By Larry Scott, MSUM Staff
The hits just keep coming for Nate Hendrickson.
Thirteen years ago the Menagha native climbed aboard the victory stand at the Bison Sports Arena in Fargo, ND to celebrate the culmination of a most remarkable junior season, a crusade that emblazoned his name in national headlines.
Indeed, Hendrickson put a dramatic exclamation mark on a marvelous campaign by running the table to win the 167-pound title at the 1997 NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships at North Dakota State University. Hendrickson exited as the only unbeaten Division II wrestler in 1996-97 with a spotless 28-0 ledger, and NCAA II coaches also decorated him with the prestigious Outstanding Wrestler award.
A four-time All-American, Hendrickson was enshrined in the Dragon Hall of Fame in 2008. Now, another significant coronation awaits.
Hendrickson is among eight individuals who will be inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in mid-March. The induction will take place in Omaha, Neb. at Anthony’s Steakhouse preceding the start of the 48th annual NCAA II National Championships hosted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Hendrickson’s induction is certain to rekindle memories of that special season, and he admits his appreciation for the national title has grown.
“It probably means more now,” said Hendrickson. “As you get older, you realize that to go undefeated and win the national title, everything just had to fall in place. It means a lot; it’s a pretty cool thing when I look back on it.”
“It was definitely a relief when I won,” Hendrickson confessed. “Oh, I was happy, but I was happiest for my coaches and my family; I liked that the most. My mom and dad had been to so many state and national championships, and none of us brothers had ever won a title.”
His heroics lifted MSU Moorhead to 11th on the final team standings, MSUM’s best finish since a fifth place
run at the 1969 NCAA II tournament. Hendrickson was named All-American for a third straight year and became the first Dragon to win a national title since Frank Mosier copped an NAIA crown in 1967.
“It’s a dream come true and I’m happy to be part of it,” Hendrickson explained to reporters following the finals. “I’m happy for the university and (to be) its first national champion in 30 years. For the most part I wasn’t worried about the record. When you go out and wrestle not to lose, that’s when you get beat. I tried to put that aside.”
Following a 7-3 victory over Kevin Allison of Chadron (Neb.) State in the opening round, Hendrickson weathered a pair of sticky overtime matches to reach the finals. He outlasted North Dakota State’s Brett Svendsen 4-2 in a sudden death battle of wills, and dispatched of Tim Pomfret of Ashland (Ohio) College, 1-1 TB, in the semifinals. Hendrickson removed any lingering drama with a quick start and thumped Jeron Quincy of Central Missouri State University 9-1 in the championship bout.
His trusted coach, John Sterner, wasn’t surprised by Hendrickson’s performance. “When it came down to crunch time in overtime, Nate didn’t panic. He took the bull by the horns and really showed his mental toughness. Nate changed his style when he had to.”
“He proved he’s number one,” said Sterner, following the championship match, “and his weight class was the toughest in the country, I really believe that. Nate’s unreal. He’s very sure of himself, but not arrogant, and he really showed his mental toughness. He sets realistic goals and achieves them. He’s certainly the most coachable wrestler I’ve ever had.”
Now, years later, Hendrickson still thinks often of his teammates and coaches. “I stay in contact with Sterner, Spencer (Yohe) and Keenan (Spiess),” said Hendrickson. “Sterner was the most positive coach I’ve ever been involved with. If you lost he would always point out the positives, and the negatives, too.”
“That’s something I try and do today,” said Hendrickson. “It’s easy to get frustrated, but I remind myself to stay positive. He’s just a great, great role model for all of us. Another thing, he was in his late 50s when he coached us but his ability to relate to people of my age back then was unbelievable. It takes a special person to do that.”
Arguably the greatest wrestler in Dragon history, Bucky Maughan also knows something about mental tenacity. A three-time national champion and NCAA Division I winner in 1963, Maughan had a front row seat to watch Hendrickson’s run and the NDSU head coach was impressed.
“I’m very happy for him,” said Maughan, following Hendrickson’s perfecto. “He looked great in the finals, and I told him he made a real believer out of me. I’m happy to see him lead MSU back to respectability on the national level. That’s what you need – a star – and others will follow him.”
A six-year starter and letterwinner at Menahga High School, Hendrickson placed third in the Minnesota State Class A Championships as a sophomore and senior, and fourth as a junior. He also built a remarkable prep record of 175-26-2, the fourth finest in Minnesota schoolboy history.
One of 12 children of parents Peter and Mary, Nate grew up on a 360-acre dairy farm and learned early about an honest day’s work. “Living on the farm, you get used to hard work. I took the same attitude into wrestling and it paid off. It was a good experience.”
