Hall of Fame

Ben Imdieke-Linton-HMB

Dan Imdieke-Linton-HMB

Curt Kittelson-Velva

Ben was a four sport athlete for Linton High School, graduating in 2004 with a 3.9 GPA. He wrestled varsity all 6 years under the direction of his coaches Dan Imdieke, Kevin Oien, and Bruce Hase. Ben placed all 6 years, taking 5th, 4th, and four state titles in a row. Ben has a career record of 223-21 and won 93 matches in a row. At the time of his graduation Ben had the state record for wins in a row and most career wins. Ben was also voted Class B Mr. Wrestler in 2004.

Ben was an all-state football player and played on 3 state championship football teams.

Ben wrestled for one year at the University of Mary, qualifying for nationals, and two more years at NDSU. After college wrestling Ben turned to coaching. He was an assistant coach for five years at West Fargo High School where he helped them win 2 individual and 4 dual team state championships.

Ben graduated from NDSU with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and later completed graduate school in Wisconsin. Ben, Shelby, and Clare live in Bismarck where Ben works as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Ben has been married to his wife Shelby for 5 years. They have a 1 year old daughter, Clare.

Dan graduated from Sauk Centre High School (Minnesota) in 1971 and Jamestown College in 1976.

He was a teacher and coach for the following 40 years all at Linton High School. He served as head wrestling coach all 40 years and 39 years as head football coach until he retired in 2016.

His teams have placed 1st or 2nd 12 times in tough region 1. Dan had 176 region finalists and was region coach of the year 7 times. Dan had 258 state qualifiers, 147 state placers, 37 state finalists, and 22 state champions. His teams placed in the top 10 at state 14 times and placed 2nd six times. Dan was named state coach of the year 3 times. His wresting teams have over 400 dual and multi-team events wins. Dan also holds the North Dakota High School record for most career wins as football coach with 326 wins.

Dan was inducted into the North Dakota High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013 and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016.

Dan has been married to his wife Cathy for 36 years, they have 3 children. Daughter Vanessa and her husband Derek Lennick, their children are Lane, Piper, and Lennick #3 in May. Son Ben and his wife Shelby, Clare is their 1 year old daughter and son Danny.

Curt Kittelson was raised south of Velva North Dakota on a wheat and cattle farm along with two older brothers, Cy and Cary. His brothers, who both wrestled for the Velva Aggies in the 60’s and 70’s, were a huge influence not only in wrestling, but football and baseball. Curt started wrestling in the Velva wrestling program in 1977, and in 1979 his brother Cy became the assistant coach for the Aggies, by 1982, as an eighth grader, he had already qualified for state at the Jamestown Civic center in the 155# weight class, where that year, the Aggies took third under head coach Mike Norland. In 1983, as a freshman, Curt once again qualified for state in the 155# weight class placing 5th gradually moving towards the upper ranks. As a sophomore in 1984, he made the trip once again to Jamestown, where he place 3rd at 155# and helped the Aggies win their 4th state championship. In 1985 and 1986, Curt helped lead the ”Aggies” win two more state championships becoming the first team in class B ever to win six team titles, he went on to be undefeated those two years with individual state titles in the 167# weight class.

Curt attended Minot State University where he graduated with a BA in the Arts, and married Karen Houim in 1990. They have three wonderful children, Austyn, Collin, and Adrianna, and two grandchildren, and currently live in Velva. Curt’s love for wrestling has been carried down through the family name, he shares his success with many of his cousins, nephews, and sons who all wrestled for the Aggies in the following years.

Jim Martinson-Bismarck Century

Bryan Mueller-Hillsboro

Michael Nord-Lisbon

Jim Martinson was a three-time college All-American after attending Bismarck Century High School. At Century, Martinson placed 3rd and 2nd at the North Dakota state tournament. He was a two-time Bismarck Rotary wrestling champion and held several school records.

Jim then attended Bismarck Junior College where he was a Region 13 runner-up and champion. In 1983, he placed 5th in the country to earn his first All-American honor. Jim continued his career at the University of North Dakota, where he was a North Central Conference runner-up and champion. In 1985 he was the NCAA Division II runner up, the first finalist in school history. He added a second All-American honor at UND the next season. Jim was also a 4-time Academic All-American. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of North Dakota and also Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota, School of Dentistry. He thanks his past coaches, teachers, and teammates for his successes.

Currently, Jim is a dentist in Bismarck. He has three children and two grandchildren. His oldest daughter was a North Dakota High School Rodeo Queen and his younger daughter and son are standout hockey players. Jim is being inducted by John Welder and Jeff Schumacher.

Bryan Mueller’s passion for the sport of wrestling began at a young age. As a youngster in Hillsboro under Coach Paul Geray, he finished his elementary career with a 76-0 record.

For the Burros, he was a six time state participant, 4 time region champion and 4 time state semifinalist finishing 6th in 1994 and 1995 due to injury default. He capped his junior and senior seasons on a 68 match win streak with 65 of the wins by pin and Hillsboro’s first two-time state champion. His 42 match pin streak placed him 3rd nationally for high school records. Mueller finished his high school career with a 171-26 record, the state pin record of 141 career pins, most pins at 160 lbs. (31) and 171 lbs. (33) and was named the Class B Co-Mr. Wrestler in 1997. During his prep career at Hillsboro he had the privilege of having been coached and mentored by ND Wrestling Hall of Famers, Ron Gadberry, Mark McLean and Joel Vettel.

Bryan continued his wrestling career for the North Dakota State University Bison. At NDSU, Mueller was a member of the 1998, 2000 & 2001 National Champion Bison wrestling teams at 184 lbs. and National Qualifier at 197 lbs. in 2000. He was a Team captain and Academic All- American for the Bison as well.

