Every conceivable conception of the Farmer’s Coop Elevator baseball cap sits above Scott Dubbelde’s office desk. There must be at least twenty of them painstakingly aligned in a row. Some of the hues and designs are striking.
Carelessly placed in the corner of Scott’s desk sectional lies a plaque enscribed ‘NSIC Hall of Fame—Scott Dubbelde—Southwest Minnesota State University—Inducted July 14, 2010’.
Talking to Scott was like killing two birds with one stone, for me. As General Manager of Farmers Cooperative Elevator, Scott was a great source for a story I was writing for the ‘Summer Farm Focus’ (see page 3 of the Special Section). Also I wanted to talk about that plaque he had laid so inauspiciously on his desk. I wanted to hear the stories about the days back when. Specifically those days back when Scott was an All-American wrestler and three time NSIC conference champion at SMSU (then Southwest State University).
After I had my fill of corn futures and wheat harvest projections, I nodded at the NSIC Hall of Fame plaque and began my grilling of Scott Dubbelde.
I pointed accusingly at him and asked, “Why did your favorite local Sports Editor have to find out about your Hall of Fame induction from some big city daily rag? Well, Scott?”
Scott grinned sheepishly and upturned his palms. “We didn’t tell anybody about it,” professes Scott. “How do you tell somebody something like that. I guess I’m just that humble farm kid still... Besides, I’m sure I told ‘Smig’ about it.”
Not that ‘Smig’, Dave Smiglewski, my boss and the publisher of this paper is above reproach, but I’m not about to start pointing fingers at the one who signs my checks. Thus, for selfish reasons, we will attribute the miscommunication to Scott’s shy, awe-shucks, farm-boy demeanor.
Regardless of Scott’s inability to boast, at least seven of Scott’s Mustang Wrestling teammates, including Clarkfield wrestling icon Corey Field, joined him in St. Cloud at the induction to celebrate a career that featured the second best winning percentage in Mustang Wrestling history (.835).
Scott leans forward, his eyes widening as he talks about his teammates somewhat breathlessly. “They just showed up, and man it was sweet, what a great night.
“Me being able to accept that award was an awesome honor. I really thought I was actually accepting that award for the whole Mustang wrestling program from then (1979-1984) and all my teammates and our coaches.”
He shakes his head side to side slightly as if in disbelief of the number of memories he has. Behind him on the wall above his desk is a Dan Gables poster (legendary Iowa wrestler) that features some inspirational quote I can’t quite make out. Then I wonder if I’ve ever met a wrestler—a true wrestler, the crazy dedicated ones—the ones like Scott Dubbelde that doesn’t have a Dan Gable poster hanging somewhere. Those same wrestlers are also usually hiding a copy of the book ‘A Season on the Mat: Dan Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection’.
“We were just a friendly bunch of rural kids,” says Scott speaking about his SMSU teammates. “We rode around to wrestling matches in this old school van. And at practice it was like holding a State tournament every night.”
In his speech that night in St. Cloud, Scott was sure to thank Corey Field, his old college sparring partner. Scott tightens up when he talks about the practice room brawls he and Field would have. He admitted that at times there was a mutual dislike between him and the Clarkfield native. But that dislike was probably just a symptom of rural kid stubbornness and pride. Those rural kids hate losing. They work too hard to lose. They wake up too early to lose. And both those guys, Scott and Corey, were back-country brawlers.
Yet Scott did lose a few matches his freshman year—10 to be exact. Not bad, for a freshman, but not good enough for Scott. He only would lose another 10 matches over the remaining span of his career.
He tells a story about what his dad told him his freshman year after he failed to earn his first conference title; placing second. “Well Scott,” said his dad. “It looks like you’ll only be a three time conference champion.”
Scott would prove his dad right.
His senior year he would lead SMSU to an NSIC team conference title, while also winning the 167 pound individual title. At the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national tournament that year, Scott finished second and became an All-American.
It’s funny that after all that. After all those highlights. The first thing Scott Dubbelde thinks back to is just a friendly bunch of rural kids that were goofy enough to wrestle in a college singlet. A bunch of guys who probably still have Dan Gables posters posted somewhere.
“Just like old times,” says Scott. “Man, they made it really special.”
For some, like Scott Dubbelde, the relationships and the experience are their own reward.
For men like Scott Dubbelde there’s really no need to prominently display some ‘Hall of Fame’ plaque, and certainly no need to take the time to notify your favorite Sports Editor of your achievement.
