Waldorf Wrestling Hosts First Ever “Battle at the Boman”

By: Joseph Halverson

On Wednesday, Jan. 26, Waldorf faced St. Ambrose in a dual which was held in the Boman Fine Arts center.

This was the first event of its kind at Waldorf, since normally duals are held in the Hanson Fieldhouse.  The mat was set up on stage with spectators sitting in the seats, giving spectators a different viewing experience compared to the Fieldhouse.

Waldorf fell to St. Ambrose by a team score of 24-28, with Waldorf winning five matches and St. Ambrose also winning five matches. 

Waldorf also faced former Waldorf wrestler and coach Bo Bettinson, who was a four-time NAIA national qualifier at Waldorf and coach from 2011 to 2017.

Coach Ryan Dickinson, head coach of the Waldorf Wrestling team, loves the idea of continually have the event every year.

“So, I got the idea from Virginia Tech,” Dickinson said. “They did this in their auditorium, and it was spectacular. I thought why not bring this to a small school environment.

Waldorf wrestling also counted on having a larger attendance at the Boman than what they typically do at the Hanson Fieldhouse.

“I do think this event will increase attendance,” Dickinson said. “Even this year, our attendance from two years ago has tripled for just events in the fieldhouse, so this special event will bring a lot of fans to the stands.”

“Although this event will be more of a spotlight than just normal lighting, I don’t think the wrestlers will be affected by this different environment,” Dickinson added.

Dickinson also said he hopes this event will continue in the coming years, as many supporters he spoke with asked if this would go on in the future.

Waldorf Wrestling has three more meets in left in the season before the national tournament.