BISMARCK, N.D. – Bismarck State College has added another sport to its growing athletic program with the announcement today that it is bringing back wrestling after a 26-year hiatus. The Mystics will join the Minnesota College Athletic Conference for the 2024-25 school year.
“We are excited to announce that wrestling, one of the school’s premier athletic programs until after the 1998 school year, has been reborn,” BSC Athletic Director Myron Schulz said. “As BSC continues to grow academically, athletics will be a driver that attracts student-athletes to Bismarck.”
Wrestling began at BSC in 1961 under head coach Marv Seibold. Coach, athletic director and BSC, Valley City State and NJCAA Hall of Famer Ed Kringstad soon took over and guided the program through its wrestling heyday. He retired as AD in 1999 after 33 years of service at BSC.
A Mystic athlete wrestled for the last time on Feb. 28, 1998, when well-known pro wrestler, mixed martial artist and NCAA national wrestling champion Brock Lesnar won the NJCAA heavyweight championship in the school’s last match at the Bismarck Event Center. Lesnar beat Ricks College of Idaho’s Dave Anderton 11-9 in the title match. The team was coached by Robert Finneseth.
Lesnar became the school’s 10th national champion, following Roger Keller (1964), Gary Hoffman (1973-1974), Rhett Hilzendeger (1974), Robin Ayres (1976), Dale Anderson (1977), Ken Ness (1978), David Reimnitz (1978), Marc Larson (1979), Mike Blaske (1982), Brock Lesnar (1998).
BSC also has been a cradle for some of the state’s best high school wrestling coaches, including Dave Mellen (Mandan), Vern Brew (Bismarck St. Mary’s), Mike Schaff (Bismarck High), Scot Knowlen (Bismarck High), Jeff Schumacher (Bismarck High) and Ken Gabriel (Bismarck Century). The program was abandoned for budgetary reasons after the 1998 season.
Schulz said a search is ongoing for a head coach.
