By Rich Winter

605 Sports

ABERDEEN — One year ago Northern State University wrestler Wyatt Turnquist was on the edge of making one of his wrestling dreams come true. Leading late in the match that would have sent him to the national tournament, Turnquist gave up a takedown.

“That was probably one of the worst pains I’ve had to go through,” said Turnquist, a Winner High School graduate. 

That pain didn’t last long but the memory of that loss stayed with him and pushed him for an entire year. 

“It may have ultimately been the best thing because it helped me work harder this summer,” he said. “It was a tough loss but I think I’m better from it.” 

Turnquist stayed in Aberdeen for the first time all summer and dialed in on his fitness. 

“I got up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and trained five days a week,” he said. 

The work paid off as Turnquist had a tremendous season that found him ranked in the top-10 of the 149-pound class. Prior to this weekend’s Super Regional in Moorhead, Minnesota, Turnquist led the Wolves with a team best 16-2 record that included victories over No. 4 Carson Speelman of Ashland University (Ohio) and No. 7 Logan Bailey of Indianapolis. 

Dominant in the most dominant Division II wrestling conference in the nation, Turnquist went 9-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action while earning a team-best four technical fall wins. 

The junior wrestler opened the Super Regional tournament with a tech (TF-1.5 4:47 (17-0)) over Robert Shields (Southwest Minnesota State University). In the semifinals he lost to Nick Novak (St. Cloud State). After a 3-1 win over Shadi Mitwalli (Minot State) Turnquist found himself in the same match against the very same wrestler that ended his season a year ago. 

“To be honest I wasn’t nervous at all I just had the mindset that I’m going to go out and wrestle my hardest,” he said. “I was wrestling the same guy as last year, a three time All-American, and I just trusted my training and went out and wrestled.”

This year the results were flipped as Turnquist took control early and came away with a 5-0 win over Kyle Rathman (Minnesota State)

“Making it to the national tournament has always been my goal, not just to make it but to win it,” he said.

Turnquist said the dream started when we stepped on campus saying he had a lot to learn, had to grow up and get beat on a lot.

“Making it has been on my mind every single day,” he said. “The job is not done but the hard part is out of the way.” 

The national tournament is in St. Louis, Missouri on March 12-13. Until that meet, Turnquist plans on spending each day getting a little better. 

“The big thing for me is not making it bigger than what it is,” he said. “It’s just another tournament and I plan on going there and taking it one step at a time. 

Turnquist — because of the COVID-19 year — has three years of eligibility remaining following this season. He plans on getting his degree in elementary education and then will pursue a masters degree. 

Northern wrestlers come together amidst team tragedy 

In early November, following their first dual of the season the Wolves wrestling team learned of the death of their team captain, Caden Moore. 

“For me it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through,” Turnquist said. “Nothing you can do can prepare you for a moment like that. He was a captain and it took us a long time to get back in the room and wrestle.”