Richard Saxlund – Pipestone, 2023 Lifetime Service Honoree

Richard Saxlund, son of Gratten and Margaret Saxlund, was born and raised on a farm near Lisbon, North Dakota, along with older brothers Blaine and Burdette. Saxlund attended Lisbon High School graduating in 1961 and participating in Football, Wrestling, and Baseball.

Dick attended Mayville State College majoring in Business Education and Physical Education and participating in both Football and Wrestling. The Football Team went 25-6 in the four years he played, with his 1961 Team being Inducted into the Mayville State Athletic Hall of Fame. Saxlund was a four-year starter and a three-year captain in wrestling, with an overall record of 46-16 and two Conference Runner-up finishes. Dick was inducted into the Mayville State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.

Saxlund started his teaching and coaching career at LeRoy-Ostrander. In his two-year stint as Head Wrestling Coach, LeRoy–Ostrander went 24-1-1 with one State Runner-up and one State Champ. Dick was inducted into the GMLOK Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2021.

Dick went on to teach and coach at Pipestone from 1967 to 1996, serving as Assistant Football and Head Wrestling Coach, with his Pipestone charges accumulating 228 wrestling wins with 33 State Qualifiers, thirteen place-winners, ten finalists, and five State Champions. Fellow coaches had these comments about Richard Saxlund:

“Dick was a great mentor and always professional – as a coach, Dick was willing to help any athlete, anytime – the countless hours he put in outside of the wrestling season for his athletes is remarkable – Coach Saxlund is not only a great guy, but runs a tough practice and always expects his athletes to give their best – just like he does.”

A number of Dick’s wrestlers went on to compete in wrestling at the college level producing ten All-Americans, six finalists, and three national champions. Dick is proud of the accomplishments of all his wrestlers, including Perry Kozlowski, a 1975 State Champ, who was named Minnesota High School Athlete of the Year and went on to be an All-American in Football and Wrestling for NDSU. Scott Dubbelde was a Minnesota State Champ and a three-time All–American at Southwest State, Dustin Darveaux was a three-time State Place-winner and a three-time All-American Wrestler at St.Cloud State, and Dick’s son, Steve, was a Minnesota State Champion for Pipestone and a four-time Conference Champion, a four-time All-American, and a three-time NCAA Division II National Champion at North Dakota State. North Dakota State won the National Team Championship each of those three years. Steve was named Most Valuable Wrestler at NDSU all four years.

After 40 years of coaching wrestling and 30+ years of coaching football, Saxlund has continued to stay involved in wrestling, serving as an assistant to Brian Bos at Pipestone and working with son Steve, who is the Director of the Rumble on the Red, the largest High School event in the Midwest.

Dick currently resides in West Fargo, North Dakota, with his wife, Barbara, who was a teacher in Leroy when she and Dick first met. Dick and Barbara have two children, Melissa and Steve (Angie), and three granddaughters – Brooklyn, Peyton, and Brynlie.