A three-sport letterman at Menahga High, Hendrickson earned all-conference honors in football, wrestling and baseball, but wrestling was his passion. He earned four trips to the Minnesota State High School Championships with three top four finishes and exited with 175 lifetime victories, the fourth highest collection in Minnesota prep history. There were eight boys in the Hendrickson clan, and five--- Dave, Joel, Eric, Luke and Nate---wrestled all the way through. They combined for over 650 wins.
Hendrickson could surely have practiced his craft at a higher level, perhaps at such Division I strongholds as Iowa or Minnesota, but he wastes little time mulling over what might have been.
“I took third twice and fourth once, I had some interest shown from the Gophers. I probably could have gone there even after a third place finish. I made the classic team for the Minnesota-Wisconsin match, and I pinned my Wisconsin opponent, one of the top-ranked ones.”
“My junior year I beat a returning Division I All-American from Wyoming. He was ranked fourth in the nation at the time and I beat him 4-1 at the Northern Iowa tournament, and that put things at ease for me. I knew then that I could have competed at the Division I level.”
Minnesota State Moorhead and NCAA Division II proved to be a perfect setting for Hendrickson.
“Not that we didn’t work hard at D II, but you have to take care of your academics, also. We were dedicated, but we had a lot of fun, too, especially hunting and fishing; it wasn’t all about wrestling.”
A Construction Management major at MSU Moorhead and a member of the department advisory committee, Hendrickson was named facilities manager at Tri-County Health Care in Wadena in 2005.
Nate and his wife Lisa have been married for 11 years with six children, including two boys and four girls. He remains involved in the sport that elevated him to national prominence, and serves as president of the Elementary Wrestling Club in Sebeka and an assistant coach at the varsity level.
Hendrickson is convinced wrestling has taught him some valuable lessons.
“It helps you overcome big challenges,” Hendrickson said. “You have to have a certain amount of character to be able to wrestle at a (high) level one-on-one, to overcome injuries and (deal with) weight loss. Some of the issues you see today in the health care system, they’re big issues, but you can certainly work your way through them. I’ve been in tight situations before.”
“When I interviewed for a company in Texas, they asked me how do I handle stressful situations. I said ‘can I eat, and they said yes,’ referring to the weigh-ins we went through in wrestling.” He got the job and spent a couple of years with a large, heavy highway construction firm before returning to Minnesota.
With more Hendrickson on the horizon, it’s highly unlikely the name will soon be forgotten by those with a real passion for the sport of kings.
The hits just keep coming for Nate Hendrickson.
Thirteen years ago the Menagha native climbed aboard the victory stand at the Bison Sports Arena in Fargo, ND to celebrate the culmination of a most remarkable junior season, a crusade that emblazoned his name in national headlines.
Indeed, Hendrickson put a dramatic exclamation mark on a marvelous campaign by running the table to win the 167-pound title at the 1997 NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships at North Dakota State University. Hendrickson exited as the only unbeaten Division II wrestler in 1996-97 with a spotless 28-0 ledger, and NCAA II coaches also decorated him with the prestigious Outstanding Wrestler award.
A four-time All-American, Hendrickson was enshrined in the Dragon Hall of Fame in 2008. Now, another significant coronation awaits.
Hendrickson is among eight individuals who will be inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in mid-March. The induction will take place in Omaha, Neb. at Anthony’s Steakhouse preceding the start of the 48th annual NCAA II National Championships hosted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Hendrickson’s induction is certain to rekindle memories of that special season, and he admits his appreciation for the national title has grown.
“It probably means more now,” said Hendrickson. “As you get older, you realize that to go undefeated and win the national title, everything just had to fall in place. It means a lot; it’s a pretty cool thing when I look back on it.”
“It was definitely a relief when I won,” Hendrickson confessed. “Oh, I was happy, but I was happiest for my coaches and my family; I liked that the most. My mom and dad had been to so many state and national championships, and none of us brothers had ever won a title.”
His heroics lifted MSU Moorhead to 11th on the final team standings, MSUM’s best finish since a fifth place
“It’s a dream come true and I’m happy to be part of it,” Hendrickson explained to reporters following the finals. “I’m happy for the university and (to be) its first national champion in 30 years. For the most part I wasn’t worried about the record. When you go out and wrestle not to lose, that’s when you get beat. I tried to put that aside.”
Following a 7-3 victory over Kevin Allison of Chadron (Neb.) State in the opening round, Hendrickson weathered a pair of sticky overtime matches to reach the finals. He outlasted North Dakota State’s Brett Svendsen 4-2 in a sudden death battle of wills, and dispatched of Tim Pomfret of Ashland (Ohio) College, 1-1 TB, in the semifinals. Hendrickson removed any lingering drama with a quick start and thumped Jeron Quincy of Central Missouri State University 9-1 in the championship bout.
