Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Drake

With some of the programs that I have covered the term "Gone, Lost & Forgotten" can at times be harsh.  It's fair, because the school had a wrestling team & now doesn't, but some resemble the remark better than others.  At some schools they at least acknowledge that they had a wrestling program.  Remembrance in a Hall of Fame, awards & pictures still displayed in athletic complexes, the whole nine yards.  Others though live, breathe and shit "Gone, Lost & Forgotten."  Athletic directors & athletic programs that erase every memory that there is. Try & act as if the school never had a wrestling program.

Josh Swafford asked me recently which team we no longer have bothers me the most.  They all bother me.  Every one of them.   It may not be personal for me, but I've hurt before.  I've had disappointments.  I've been robbed of dreams. I've been stripped of my purpose.   Every one of them had coaches, had wrestlers, others that were a part of the program. 

I've actually been to Lonnie Timmerman's house before.  I've spoke with his daughter.  It's one thing to read about it in a newspaper or an online article, but it's a whole other experience when you sit with someone & talk to them face to face.  To pick up an old wrestling media guide & hold it in your hand.  To take a Drake Bulldog wrestling stocking cap & wear it on your head.  It brings the past to life.  It reminds you that this was once real & that someone took the dreams, opportunities & visions of other people & threw them away.

Drake wrestling started in the mid 1960's & in 23 seasons only had three seasons where he didn't send wrestlers to the NCAA tournament.  A school with rigorous academics & high standards, Timmerman had his hands tied on recruiting.  Most of the time he was coaching he did not have an assistant coach.  Facilities compared to that of Iowa, Iowa State & Northern Iowa were subpar.  Yet he still put together a team that won a majority of dual meets & competed hard within the regional. 

Drake's last season was 1992-1993.

Here's a look at some of the best wrestlers in Bulldog history.

Jerry Reshetar
123, 115 lbs

After two years at Austin State Junior College (another program we no longer have) Reshetar became a two time NCAA qualifier for Drake in 1968 & 1969.

Gary Christianson
126, 130, 134 lbs

A graduate of Lenox High School, Gary Christianson made his way to the NCAA tournament at three separate weight classes in 70', 71' & 72'.

Don Williams
118, 126 lbs 

Arguably the best wrestler in Bulldog history, from nearby Southeast Polk high school, Don Williams was the only four time NCAA qualifier in Drake history.  He qualified in 70', 71', 72' & 73'.

Kelly Bast

Another local from Urbandale, Kelly Bast qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1971, 72' & 74'.

Cliff Howlett

A two time state champion from Britt High School, Howlett was a three time NCAA qualifier for the Bulldogs in 72', 74' & 75'.

Scott Diveney 

A regional healthcare director for Walgreens, Scott Diveney qualified for the NCAA tournament in 86' & 87'.

Brett Sharp

Sharp may have surpassed Williams as the best wrestler in Bulldog history, had Drake not dropped their wrestling program.  While at Drake, he won 123 matches. After the discontinuation of Bulldog wrestling, Sharp took his talents to Augsburg.  There he had a 43-2 season, which included a conference championship & a third place showing at the NCAA Division III championships.

Jim Messenbrink 

Jim Messenbrink wrestled at St. Louis Community College (another program we've lost) before finishing up his career at Drake where he was an NCAA qualifier in 1991.  Post his own collegiate career, he worked withn Ben Askren at his Askren Wrestling Academy.   Over the years he has helped to develop 87 State qualifiers, 44 State place winners, 8 runner-ups & 12 State champions.

Vance Light 

Long time Mount Vernon high school coach Vance Light won two Regional titles for the Bulldogs during his time at Drake & accumulated 139 victories.


I'm not a millionaire yet & maybe I never will be but if life has $$ in store for me somewhere down the line, then one day Drake will field a wrestling program again.