December 25, 2022
Richard “Dick” Saxlund, 1965 Mayville State graduate, will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame-MN Chapter at a program planned for April 22, 2023. Socializing will begin at noon at the Austin (Minn.) Holiday Inn Conference Center. Dinner, including a video show, will be served from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Inductions and the program will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. A silent auction will be available from noon to 6 p.m.
Saxlund will receive the Lifetime Service Award. He has given back 42 years to the sport of wrestling. A Lisbon, N.D. native, Dick was a standout wrestler and football player at Mayville State. He is a member of the 1961 Mayville State Athletic Hall of Fame football team and was inducted into the Mayville State Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 2021.
Richard started his wrestling coaching career at LeRoy-Ostrander (Minn.), where he led the program for two years. While there, he coached a state champion and also a runner-up. He was inducted into the Bulldog Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2021.
Next, he was in Pipestone (Minn.) for 35 years, where he coached five state champions, five runners-up, and numerous other place-winners. A number of his wrestlers went on to become NCAA All Americans. The list includes Perry Kozlowski, Dustin Dareaux, Scott Dubblelde, and his son, Steve Saxlund, who won three NCAA Division II titles and one runner-up finish.
Richard is a member of the Pipestone-Jasper Athletic Hall of Fame,, the Pipestone Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the MWCA Hall of Fame (to which he was inducted with his son, Steve).
Richard Saxlund was a coach who expected his wrestlers to do their best at all times. He is a die-hard wrestling contributor who devoted a lifetime of service to the sport of wrestling.
Registration for the April 22 NWHF-MN Chapter events is available at http://mn=NWHOF.ticketleap.com/.