Super fans Gene Tschida, Gary Bentz and Bruce Bentz have hardly missed any Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville Wolves wrestling matches—home or away—for many years. This photo was taken during the match at the Section 5A finals against Minnewaska.
Wrestling friends during their high school days. Gene Tschida, Bruce Bentz and Gary Bentz.
Gene Tschida and Bruce Bentz.
Super fans Gene Tschida, Gary Bentz and Bruce Bentz have hardly missed any Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville Wolves wrestling matches—home or away—for many years. This photo was taken during the match at the Section 5A finals against Minnewaska.
Wrestling super fans Tschida and Bentz Brothers: "It gets in your blood"
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by Karin L. Nauber
What does it take to be known as a “wrestling super fan?”
You could ask Gene Tschida or brothers Gary and Bruce Bentz, who are all of Browerville.
They probably wouldn’t call themselves “super fans,” but their dedication to the sport of wrestling can in no way be denied. They are at nearly every single home or away wrestling match for the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville Wolves and have been for years.
In fact, the guys love the sport so much, they even go to other team’s matches, just so they can watch, see some really good matches and learn.
As Gene stated, “You either love this sport or you don’t understand it.”
Bruce often brings his son Brian to matches and Gary drives the bus, so he is at all the away matches, too.
“When I started driving bus, I told them that I would drive [routes] as long as I got to drive for all the away wrestling matches,” said Gary.
Nye Becker gave Gary the ultimate compliment during this year’s send-off for the State Tournament when he said that Gary was the “best bus driver.”
In whatever way they get to the matches, it is a rare competition that you would not see the three of them on the sidelines.
Gene said he missed a match about three years ago.
“When we were working we had limitations on when we could go to matches, but when my kids wrestled, my employer always let me go,” he added.
Both he and Bruce are retired now so they don’t have the work limitation to hold them back from attending.
“I do miss one match a year for another club activity,” said Bruce.
Not to be outdone, little brother Gary shared that he missed “part of a match this year.”
“I had to drive for a girls basketball game. But I made it back for part of the match!”. . . .