Don Krusemark wrestled for Blue Earth in high school before continuing his career at Rochester Community College and Indiana State University, where he was honored, along with Larry Bird, as the Indiana State University Athlete of the Year. He eventually coached wrestling at Mankato West from 1987-2011.

Don Krusemark, a 1974 graduate of Blue Earth High School, was inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association David Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 30, in Benson.

It was the first of two awards the retired Mankato West wrestling coach is receiving for his contributions to the sport.

In April of 2022, he will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award and inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, which is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

“The ceremony for that award will actually take place in Austin, Minnesota,” Krusemark says.

The Blue Earth native wrestled under coach Dick Maher while a member of the Bucs.

“One of my favorite wrestling memories while at Blue Earth was my senior year when we finished third in the State Tournament, which only had one class at the time,” Krusemark comments. “We had six individuals make it to State (including Krusemark) that year, which was really an accomplishment at that time. The team we had just kept getting better as the year went on.”

After graduation from Blue Earth, he attended Rochester Community College (RCC) and earned an Associate degree in 1976.

He continued his studies at Indiana State University and earned his Bachelor’s degree in physical education.

He obtained his Masters of Science in health education from Winona State in 1987.

While in high school, he was voted the Most Valuable Athlete, along with his twin brother, David.

Krusemark was a three-sport athlete and a captain on all three teams (football, wrestling and baseball).

He continued to find success on the wrestling mat and was a two-time state junior college champ while attending RCC.

At Indiana State University, he shared the Indiana State University Athlete of the Year award with NBA legend Larry Bird.

“Yes, that is true,” Krusemark shares. “I talked to him and we shared the same locker room, but it’s not like we were pen pals.”

Krusemark continued training at Winona and in 1981 he was the United States Wrestling Federation State Champ for the Winona Wrestling Club.

He was a five-time Minnesota State Senior Open Champ.

One of his biggest matches occurred in 1980 when he defeated 1972 Olympian Gary Neist 8-2.

Krusemark’s first teaching job was at Amboy-Good Thunder High School in 1978. He then went to Byron where he taught and coached football, wrestling and baseball through 1987.

He began teaching at Mankato West in the fall of 1987.

“I was the head football coach at West from 1989-1993,” Krusemark says. “I also coached wrestling and softball.”

His record as a wrestling coach was 415-286-3. When he retired as a wrestling coach in 2011, he was in 15th place all-time for the number of wins in Minnesota (now 25th).

Krusemark was named Section Coach of the Year in 1994 and 2000 and Mankato West won the Section 2AA championship in 2000.

“Winning the Section championship was definitely one of the highlights of my coaching career,” he comments. “We had been beaten badly by New Ulm twice during the season and nobody but us gave our team a chance at Sections. But, we wrestled real well and won by three points.”

Krusemark coached two state champions and numerous state place winners and entrants. Several of his former wrestlers competed at the collegiate level and two went on to win All-American honors.

Krusemark continues to teach and coach softball and has stayed involved in wrestling in various ways.

“One of the most rewarding parts of being a wrestling coach was watching the boys grow – not only in the sport, but also as a person,” Krusemark shares. “It is rewarding for both the athlete and the coach when the hard work the athlete puts in pays off in them being successful.”

Krusemark and his wife, Beth, have four children.

“I was thankful for the chance to coach my son, Brady,” he says. “And my daughters, Brittany, Chelsey and Mariah were all involved as statisticians. It was a great way to stay connected with them.”