Jimmy Rollins left, Steve Costanzo center, Dalton Jensen right (Photos/Lindenwood athletics; SCSU athletics; UNK athletics)If you say "Blair wrestling," nearly every fan of our beloved sport will immediately imagine the powerhouse Blair Academy and start listing off its alumni. They do so with good reason; their success on the mat has been well-documented, producing All-Americans and national champions at the collegiate level. I mean, sure, that's good, but I know of an even better wrestling Blair.
If you find yourself traveling along Interstate 29, take a westward journey along Hwy 30 at the Missouri Valley exit in Nebraska. Feel free to stop and grab yourself a bite to eat before driving towards the setting sun and your visit to the small town of Blair, Nebraska. A population of roughly 8,000 people and a town spread over six square miles will greet you. What you will not see is the wrestling history that is created. Why? Because Dana College, which operated from 1884 through 2010, no longer exists. Founded by Danish pioneers, Dana was an NAIA powerhouse that won a national championship in 2006.
The history of the town of Blair reads like a horror story, complete with the tragic injury of a child at the hands of a dangerous train turntable. An actual plague of locusts. And, of course, a historic Carnegie library being engulfed in flames due to an electrical fire. That train accident spawned a Supreme Court case, Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Company vs. Stout. I mean, come on. How is this town not on every historian's "must visit" list? At the very least, if you want to learn about wrestling history, this is the place for you.
Dana College was a Great Plains Athletic Conference powerhouse, winning the conference title from 2007 through its final season in 2010. The program was a mainstay on the national level as well, finishing in the top-10 at the NAIA national championship six times. They were the 2006 NAIA Men's Wrestling National Champions in 2006. This program, much like another Nebraska wrestling program, was one of the best in the nation at the time of its demise. Much of the success, including a national title in his final season at the helm, was under a leader who has gone on to pilot a Division II wrestling program that has stood atop the NCAA for the last four years.
Two-time NCAA Division II wrestling All-American Gavin Nelson hails from the area. He found success up I-29 wrestling for Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Nelson put together successful seasons in 2009 and 2010 to stand on the podium as a junior and a senior for the Vikings. A Missouri Valley High School alumni, he hails from the area and was in high school during much of that Dana College wrestling success.
Another wrestler from the area, Dalton Jensen, made the journey in high school from Missouri Valley in Iowa to Blair to train at Dana College. He found himself a national champion training partner there as Jensen worked to grow his craft. Jensen graduated as one of the winningest Iowa high school wrestlers of all time and ended his career with two state titles. Why did he make the 10-minute drive over to Dana College? How about for a training partner from New Jersey.
Wait, did I say that there was a kid from New Jersey just hanging out in Blair, Nebraska? I did. Jimmy Rollins wrestled for Dana College after a successful high school career that saw him earn entry into the South Jersey Hall of Fame in the same class as Jordan Burroughs. Rollins found himself driving through the farm fields of Nebraska on the way to Dana College with his new head coach Steve Costanzo. There just seems to be something about Nebraska that brings out the best in those South Jersey kids.
Steve Costanzo is a man who needs no real introduction in the Division II wrestling world. A coach who has won six NCAA championships, including the last four. In his 15 seasons as the leader of the St. Cloud State Huskies, other than in 2006-2007, he has never finished lower than 12th. What is truly remarkable is that the Huskies have finished first or second nine times since he took over in the 2006-2007 season.
Why is this a story though, what made me take the time to find Blair, Nebraska on a map and lookup its odd history? How about this? All three coaches who finished in the top-three in the 2021 NCAA Men's Division II National Championship are connected by that little town. Steve Costanzo coached Jimmy Rollins, who trained with Dalton Jensen. And now all three lead successful Division II wrestling programs. Their programs finished first through third, taking home team trophies. Jimmy Rollins secured his highest finish in Division II as leader of Lindenwood; third. Dalton Jensen earned his highest team finish as leader of the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers; they finished runner-up and were one match away from winning the whole thing. Steve Costanzo kept his Huskies on top, winning their fourth title in a row. Not bad production for a town just five times the size of Central Park.
I caught up with all three leaders and asked them about their unique relationship and how it came into being and how it feels to have ties to the small Nebraska community.
Bryce Villa: Jimmy, You were the person who pointed out what all three of you had in common with me. What was it like earning your first D2 team trophy with these two, given the shared history?
JR: It was great! We are striving as a program to reach the top of the mountain and to be able to share the moment with these guys is tremendous. Costanzo helped change my life and I owe so much to him, the staff, and my teammates from Dana College. Dalton is a great friend who I can't say enough good things about. We actually met when a buddy of mine who was from his hometown stopped by the Ace Hardware (I believe) in Missouri Valley and wanted to introduce me to Dalton. He was stocking shelves at the family store and I told him to come on over whenever he wanted to work out.
