by Oran Sorenson
A project that was started approximately three years ago finally came to fruition this last Friday night in our local gymnasium. Built by Sign Design in Colton, South Dakota (a company owned by the Lamer family, a name well known in the wrestling world both in high school and at the college level), this family has built these recognition boards to help honor athletes in at least a half dozen schools around our area and they know how to build them right.
The Garretson version consists of 227 names of athletes who have qualified for the state meet from our first year in 1970 through 2023. If the athlete was a state champion or runner up the letters of said names will appear in gold or silver respectively. All others will be identified by the place in state they earned with a number indicating that place after their name.
The honor board also indicates what place the team may have earned in any respective year. Statewide eight teams are honored in their most respective sports each year. Garretson wrestling has earned that honor nine times. Our highest finishes were 2nd in 1975, 3rd in 1989 and 2008, and 4th in 2005. Also earning trophies on the state awards stands were 5th place finishes in 1977, 1978, and 1990, a 6th place in 2004 and 7th in 2003.
Another highlight on the board is the addition of girls’ involvement in the sport in 2022 with Hanna Horvath, our foreign exchange student from Hungary earning the first girls’ ink on the board. Two more girls would have their names added just last year. Also on the board is the name of each head coach and what years they held the position.
The purpose of this board is twofold. While it may honor athletes and teams from the past, an even bigger goal is the space that is yet empty. The original founders of this project want this to serve as an incentive for our young kids who try wrestling in the future to have an honorable goal in mind. That goal is to first qualify for state, but to not stop there, but to work hard in practice and improve their skills that they too someday may be on the award stand along with the other greats from across the state and have their name added to the Blue Dragon Wall of Fame.
Originally, when we began the project we asked for the space in the wrestling room, as we wanted it placed there to inspire our student athletes. We still think that’s valid, but if the people or the school wanted to put it on public display we wouldn’t say no. We also would want to see it done in a fair and equitable manner, as athletes in other sports and sports teams deserve to be recognized publicly for their achievements as well.
To pay for this project, an account was opened at First Bank and Trust under the names of Oran Sorenson and Jay Schleuter. Donations have come from individuals who had kids involved in the wrestling program, former wrestlers today no longer young, local businesspeople, and an administrator.
Recently deceased, Gordy Eitreim threw in the first seed money having two sons on the board, and memorial money was received from friends and family of Loren Schleuter and Royce Quamen, who was on the very first team in 1970.
There is still time to contribute to this effort if you desire to do so, as we are about two-thousand dollars short of our goal at the present moment. So, just a few more contributions to get us over the finish line would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
