NWCA D2 2020 HoF

[Big Bird]

Three former Bison are getting inducted into the national wrestling coaches association D2 Hall Of Fame. Current senior associate AD Jack Maughan and former wrestlers Brian Kapusta and Paul Carlson. They are 3 of the 7 inducted this year.

Growing up, Brian Kapusta was my first "favorite" athlete. He was the one who got me hooked on NDSU wrestling and is still my all time favorite Bison wrestler (1. Kapusta, 2. Chris Rufo, 3. Clay Ream, 4. Hayden Zillmer, 5. Probably Fogarty now). He was a 4 time NCC champ, 4 time AA, placed 4th at the 96 Olympic trials, and was a national champ.

https://gobison.com/news/2020/1/30/w...HZjJPwrs0_Xj-c

[Christopher Moen]

Three former Bison are getting inducted into the national wrestling coaches association D2 Hall Of Fame. Current senior associate AD Jack Maughan and former wrestlers Brian Kapusta and Paul Carlson. They are 3 of the 7 inducted this year.

Growing up, Brian Kapusta was my first "favorite" athlete. He was the one who got me hooked on NDSU wrestling and is still my all time favorite Bison wrestler (1. Kapusta, 2. Chris Rufo, 3. Clay Ream, 4. Hayden Zillmer, 5. Probably Fogarty now). He was a 4 time NCC champ, 4 time AA, placed 4th at the 96 Olympic trials, and was a national champ.

https://gobison.com/news/2020/1/30/w...HZjJPwrs0_Xj-c

Rufo!!! Hawaii has a pretty close-knit community when it comes to their athletes. When I was training at the USOTC, I ran into a few athletes from Hawaii, and both knew Chris along with his brother Delfin. One was training for Judo and the other was one of our Women's wrestlers (and currently a coworker) who would go on to win a World Championship and a Bronze Olympic Medal.

With that said, Kapusta was on a whole different level. I came to NDSU right after he finished, but he was one of those guys that wrestled for NDSU that I felt could AA at the DI level if given the opportunity (others would be Saxlund, Fuller and Severson). His brother Jeff was also pretty good too.

[Tony Almeida]

Rufo!!! Hawaii has a pretty close-knit community when it comes to their athletes. When I was training at the USOTC, I ran into a few athletes from Hawaii, and both knew Chris along with his brother Delfin. One was training for Judo and the other was one of our Women's wrestlers (and currently a coworker) who would go on to win a World Championship and a Bronze Olympic Medal.

With that said, Kapusta was on a whole different level. I came to NDSU right after he finished, but he was one of those guys that wrestled for NDSU that I felt could AA at the DI level if given the opportunity (others would be Saxlund, Fuller and Severson). His brother Jeff was also pretty good too.

I loved watching Jeff Kapusta, never got to see Brian. All I remember is Jeff was the only one that would get a win when the Bison dueled the Gophers.

[harleycowboy]

I loved watching Jeff Kapusta, never got to see Brian. All I remember is Jeff was the only one that would get a win when the Bison dueled the Gophers.

I started watching the Bison back in 71 with Bill Demaray, Brad Rheingans, Bob Backlund, Phil and Mark Reimnitz, Lee Petersen were all Division 2 National Champs. I remember Jim Nelson at the Bison Open winning his freshman year but tore up his knee in the finals, he would have been one of the greats. He beat Jack Eustice in the semi's and Rick Jensen in the finals both were National Champions. He went to work in Alaska came back but was never the same. I agree that Brian Kapusta who was a 3 time National Champ could have been a division 1 all American once or twice.