A friendship that began at a local home improvement store. There is almost nothing more midwest than that. It made me think, though, these two have a history on the mat, so what would happen now?
BV: Dalton, How would a match between you and Jimmy go now?
DJ: I don't think Jimmy or myself are in a position to wrestle a 7-minute match now, haha. We did have a dual a couple years ago that came down to a tiebreaker and maybe the best solution would have been for him and I to wrestle for the win. I think last time we wrestled, he was coming off a 133 lb national title and I was coming off a state championship at 125 lbs. Needless to say, it wasn't that close.
I truly believe that the NCAA rules committee needs to explore this option for future tiebreaker criteria. I say, settle it on the mat. I am thinking of a dual between coaching staff to determine all duals tied after regulation.
But what does the man who brought a New Jersey kid out to the cornfields of Nebraska have to say about the program that helped begin his success?
BV: Steve, Dana University grew to a powerhouse program that laid the groundwork for your success today. What was it about that opportunity that drew you to such a blip on the map?
SC: Dana College gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach at the collegiate level. Growing up in a small town (Bennington, NE), I felt very comfortable coaching in a small college environment. I really owe Dana College a lot. It was a great opportunity for me to develop, learn and adjust while not feeling the pressure of having to win. In addition, I learned that my passion for wrestling and helping kids grow was not just a job for me, but a lifestyle that I wanted to live.
If you ever get the chance to speak with Coach Costanzo, I highly encourage you to take that time. There are few men at his level of success that are so willing to answer questions. He has found success at two different programs taking them to the promised land, but he is one of the fastest coaches in the country to answer emails from a lowly "writer" like myself. He is genuine and that is why he has been able to get powerhouse athletes to come to wherever he happens to be. Even Blair, Nebraska.
BV: Jimmy, Nebraska is a long way from New Jersey. Why Dana and why Costanzo? What do you remember fondly about that time?
JR: For me, I looked at some different schools, but Coach Costanzo and the staff at Dana College kept enforcing that I was going to earn a degree at Dana College. I realized that I had a lot of maturing I needed to do and getting away from New Jersey was something I knew would be good for me. To be honest, at the time, I had no idea what the NAIA even was. Costanzo picking me up from the airport and talking to me about harvest season on the ride from Omaha was different. I quickly realized this was a whole new world to me. The team, community, and staff at Dana College were incredible and our team was a family. I was definitely the Jersey guy on the team, but we had some great talent and teammates that made you feel welcome while holding you accountable. There are a lot of stories and way too many to get into, but Nancy Costanzo and the rest of the family really took me in and I will be forever grateful for that.
Costanzo brought Rollins to the midwest and guess what, he is still here. Now Rollins has pushed his team towards the top of the wrestling ranks joining his old takedown partner and leader.
BV: Steve, We all want our protégé to succeed, now you have Jimmy trying to knock off the throne. What is that like?
SC: I am so proud of the man Jimmy has become! He has such a passion for the sport of wrestling and coaching. He has an enthusiastic and energy-driven coaching style. There is no doubt why kids want to compete for him. He is a motivator and wants to be the best!
I talk to my college wrestling coach fairly often and neither of us are even in the coaching ranks. The bonds we make with our leaders stay with us forever.
BV: Steve, How often does your phone alert you that one of these two is trying to pick the brain of the master?
SC: Dalton and Jimmy are doing such a fantastic job. Their work ethics are second to none. I feel like these young men will do whatever it takes to be the best and run their program ethically and morally. They will be in this business a long time and will have much success. Their Universities are very lucky to have such class act people in Jimmy and Dalton!
I am not sure in Division II if you can get a more ringing endorsement than that statement from Coach Steve Costanzo.
Dalton Jensen was so close to earning his first national title as head coach of Nebraska-Kearney and the Lopers held the lead going into the final match of the tournament. Incredibly, the young man of this bunch is out here pushing his mentors.
BV: Dalton, You trained with Jimmy and Steve, now you're running one of Costanzo's chief rivals. The wrestling community is so small sometimes, did you think you would be coaching against these other two like this?
DJ: I grew up in Missouri Valley, Iowa, which is only 10 miles from Blair. I graduated high school in 2007, so during my high school career, Dana was dominating the NAIA scene. That created a great opportunity for me to drive just down the road to find some guys to beat on me and make me better. Jimmy was more than happy to hand out those beatings to me. I believe a great coach translates to any division. So, to see Jimmy and Steve have the success, they are having doesn't surprise me one bit. It is crazy how small the wrestling world!
These three universities have selected incredible men to run their wrestling programs and it shows. Dalton Jensen continues to keep Nebraska-Kearney a contender year in and year out. Jimmy Rollins has taken Lindenwood to their greatest success in Division II thus far. And, of course, Steve Costanzo remains the king of Division II wrestling. I cannot wait to see these three run it again next season as they build a rivalry that goes back to their journeys crossing Blair Bridge and entering the small town of Blair, Nebraska.
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