Mark Krier – Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 2023 Lifetime Service Honoree

Mark Krier, son of Dale and Sharon Krier, was born and raised in Plainview, Minnesota along with brother Jimmy and sister Michele. Mark followed older brother Jimmy’s footsteps when he decided to wrestle as a kindiebeaner. He took to the sport like a duck takes to water and broke the varsity lineup as an eighth grader, going 13-6 at 98 pounds. He did not make the section team as the 105 pounds varsity wrestler cut down to 98 pounds for the tournament. As a freshman, Krier did make it to state, losing a hard-fought semifinal match to Benson’s Tim Cameron, the #1 ranked wrestler in the state, but came back strong for third place. In his sophomore year, Krier made it back to state and avenged that loss to Cameron in the State Finals by an 11-2 score. The following year he met another defending state Champion, Steve Anderson, from Maple Lake, and managed to win a dogfight by a 4-3 score. Mark’s senior year, he cruised through the tournament, winning in the finals 11-1. For those who never had the opportunity to see Mark Krier wrestle, it was a treat to watch one of the smoothest, slickest wrestlers this state has ever seen, cutting through outstanding wrestlers like a hot knife through butter. Plainview never lost a regular-season dual meet while Mark was in the starting lineup. One of Mark’s high school wrestling highlights included a 5-0 victory over Iowa’s top wrestler in the Minnesota – Iowa Classic Wrestling Meet.

Mark was also an outstanding baseball player, a left-handed shortstop who also did some pitching. His most memorable high school game was in the Region Finals against Pine Island, the #1 ranked team in the state. Mark pitched Plainview to a 5-2 victory and hit a home run off their All-State pitcher.

Mark attended Augustana after graduation and saw considerable success, but ended both his freshman and sophomore years with late-season injuries. As a junior, Krier defeated Rick Goeb 11-2 in the Conference finals, only to watch Goeb win a National Championship while Mark came up empty. Same situation his senior year, only this time it was Pat Dorn. In his four years, Mark won around a hundred matches, including knocking off three National Champions.

Mark spent the next two years as an assistant wrestling coach at Augustana, then spent a couple more at Bishop Heelan in Sioux City, Iowa, followed by a year as head coach at Akron-Westfield. Mark would have liked to have had a few more years there, but the head wrestling position at Byron opened up the following year and Mark had the opportunity to get back a little closer to home, After two years in Byron, Krier was hired as an assistant wrestling coach at Owatonna, where he spent the next ten years. During this time, Mark worked in sales and tended bar in Rochester part-time. By this time, Mark was married with a couple of boys living in Zumbrota and working with the youth program. As his boys both wrestled, Mark moved up with them, spending a year at the Junior High and, for the past four years, has been the varsity assistant at Z-M while continuing to work with the elementary program.

Krier has enjoyed coaching wrestling everywhere he went, but the past ten years have been a real pleasure. Mark has had the privilege of coaching hard-working wrestlers and collaborating with a great head coach who is an outstanding person. Mark is grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Z-M Program – and they are grateful he is part of their family. Head Coach Link Steffen describes Mark as intelligent and honest, with a passion for the sport of wrestling. He goes on to say Krier is totally invested in the program and has great rapport with his wrestlers because he genuinely cares for them. Zumbrota-Mazeppa finished 2nd at State in 2015, won State Team Championships in 2017 and 2018, and qualified again in 2021.

Mark is grateful for the love and support of his wife, Sara, who has worked as a nurse at Mayo for the past 23 years. Mark and Sara have two children. Son Luke, a Junior at UW, Eau Claire, has just completed his third year of wrestling under Tim Fader and finished the season with a winning record while wrestling a rugged schedule and continuing to work extremely hard. Son Jack is a three-time State Place-winner and a two-year Wrestling Captain at Zumbrota-Mazeppa with a year to go. Mark’s dad, Dale, passed away a year ago, but his mom Sharon, along with siblings Jimmy and Michelle and wife Sara continue to be Mark’s biggest supporters.