In September, UNK wrestling coach Dalton Jensen received an email inviting him to apply to speak at a TEDx event in April. A five-time NCAA champion as a wrestler and coach, Jensen went through the lengthy application process and recently spoke at an event held at Grand Canyon University.
Jensen’s talk focused on the human desire for contentment. Taking a page from his own book, raising the bar with a new challenge was one of the reasons he pursued the opportunity.
“I did the talk because I want to challenge myself and I wanted to continue to raise my expectations, put myself in an uncomfortable situation to maximize and grow my knowledge, skills, and abilities, because that’s an area I wasn’t comfortable in,” Jensen said.
Jensen’s mindset and character also radiate when leading those around him.
“He’s just a special personality with the ability to lead people in a way that is incredibly honest and caring,” said Crew Howard, a UNK wrestler. “He always has the right words to say to you when you need someone to pick you up and also someone to tell you, maybe when you’re not doing things the right way.”
Jensen spent weeks creating and memorizing his TEDx script. He even went so far as to work with the UNK Theater department, using its stage to practice his presence and have others critique him.
Reflecting on the moment, Jensen said the experience was rewarding and that he has already applied to speak at a mainstream TED event and give a speech on a bigger platform.
“It was so challenging for me to do this, and the experience was really rewarding,” Jensen said.
Growing up in Iowa, Jensen was a two-time state wrestling champion and began his collegiate career at Iowa State. Former UNK wrestling coach Marc Bauer recruited Jensen out of high school, but wasn’t able to bring him to Kearney until his coach, Cael Sanderson, left the Cyclones to lead Penn State.
From there, Jensen won the national championship at 141 pounds his senior year when the Lopers won their second team title. As part of the decision when transferring, he transitioned into being a graduate assistant for the next two years before the assistant coach position opened up.
When Bauer stepped back after the 2015-16 season, Jensen continued his move up the ranks and took the reins of the UNK wrestling program.
“You’re continuing just to make the next generation better and hope they go take their experience and time from here and go pass it off to whatever they’re doing to their kids someday, or if their coaches or whatever they end up doing with their life,” Jensen said. “But on a competitive front, the momentum is really high right now, and we want to keep winning.”
Jensen has developed 30 All-Americans in his 10 seasons at the helm, including Howard, who achieved the status three times.
“Part of the reason I committed to UNK was Coach Jensen,” Howard said. “I felt like he was just so honest with me about where my abilities level were at the time and where he thought they could go.”
At the end of the day, Jensen said Loper wrestling is more than the 10 guys on the mat at regionals and nationals when they’ve won championships, but the entire team as a whole.
“You look at those (championship) teams, and you just think about the people that were a part of it,” Jensen said. “Not just the ones that were wrestling at the national championship, but the ones that have been in the room.”
Despite three national championships in five years, Jensen isn’t looking to move up in the coaching world. His wife is also the city manager of Kearney, and Jensen said if either of them were to be poached and move up in the world, it would be her. Nonetheless, with a strong love for Kearney, he doesn’t imagine them leaving town anytime soon.
“You could go double our salaries, and I don’t think we would even balk at even an interview to leave this city,” Jensen said.
