but it didn't come without dedication, from pee-wee wrestling and up the ranks," said Bloom. "I got a butt-kicking as a pee-wee wrestling for Dale. I remember many years without success as a wrestler. I guess it paid off with sticking to it. ``In football, I remember getting educated really fast. As a sophomore, I started at center playing against Yankton when we were still in the ESD. They killed us that particular night." "Doom" went on and became a three-year starter for the Jackrabbits at SDSU in Brookings, earning All-NCC football honors his senior year as a tackle. "I had a lot of good matchups," said Bloom. "I played against guys like Phil Hansen, who later played with the NFL's Buffalo Bills."