Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Bemidji State

Located in North Central Minnesota, the Beavers of Bemidji State have been quite competitive within a variety of athletics.  NCAA Division II in all sports with exception to Men & Women's hockey which is NCAA Division I, a total of 43 team titles have been won in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Of these forty three team titles wrestling ranks fourth tied with women's basketball, behind Men's golf, Men's basketball, & Football.   Of all Beaver athletics that have won NSIC team titles, wrestling & men's track (both indoor & outdoor) are the only ones that have since been discontinued.  

Along with winning NSIC titles in 1972, 1973 & 1976, The Beavers also finished third at the NAIA national tournament in 1971. 

Wayne Beaman
190 lbs 

Beaman won an NSIC title & took All American honors at the NCAA Division II level with an eighth place finish in 1983.  

Post college he went on to coach both football &  wrestling at St. Joseph's Catholic High School. 

Rick Engh
115, 123 lbs 

Going 75-14 during his career as a Beaver, Engh make All American status at the NAIA level all four seasons.  He made the finals as a freshman and junior in 1967 & 1969, taking third place honors his sophomore & senior seasons of 1968 & 1970.   25 of his victories came via fall, including a run through the 1970 national tournament which led him to a Gorriaran award. 

Post College Engh served our country in Vietnam & later got into the construction business while coaching at both Fosston and Cooper high schools. 

Charles Eckert

A graduate of Bloomington High School, Eckert earned All American honors on three occasions.  He placed third in 1968, following it up with back to back sixth place finishes in 1969 & 1970. 

Steven "Pete" Saxe
142, 134, 137 lbs  

Going 74-7 during his career as a Beaver, Pete Saxe made the national finals three years in a row in 1970, 1971 & 1972.  He won four NSIC titles. 

Post college, Saxe took over as head coach at Normandale State Junior College (another program we have lost) where he lead his team to a sixth place finish at the NJCAA tournament. 

He late coached girl's softball at North Branch High school. 

Mike Niemczyk
142 lbs 

Niemczyk had an outstanding season in 1970 winning both an NSIC title and making the national finals.   He later coached at both Bemidji State and Minnesota State Mankato.  

Bob Dettmer
150, 158 lbs 

Dettmer won four NSIC titles during his career at Bemidji State 

He later became head coach at both Fairbault High School and Forest Lake High School.  There he coached a total of 88 state qualifiers, 42 state place-winners & 12 state champions. 

Ron Schmuck
190 lbs  

Schmuck took third place All American honors in 1971

Bob Whelan
190 lbs 

Also a member of the Beavers football program, Whelan made both All conference & All district on the gridiron.  As a wrestler he won NSIC titles in both 1972 & 1975, capturing All American honors three times. He was fourth in 1972 & sixth in 1973 before capping off his career as a national champion in 1975. 

Kevin Kish

Ironically enough Kevin Kish won his first national title before winning his first conference title as in 1976 he lost in the finals of the NSIC but won in the finals of the national tournament.   He would repeat as national champion in 1978 ending his career with a 62-10 record. 

Bob Eckert
190 lbs 

A linebacker on the Beaver football team, Eckert won four NSIC titles for the Beavers twice taking third place at the national tournament in 1977 & 1979.   He ended his career with a record of 87-13. 

Greg Gerdes
142, 150 lbs  

A graduate of Richland High school, Gerdes took fifth place at the 1979 national tournament before making the finals in 1981. 

Ken Jordan

A graduate of Elk River High school where he finished second and third in the state with an 85-6 record, Jordan had a great career for the Beavers.  He took fourth in 1980 & third in 1981 at the national tournament. 

He later became head coach at Elk River, leading his team to two fourth place finishes & one runner-up finish at the state tournament.  Producing thirty three state qualifiers, he won a series of Regional & Conference titles going 147-52.