Winter Shares the Many Seasons of Jackrabbit Wrestling

With the addition of the Frank J. Kurtenbach Family Wrestling Center, there’s never been a better time to take a look back at just how far the South Dakota State University wrestling program has come since its inception in 1949 – and how far it has the potential to go.

With such a storied history to cover, we thought it best to dive into the wrestling program through a first-hand account of a lifelong Jackrabbit.

A graduate of 1967 (BSME), Verne Winter shared his own testimonial on all things wrestling: his early days falling in love with the sport, his path to SDSU’s program, his time after State, and the countless milestones he’s witnessed over the years.

My story begins in 1959 at the dentist office in Westbrook, MN. My father and my 8th grade math teacher were in the dental lobby when my teacher told my dad that I should be a wrestler, not a basketball player. I was very short and weighed all of 90 pounds. I started wrestling practice that next week. I really enjoyed the sport and did fairly well the next few years.

In 1963, I enrolled at SDSU and met with Coach Warren Williamson about joining the wrestling team. In those days, freshmen could not compete in varsity matches, so I got to compete several times as a freshman. During my sophomore and junior year, I was not able to beat our conference champion in wrestle-offs. My senior year, I was finally able to wrestle in several varsity matches. To think I never wrestled a varsity match for my sophomore and junior years, but had the desire to stick with the program, taught me a lot about persistence and staying with something you enjoy.

After graduation, Coach and I exchanged regular Christmas letters. If I ever got back to Brookings, I would look him up for a visit. Later on, I found out he had cancer, and we stayed connected with more than just Christmas letters. I was thinking, "Why do we need to wait for someone to die before we let them know how much we value the relationship?"

With that, I looked into starting a wrestling scholarship in Coach Williamson's honor. A few years later once the scholarship was established, Coach died of cancer. I was glad that something was already set up to honor his memory over these next years of my life.

Around 2003, an SDSU Athletic Council was formed to look into going to Division 1 Athletics – somehow, I had a seat at the table amongst all the other SDSU biggies. Since that time, it has been great to see how our wrestling program continues to grow and compete at Division 1 level. Over my years of providing scholarships, I have been able to meet almost every one of the wrestlers. That itself has been a treat.

It’s also rewarding to see the impact of giving back – Tanner Sloan, consistently in the top rankings in the country, has received scholarship support from me in the past, and it’s been a full-circle feeling to play a part in his journey.

Now, I'm at a point in life where I sit back and take pride in what has evolved at SDSU, in all phases of campus life. To be a part of SDSU history and provide continuing support is a great way of giving back!

Verne Winter’s time as a Jackrabbit began six decades ago – sixty years of triumphs and losses, traditions and changes, key figures and new faces, and memories that have remained with Verne for a lifetime.

Imagine the testimonies our student wrestlers will have to share sixty years from now, in 2083.

While it’s difficult to pin down exactly what milestones those future alums will witness, there are surely two words that will come up in their account, just like Verne’s: Go Jacks.