Hall of Famer Kenneth Bergstedt of Maplewood passed away on July 3rd. He was 97 years old.
Bergstedt wrestled for the Minnesota Gophers in the late 1940s and was a life-long fan. He started the wrestling program at Alexander Ramsey High School in Roseville when the school opened in 1953. He taught at the school (now Roseville Area HS) for 32 years and was a wrestling coach there for 28 years.
St. Cloud State University mourns the loss of Coach Steve Grimit (1962-2020), who passed away on Wednesday, July 22.
“On behalf of St. Cloud State University and Huskies Athletics, we offer our sincere condolences to the Grimit family.,” St. Cloud State Director of Athletic Heather Weems said. “Steve’s personality on the field was bigger than life and he made a significant impact on hundreds of student-athletes. He loved coaching and helping young men develop as people and players. He will be remembered by many for his passion and big voice on the sidelines.”
Grimit served as the Huskies’ defensive line football coach for 27 years and was also SCSU’s head wrestling coach for 12 seasons. He coached numerous All-Conference and All-America players, helped the SCSU football win two conference championships, earn four NCAA playoff bids and positively impact the lives of SCSU student-athletes during his tenure with the Huskies.
“I have lost a great friend and am having a difficult time thinking about what things will be like for me and all those who came in contact with Steve,” said Scott Underwood, who worked at SCSU with Grimit since 2001 and went on to serve as the Huskies’ head football coach from 2008 to 2019.
CURRIE – An Adrian man died over the weekend after a pleasure craft was hit by a fishing boat on Lake Shetek Saturday evening.
According to the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, 22-year-old Logan Nelson’s body was found shortly before noon Sunday. Nelson, of Adrian, was one of 11 occupants of a boat that was struck shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday by a fishing boat piloted by Brian Bergling, who was the only occupant of the 2018 Tracker. Continue reading at www.myradioworks.net
Farmington wrestler Garrett Berg, 17, died on Monday afternoon, June 8, at Lake Byllesby near Cannon Falls, Minn.
Berg was jumping off of a cliff when a second juvenile jumped immediately after and landed on him. Berg never surfaced according to the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office.
The Goodhue County Dive Team recoverered Berg’s body on Monday evening.
Hall of Famer Charlie Peterson passed away on February 18th. He was 80 years old.
Peterson excelled as an athlete in football, wrestling, and golf in high school for Owatonna and at Luther College after that. He went on to be a head wrestling coach at Tracy and Wayzata High Schools.
Hall of Famer Pete Veldman passed away on January 14th. He was 86 years old.
A native of Hollandale, Minn., Veldman was a 1951 state champion for Albert Lea. He went on to wrestle for the Minnesota Gophers in college placing third and fourth at the Big 10 Championships and was a member of The Gophers’ l957 and l959 Big 10 Championship teams.
Veldman contributed greatly to the sport of wrestling in Minnesota as a wrestler, coach, athletic director, official, scholarship coordinator, and as part of the MSHSL management team at the State Tournament.
Hall of Fame Coach Ed Ferkingstad passed away on January 4th. He was 87 years old. Ferkingstad started the wrestling program in Caledonia in 1963. In 1970 his team won a state title under the one-class system. Ferkingstad was inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Dave Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame (2009), the Mayo Civic Minnesota Region 1 Wrestling Alumni Hall of Fame, and Caledonia Wrestling Hall of Fame.
2019 Section 2AA Assistant Coach of the Year
Kevin Sherman Simonson, 61 of Glencoe, MN died at GlenFields Living With Care on November 10, 2019, after a 28 month battle with a cancerous brain tumor. Kevin was born to Beverly (Gieser) and Sherman Simonson at Rapid City, SD on August 2, 1958, and baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church at Rapid City on August 23rd. He was confirmed at Evanger Lutheran Church on May 6, 1973.
Kevin graduated from Hayfield High School in 1976, and graduated from the University of Minnesota, Crookston in 1979. He worked as a sports reporter for the Hayfield Herald, and was a reporter for The Guillotine (a wrestling magazine). Kevin and Linda owned and published The Hancock Record at Hancock, MN.
Since 1987, Kevin managed Hardees and Burger King restaurants in Minnesota and South Dakota. He was named “Manager of the Year” for them several times.