Today, Bryan fuels his passion for Agriculture as a Grain Terminal Manager for West Central Ag Services and farms near Hillsboro. His greatest accomplishment is his beautiful wife Lisa, and wonderful kids, Owen, Kendall & Kash.

Michael Nord grew up and graduate from Enderlin but wrestled for Lisbon from 2006-11. He was a 4 time state champion (2007-2009, 2001) and 1time runner-up (2010) for Lisbon. Michael ended his high school career record with 227 - 18 and held a 94 consecutive match win streak. Michael ended up holding 2 most pins by weight class at 135 and 152 and was one pin away from tying the most career pins in class B. He was also won Mr. Wrestler in 2011. He won USA National Folkstyle Championship in 2009 and took 4th in USA National Greco-Roman the same year. He was a part of the usa Freestyle and Greco-Roman national team for 2006-11.

Michael continued wrestling at the college level for University of Jamestown were he went 103-27 and becoming a three time NAIA National qualifier and two time ALL-American placing 2nd and 8th. Michael credits his wrestling success to his coaches, family and teammates.

Bob Owens-Hettinger

Jerry Rudolph-Stanley

Casey Schweitzer-West Fargo High

Bob Owens got his start in wrestling as being one of Don Klostrick's kids at Minot High School. This is where the love of the sport started and continues today as he watches his grandchildren compete in the sport and learn only the lessons that the sport of wrestling brings to individual wrestlers and family members.

Bob graduated from Minot State College in 1970 and took his first coaching position at Kenmare High School. During his time at Kenmare he saw great growth in the sport of wrestling and the start of the Kenmare Wrestling Tournament that is one of the oldest continuing wrestling tournaments in the state.

Bob also coached in Plentywood, Montana and Hettinger, North Dakota. During these years of coaching he was fortunate to coach a number of champions and state placers. The thing that Bob most remembers is the relationship with those he coached and the families that he was involved in.

In 1979 on a challenge Bob was told that play by play wrestling action could not be done. On a whim he did it through the help of KNDC radio in Hettinger, North Dakota and it became well received by wrestling fans across the state. Prior to this time people would just call in reports of dual or tournament results. In 1980 Bob started full time calling play by play wrestling with color man Bruce Daugherty and in later years after Bruce went on to the eastern part of the state. Gerald Seamonds stepped in as the new color man and after Bob moved to Devils Lake, Gerald did his own play by play action for Hettinger for many years after.

Wrestling play by play started small but each year saw growth and people who after seeimg it done decided to take the challenge on themselves and today many radio stations call play by play wrestling action. In many state tournaments alone Bob and Bruce and Gerald covered a number of athletes and as they came up for their match at the state tournment. We would be calling the local radio station and they would break in from regular programing and broadcast the call of the match. These intern would be broadcast over the school intercom system. Bob and Bruce and Gerald received many thank you's for making the match special for many wresting fans.

Bob has always been a part of North Dakota wrestling being the President of the Hettinger Wrestling Boosters, Devils Lake Wrestling Boosters and PA announcer for the East West Wrestling Tournament in New Salem for many years. One of Bob's greatest pleasures is to have his two sons involved in promotion of the sport through being coaches in Hillsboro and Bismarck.

Bob and his wife Sue are proud parents of three children, Robert and Ann Owens family of Hillsboro, Melissa and Kelvin Anderson family of Denver Colorado and Scott and Laura Owens family of Bismarck. Bob and Sue have 10 grandchildren, 5 boys and 5 girls. Bob and Sue are retired and living in Mandan, North Dakota.

Jerry graduated from Stanley High School and then attended Minot State where he played football and earned his B.S. degree and entered the field of education. He returned to Stanley following his graduation to begin his teaching and coaching career. Stanley did not have a wrestling program until Coach Rudolph started one. He contacted Dean Bachmeier, the head wrestling coach for the Minot State Beavers, who provide Jerry with great advice and introduced him to books on wrestling where he could begin to learn the sport.

Jerry not only learned the sport, but developed one of the best Class B wrestling programs in NW North Dakota. Over the years, Jerry’s teams produced numerous state champions and place winners. Wrestlers from Stanley were known for their toughness, aggressiveness and skill. Under Coach Rudolph’s leadership, the Stanley Invitational Tournament was organized and the school hosted numerous regional wrestling tournaments.

Wrestling was a family affair as Jerry’s two daughters were wrestling cheerleaders, his two sons both wrestled for the Blue Jays and his wife was the most avid wrestling fan in the town.

Jerry is thankful for all of the parents, fans and wrestlers over the years that made Blue Jay wrestling so special. Jerry was also blest with many great assistant coaches over the years.

Casey Schweitzer was an NAIA National Champion for Valley City State University in 1990. Originally from West Fargo, Casey was a four-time state placer for the Packers, placing 4th, 3rd, 5th and 2nd during his high school career. He was also a four-time EDC finalist, winning that title in 1987. He finished his high school career with a 102-28 record.

Casey flourished at VCSU, amassing a 112-26 college career mark while winning the NDCAC Conference Championship all four years. He was the District 12 Regional Champion in 1990. In addition to his 1990 National Championship, Casey also earned All-American honors in 1989, placing 4th. It’s very likely he would have earned his third All-American honor and possibly another National Championship in 1991, but he was injured in the first period of his opening match. Despite winning his first two matches, he had to default out of the rest of the tournament. Casey was inducted into the VCSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

Upon completion of his competition years in 1991, Schweitzer remained as an assistant coach at Valley City State under Jim Makovsky for two seasons. Graduating in 1993 with a double major in Health and Physical Education, Schweitzer enjoyed a successful teaching and coaching career that would span 17 years. Schweitzer currently resides in Wyoming with his wife Tina and their five children.

1995 Bismarck Century Patriots