His trusted coach, John Sterner, wasn’t surprised by Hendrickson’s performance. “When it came down to crunch time in overtime, Nate didn’t panic. He took the bull by the horns and really showed his mental toughness. Nate changed his style when he had to.”
“He proved he’s number one,” said Sterner, following the championship match, “and his weight class was the toughest in the country, I really believe that. Nate’s unreal. He’s very sure of himself, but not arrogant, and he really showed his mental toughness. He sets realistic goals and achieves them. He’s certainly the most coachable wrestler I’ve ever had.”
Now, years later, Hendrickson still thinks often of his teammates and coaches. “I stay in contact with Sterner, Spencer (Yohe) and Keenan (Spiess),” said Hendrickson. “Sterner was the most positive coach I’ve ever been involved with. If you lost he would always point out the positives, and the negatives, too.”
“That’s something I try and do today,” said Hendrickson. “It’s easy to get frustrated, but I remind myself to stay positive. He’s just a great, great role model for all of us. Another thing, he was in his late 50s when he coached us but his ability to relate to people of my age back then was unbelievable. It takes a special person to do that.”
Arguably the greatest wrestler in Dragon history, Bucky Maughan also knows something about mental tenacity. A three-time national champion and NCAA Division I winner in 1963, Maughan had a front row seat to watch Hendrickson’s run and the NDSU head coach was impressed.
“I’m very happy for him,” said Maughan, following Hendrickson’s perfecto. “He looked great in the finals, and I told him he made a real believer out of me. I’m happy to see him lead MSU back to respectability on the national level. That’s what you need – a star – and others will follow him.”
A six-year starter and letterwinner at Menahga High School, Hendrickson placed third in the Minnesota State Class A Championships as a sophomore and senior, and fourth as a junior. He also built a remarkable prep record of 175-26-2, the fourth finest in Minnesota schoolboy history.
One of 12 children of parents Peter and Mary, Nate grew up on a 360-acre dairy farm and learned early about an honest day’s work. “Living on the farm, you get used to hard work. I took the same attitude into wrestling and it paid off. It was a good experience.”
A three-sport letterman at Menahga High, Hendrickson earned all-conference honors in football, wrestling and baseball, but wrestling was his passion. He earned four trips to the Minnesota State High School Championships with three top four finishes and exited with 175 lifetime victories, the fourth highest collection in Minnesota prep history. There were eight boys in the Hendrickson clan, and five--- Dave, Joel, Eric, Luke and Nate---wrestled all the way through. They combined for over 650 wins.
Hendrickson could surely have practiced his craft at a higher level, perhaps at such Division I strongholds as Iowa or Minnesota, but he wastes little time mulling over what might have been.
“I took third twice and fourth once, I had some interest shown from the Gophers. I probably could have gone there even after a third place finish. I made the classic team for the Minnesota-Wisconsin match, and I pinned my Wisconsin opponent, one of the top-ranked ones.”
“My junior year I beat a returning Division I All-American from Wyoming. He was ranked fourth in the nation at the time and I beat him 4-1 at the Northern Iowa tournament, and that put things at ease for me. I knew then that I could have competed at the Division I level.”
Minnesota State Moorhead and NCAA Division II proved to be a perfect setting for Hendrickson.
“Not that we didn’t work hard at D II, but you have to take care of your academics, also. We were dedicated, but we had a lot of fun, too, especially hunting and fishing; it wasn’t all about wrestling.”
A Construction Management major at MSU Moorhead and a member of the department advisory committee, Hendrickson was named facilities manager at Tri-County Health Care in Wadena in 2005.
Nate and his wife Lisa have been married for 11 years with six children, including two boys and four girls. He remains involved in the sport that elevated him to national prominence, and serves as president of the Elementary Wrestling Club in Sebeka and an assistant coach at the varsity level.
Hendrickson is convinced wrestling has taught him some valuable lessons.
“It helps you overcome big challenges,” Hendrickson said. “You have to have a certain amount of character to be able to wrestle at a (high) level one-on-one, to overcome injuries and (deal with) weight loss. Some of the issues you see today in the health care system, they’re big issues, but you can certainly work your way through them. I’ve been in tight situations before.”
“When I interviewed for a company in Texas, they asked me how do I handle stressful situations. I said ‘can I eat, and they said yes,’ referring to the weigh-ins we went through in wrestling.” He got the job and spent a couple of years with a large, heavy highway construction firm before returning to Minnesota.
With more Hendrickson on the horizon, it’s highly unlikely the name will soon be forgotten by those with a real passion for the sport of kings.
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