MARSHALL, Minn. - Southwest Minnesota State University Head Wrestling Coach Jesse Nelson announced today that a gift in the amount of $20,000 has been made to the Mike Sterner Wrestling Endowment by Rich Tvrdik. Tvrdik, a Glenwood, Minn., native, was a four-year letterwinner for head coach Mike Sterner and is a 1974 alumnus of SMSU.
 
Tvrdik wrestled at 126, 134 and 142 pounds during his career with his best season coming at 142 pounds as a senior in which he went 17-13 which tied Jerry Reker for the most wins for Sterner's 1973-74 squad. Tvrdik, Reker and David Nyhammer all qualified for the NAIA National Tournament and helped the Mustangs post a 30^th place finish with 7.5 points.
 
"I have always had the thought in my mind – someday I am going to give back to Southwest. It felt good that I had a chance to give something back. Maybe there are some other guys out there that SMSU will have the same effect on them also."
 
THE ROAD TO MARSHALL
Tvrdik was raised on a farm near Glenwood by Warren and Lovelle Tvrdik. Two days after Rich's seventh birthday, Warren passed away following a battle with colon cancer. Lovelle raised Rich and his four siblings Cheryl, Ron, Roger and Reed.
 
"The high school wrestling coach kind of adopted me once I got into the wrestling program and wrestling became a big part of my life in high school."
 
Following a successful high school wrestling career, Trvdik and high school teammate David Nyhammer enrolled at Southwest Minnesota State College in the fall of 1970, both having made up their mind that wrestling was no longer in their future.
 
STERNER'S IMPACT: NO STALLING
In the fall, the pair was walking on campus and came across the wrestling room where Mike Sterner, who was entering his second-year as head coach, was conducting practice and readying the 1970-71 SMSC Mustang Wrestling team.
 
"One day we were walking by the wrestling room and looked in the window and they were having wrestling practice," Tvrdik said. "There was a bench sitting right inside the door, so, we walked in and sat down and that's when we met Mike Sterner. Mike comes over and says, 'lads do you wrestle? Would you like to come and roll around?' I don't think we missed a practice for four years," Tvrdik said with a smirk. "There was nothing that he hated more than stalling. He always said 'I can beat anybody, I (sometimes) might just run out of time.' I always worked hard to keep his approval in life. The affect the program has had on me changed my life."
 
Tvrdik went 5-10 his freshmen year after a thumb injury cut his season short. As a junior and senior Tvrdik was named co-captain of the squad.
 
"Being chosen team captain as a junior and senior was probably the highlight of my career. I look back and to say that the rest of my teammates thought enough of me to pick (me) as a captain was a good thing." As a senior, Tvrdik finished third at the NIC tournament and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament where we posted a 3-2 record but didn't place. Tvrdik finished his career as a Mustang with a record of 49-44-1.
 
"Some of the best times I have ever had in my life was when I was wrestling at Southwest and my mom got a chance to get away to watch me. So many good times we got to share simply because I was a part of the wrestling program."
 
AFTER SOUTHWEST
After graduation Tvrdik went back to Glenwood and worked on the family dairy farm with his brothers. Rich and his Toni laid down their roots and started a family.
 
After many years of operating the farm, Tvrdik sold the herd and focused his energy on something completely different. In 1998, Tvrdik converted a portion of his Alexandria farmland into a 3,128-yard par 36 public golf course. For the past 19 years, Tvrdik and his wife Toni have owned and operated Rodina Golf Course. "Rodina" in Czech means "family".
 
Through all of his passions and adventures Tvrdik has always kept Southwest on his mind and never lost touch with Coach Sterner.
 
"After Southwest we never really broke that bond.  I have never met anybody who is as honest and has the integrity that Mike Sterner has," Tvrdick said. "My mother stood straight and always seemed fearless, those who knew her never tested her strength, that is the same person I met in Iron Mike."
 
In 2003, Mike and his wife Karen, along with alumni and friends of SMSU wrestling contributed $10,000 and created the Mike Sterner Wrestling Endowment at SMSU. The endowment is to help fund student-athlete scholarships for the wrestling program. In the summer of 2017, Tvrdik gifted $20,000 toward the endowment.
 
"This program was such a (big) part of my life, so, when the time came it was an easy decision. I had to give something back, it gave me so much…had to give something back."
 
 A campaign to match Tvrdik's generous gift has been setup. To make a gift to the Mike Sterner Wrestling Endowment click the link below.
 

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