Aberdeen, S.D. – A group of Northern State University wrestlers have found a way to give back to the wrestling community and memorialize their teammates each summer through coaching the sport that has shaped them. Curtis LeMair and Caden Moore left lasting impacts on the Wolves wrestling program for both their teammates that competed with them and the student-athletes that enter the program each year.
 
Wyatt Turnquist, Teagan Block, and Rayden Zens have each taken their own routes to NSU, however have found a commonality in giving back through the memory of LeMair and Moore. Each summer wrestlers from across the Midwest attend both Camp Curty and the Beyond the Mat Camp looking to sharpen their skills, but these camps strive to teach more than just wrestling technique.
 
Zens spent his first four years at Camp Curty as a participant and moved into a coach role in 2024. "In my five years of going to Camp Curty it's always been fun and absolutely nothing negative about it," noted Zens. "One of the mottos for this camp is 'Wrestling and Life'. To me this means wrestling isn't everything, if you don't see the meaning behind that phrase, it's really hard to start enjoying wrestling."
 
Camp Curty, located in Hoven combines a 100-year old barn/training facility, 2-mile obstacle course, and outdoor activities like fishing and hunting into a full experience for their participants. The camp was founded by the Curtis LeMair Legacy Foundation, honoring the former Wolf who passed away in 2018 due to sudden cardiac arrest.
 
While the trio never wrestled with Curtis, they have learned life long lessons as camp clinicians and participants at Camp Curty.
 
"While I never got to be Curtis' teammate, it's super obvious he had a big impact on a lot of people," explained Turnquist. "I see the people's lives he touched doing their best to honor him and I have formed great relationships with those people in trying to help carry on his legacy."
 
Block added, "I like to help out at these camps because the opportunity to teach kids skills outside of wrestling is sometimes hard to come by and this is a great way to do just that. The Curtis LeMair Legacy foundation has helped me in more ways than I can count, so it's a great way to donate my time and help them work towards their mission of creating an army of do-gooders."
 
In addition, Turnquist has speared-headed the Beyond the Mat Camp in O'Neill, Nebraska honoring his former teammate, Caden Moore. Moore established the Beyond the Mat Camp in his hometown prior to his passing in the fall of 2021 and Turnquist made the important decision to keep the event going in his honor.
 
"Caden was the first person to take me under his wing when I got to college," said Turnquist. "We drilled together every morning at 5 a.m. my freshman year; he was instrumental in acclimating me to collegiate wrestling and was the hardest worker in the room."
 
Turnquist's main goal through his work on the camp scene is to carry on the legacy of both LeMair and Moore, while striving to achieve success at Northern State; both on the mat and in life.
 
He added, "Kids aren't going to remember the technique you showed them, but they are going to remember your interactions with them. It's important to make a positive impact on the kids, encourage them to keep pursuing the sport, and give them advice that transcends wrestling."