File photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm Area’s Wyatt Pollard, right, wrestles on Day 1 of the Class AA State Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Feb. 28.

SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s and New Ulm Area wrestling record holder Wyatt Pollard will saddle up next season with the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs wrestling team.

Last week the senior, who wrestled at 172 pounds and finished with a Class AA sixth-place medal at the state individual wrestling tourney this year, officially announced his decision to continue his wrestling career in college. Pollard will be bringing the experience of 157 varsity victories with him to the Mustangs and he’s excited for the chance to continue his career on the mat.

Former NUA wrestler Sean Howk had a big influence in Pollard’s decision to join the Mustangs. Howk just finished his final season of wrestling for the Mustangs with an 18-9 record and 47 career wins.

“Sean Howk, he went there and I’ve kind of known him and he’s been involved with New Ulm wrestling, so through him I’ve heard good things about SMSU,” Pollard said. “I visited there before they reached out to me about wrestling and I liked the college already. I was down to a few schools and they were one of them. They reached out to me and I know a lot of their guys on the team already just from high school wrestling, and I went there and when I toured it, it really felt like a good fit. Really good environment.”

Evan Thompson, a 2024 Sleepy Eye High School grad and 2022-23 All-Journal Wrestler of the Year, also joined the Mustangs wrestling team this past season in his freshman year of college. Thompson, a heavyweight, committed to SMSU last year to play football, but he couldn’t resist the urge to get back on the mat.

Pollard played football, wrestled and competed in track and field with Thompson and said Thompson was also a big factor in his decision to commit to SMSU.

“He was a huge factor and he’s been kind of harping on me, trying to pull me over there for a long time now,” Pollard said. “We’re good friends, we did every sport, all three sports together my junior year and I spent a lot of time around him and he was always kind of a role model in high school, especially with wrestling. He definitely had some leverage on me, too, and he said he loves it and I believe him.”

In addition to his state medal and 157 career wins, Pollard also set the NUA record for most wins in a season during his final year with the Eagles as he piled up 50 wins. He also led NUA in tech falls and takedowns.

Pollard said he thinks he’ll fit in with his new teammates right away due to his drive and work ethic.

“I think a lot of those guys, you’ve got to have the drive and the work ethic and the heart behind it,” Pollard said. “It’s a fun sport, so when you’re out there just having fun, it makes it easy to just go out and work your butt off. I know a lot of those guys do, and that’s why they’re wrestling in college. So, that’s one way I think I’ll fit right in. Wrestling-wise, I feel like I thrive a lot off my feet. … I love wrestling off my feet, so it kind of goes hand and hand.”

Pollard made the All-Journal Wrestling Team the past two years and was an All-Journal Wrestling Honorable Mention three seasons ago as a sophomore. He has seen his wins balloon from 28 his sophomore year to 35 last year to 50 this year.

One reason for Pollard’s improvements can be credited to Rolling Thunder Wrestling Facility in New Ulm. He said he likes going to the facility and will also sometimes invite 2024 Sleepy Eye grad Winsten Nienhaus there for some friendly competition.

“Guys like Winsten Nienhaus, who wrestled for New Ulm, he graduated the year before me and he’s from Sleepy Eye, me and him always have some friendly competition, always try to one-up each other, so if I ask him or kind of challenge him a little bit, he’ll always be right down there [at the facility],” Pollard said.

As the third NUA wrestler to join the Mustangs since Howk did in 2019, Pollard thinks NUA is getting more attention from college coaches looking to make their programs better.

“Our team has been improving so much the last five or so years and taking huge leaps,” Pollard said. “Now we’re a competitor for the state tournament every year, making it to the section finals and everything like that, so I feel like that is kind of putting us on the map.

“But also, these coaches are seeing the output that New Ulm is getting, and obviously that kind of thing comes with good coaching and good practice room environment. That kind of thing doesn’t just end. So, I feel like they’re going to be looking out for that kind of thing, pushing out good wrestlers.”