 |
|
Kristopher Dozark (’98) is remembered as a successful
multi-sport athlete who excelled as one of Stanley County’s
best-ever wrestlers. He participated for four years in
football and wrestling and for three years on the track, earning
numerous accolades. Kris was academic all-state in wrestling,
football, and track, and was active in school band, chorus, drama,
government, and academics. On the football field, Kris played flanker for four years. As a senior captain in 1997, he helped lead the Buffalos to an 8-2 regular season record and a return to gridiron prominence. They downed Hill City then St. Thomas More in the football playoffs before falling to eventual champion Harrisburg. On the track, Kris was an important part of several successful relay teams. His junior year, the Buffalos qualified for the state track meet in two relay events: the 4X200 and the 4X400. Kris’s senior year, the team’s experience paid off and they qualified four relay teams for the state meet. Besides the 4X400 and medley, the Buffalos won eighth place in the 4X800 and third place in the 4X200. Kris’s main sport, however, was wrestling. There he became one of the most dominant wrestlers in school history for Coach Glenn Dozark. Kris qualified four times for the state wrestling tournament, placing three times. As a sophomore, he wrestled his way to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament. As a junior, Kris again won fourth-place honors. As a senior, Kris wrestled his way to the championship match. He was honored with the outstanding sportsmanship award and selected for the South Dakota All Star Games. Kris was Stanley County’s Co-Most Valuable Wrestler in 1998. He holds the career record for tech falls (29 from 1993-98) and near falls (197 from 1993-98). Kris’s career wrestling record of 213-35 gives him the seventh highest number of all-time wins in school history. After high school, Kris wrestled for five years at South Dakota State University. He lettered four times and was a 2003 Jackrabbit team captain. Kris was a two-year representative on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and a four-time National Wrestling Coaches Association all-academic selection. He earned his B.S. in 2003 and his M.S. in 2010 from SDSU. Kris has remained active in athletics as a competitor and a football, wrestling, and baseball official. |