Padden receives wrestling award recognition

Although former Harding County Rancher wrestler Bryce Padden was a successful wrestler himself, his greatest impact on the sport has been through the lives he touched as a coach.

A South Dakota High School runner-up, he wrestled across the country competing in amateur wrestling tournaments and was part of the US team that wrestled the Germans at Buffalo High School in 1985.

Padden was not only influential in the wrestling careers of his own boys, he was a dedicated coach for other youth in Harding County through the AAU program, traveling many miles to attend tournaments with his students. Padden worked alongside Tim Olson and Justin Lyons, building an outstanding AAU program in Harding County that has produced a large number of very outstanding wrestlers who have enjoyed very successful youth, junior high, high school, and collegiate careers in the sport. His understanding of the youth and their lifestyles in this area helped him to get the most out of them in practice as well as in competition. He made the sport fun while the students were still working hard and learning.

Padden has played a key role in the development of countless wrestlers in his 35 plus years as an AAU coach in both South Dakota and Montana. He was also a great help to the AAU wrestling program that was in its inaugural season in Ekalaka this year.

Bryce received recognition and a plaque during the Black Hills National AAU Wrestling Tournament held in Spearfish following the regular SD High School season. The tournament is held at the Young Center at Black Hills State University as well as a couple other gymnasiums in Spearfish. Padden was honored along with eight other people who have been influential in the lives of many youth wrestlers including Bob Ward, Jeff Schumacher, Grady MacIntosh, Brett Hunter, Steven Rounds, Pat and Lynette Rotert, and Paul Soriano.

All of them received a commemoration plaque and rounds of applause at the National Tourney that is organized and hosted by well-known referee Frank Pavich, who has also been a dedicated volunteer and mentor of the sport of wrestling.