By Mark Kolbinger, 

Contributing Writer

The Becker wrestling program is having a great season, a fitting tribute to a program that this year is celebrating 40 years in existence.  

While there were a few individual wrestlers who participated in the 1970’s, the program kicked off in the 1980 season with Head Coach Brad Novak at the helm.

Novak originally had spent four years as the head girls basketball coach, but he couldn’t ignore the numbers of young men who he thought had potential to be excellent wrestlers.

“I would see a lot of good athletes walking the halls and not doing anything in the winter,” says Novak, himself a collegiate wrestler who was the U of MN Morris’ first NIC conference champion.  

“I had an elementary program starting in 1978 and ninety wrestlers showed up in grades one through six.  Two years later we put in a request for a high school program and I was hired.”

Early Years

Novak had good numbers of wrestlers as the program started, but the results weren’t always successful. 

“My goal was to get numbers up and to help each wrestler develop as a wrestler but also as a person,” said Novak, who would go on to coach the team for 29 seasons.  

“The early years our kids wrestled with a lot of heart but often we just didn’t have the experience to compete with some of the teams that were more established.”

But finally on January 20, 1981, Becker picked up its first program win with a 38-22 defeat of St. Johns Prep School.

Four years later, Becker and neighboring Big Lake decided to coop a program in order to keep both programs viable.

The Eagles

For the next 10 years, the programs would wrestle a coop schedule under the Eagles mascot.  Looking back, it was exactly what both programs needed to stay competitive and grow the programs into being successful year in and out.

“Making the decision to co-op actually saved two programs,” says Novak, who points out that Becker was down to 12 wrestlers and Big Lake was without a coach when the coop began.  

“When we split into separate teams in 1993, Becker, Big Lake and STMA were the only three teams in the section to have full teams that year. So what started out 10 years earlier to save two programs ended up with two very competitive teams.”

Novak is quick to deflect credit for the program’s growth and points to his many assistant coaches during that era, as well as the parents who played a major role in getting things up and running with the Twin Powers youth wrestling club.

“Both school boards also deserve recognition for providing support both when we combined and when we split back into two teams,” says Novak.

Building a Contender

Once the Bulldogs were back on their own, the process started to create a championship program and many dreams were realized when the team made its first and only state appearance in 2003.  While their team title dreams came up short that year, the program boasts a total of 45 wrestlers who made it to state for a total of 75 total appearances.  This includes three individual state championships.

“I feel wrestling is an unique sport in that you are part of a team but also for six minutes you are on your own,” says Novak. “Wrestling is a hard sport but when a kid wins a match and gets his hand raised and you see that smile on his face it is awesome.”

Praise for Coach Novak

The people associated with the program over the years are quick to credit Novak for the time and effort he put into building the program.

“Brad was a tremendous motivator and always took the time to coach every kid in the wrestling room,” says Jeff Zimmer, who joined the team as an assistant in 1993 before assuming the title of co-head coach with Matt Aho this season.  

“Win or lose, he always celebrated the small successes and was always very positive.”

Aho also pointed out the help he received from Novak when he took over as head coach in 2009 after four years as his assistant.

“One thing that I learned from Brad was to keep things in perspective,” said Aho, himself a high school state champion.  

“Knowing that there is life on the mat, but not to forget about the one off the mat.”

Novak’s influence was also felt by his wrestlers, including his son Brandon, who would go on to wrestle collegiately for St. John’s University where he captured a National Championship in 2001 before leading the program as its head coach for 10 years.

He remembers fondly the time spent wrestling in high school for his dad.

“There wasn’t a situation we didn’t talk about when it came to our upcoming matches,” remembers Brandon.   “I learned how to lose and to win from him and I learned what it meant to be a positive leader.”

Former wrestler Brady Hiatt also remembers Novak’s positivity.

“What has always stuck out in my mind about Coach Novak is his love for me as a person first and wrestler second,” said Hiatt, a three time high school state participant who went on to win a state title during a long coaching career in Ohio.  

“He was always trying to help me accomplish my goals while teaching me the value of hard work and never giving in or giving up.”

The Legacy

When asked to reflect on his legacy with the program, Novak responds that the focus should be on the kids who have wrestled and the wonderful accomplishments they earned.  Yet he can remember several moments like they were yesterday.

“I remember one year in the section tournament our wrestler was seeded seventh, but went on to beat the number two and three wrestlers to qualify for state,” says Novak.  “After he won, I looked up and saw tears in his dad’s eyes and that’s a look I will never forget.”

Forty years of memories are hard to erase.

Becker Wrestling by the Numbers

Most individual wins: 171 Kevin O’Brien and Robert Koranda;

Most Pins: Kent Backes, 100;

14 wrestlers with at least 100 career victories;

Number of wrestlers with at least one win: 243;

State champions: Jeremy Pederson 2003, Kevin O’Brien 2008, Brady Schrupp 2009.