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Junior seeks national title
Junior heavyweight Dustin Darveaux eye’s nations top spot after 3-0 performance in Ohio
 Media Credit: Christine Johnson/Editor SCSU junior Dustin Darveaux started wrestling in kindergarten. Now the heavyweight wrestler is ranked seventh in the nation and seeking the nation’s top title.
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 Media Credit: Christine Johnson/Editor SCSU junior Dustin Darveaux defeated St. Johns University’s Adam Clemen, 15-2, in the second round at the SCSU Invitational Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000, in Halenbeck Hall. Darveaux placed second in the individual heavyweight championship.
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There has been a lot of talk about the winter sports season here at SCSU. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the men’s hockey squad, are right in the thick of things as they head down the home stretch of their particular seasons. In fact, it would not be a stretch to mention these teams when discussing possible national champions.
However, from now on, any discussion of possible national championships at SCSU must also include Husky junior heavyweight wrestler Dustin Darveaux.
Darveaux is the anchor of a young SCSU wrestling squad and is currently ranked seventh in the nation. Fresh off a 3-0 performance this past weekend at the Division II National Duals in Ohio, Darveaux will now take his 24-5 overall mark and set his sights on the ultimate goal of all, a national championship.
Darveaux’s wrestling career began as a little kid growing up in Pipestone. But wrestling wasn’t always one of his favorite things to do.
“I started wrestling like all little kids did when I was in kindergarten,” Darveaux said. “Then I quit because I didn’t like it. Around second grade the teacher was passing around forms to participate in wrestling so I decided to give it another shot because it looked cool. This is when I really started wrestling.”
From the mats of the second grade, Darveaux learned that he not only liked the sport, but was also pretty good at it.
While in high school, Darveaux took second in state as a sophomore and third as a junior and senior. He also has placed as high as second in the nation in Greco Roman and Free Style.
Darveaux was also a standout football player while in high school and didn’t want to give up football while wrestling in college. When SCSU agreed to allow him to participate in both football and wrestling, he wasted no time in signing on to be a Husky.
However, Darveaux’s days on the grid iron came to an end after a year and a half when he broke his hand and didn’t want an injury to affect his budding wrestling career.
His decision has turned out to be a wise one as Darveaux has gone on to become an All-American on the mat, an academic All-American in the classroom, and the winner of several elite wrestling tournaments, including last year’s Bison Open and this year’s SCSU Invitational, the latter of which earned him NCC Wrestler of the week honors.
Darveaux’s success on the college mat really has come as no surprise to SCSU head coach Steve Grimit. “He was really a major college recruit. He works so hard and is constantly getting better.”
Any doubts that Darveaux is capable of taking that one last step to becoming National Champion were instantly erased when he lost to last year’s champ, NDSU’s Nick Severson, in a thrilling 2-1 double overtime loss. If Darveaux would have won the coin flip that started the second overtime session, he would have come away with the win.
Despite all of his success, Dustin manages to keep things in perspective when it comes to winning the big one.
“If I never win a national title, I want the team to accomplish all that we are capable of,” he noted. “We have a young team and it’s been a tough year. There’s still a lot of wrestling left to do and I think we can turn some heads.”
Dustin will never forget his experiences wrestling for SCSU.
“I couldn’t be with a better bunch of guys. It’s really a family atmosphere. We all hang out and do stuff together. Steve has also been a mentor to me while all of the student assistants are good friends.”
“Dustin’s a good leader,” added 165-pound junior Matt Neumueller. “He’s very inspirational before and after matches and is a nice guy off the mat with a good sense of humor.”
Once Darveaux’s career on the mat comes to an end, he hopes to become involved in the real estate business. Any wrestling after college remains doubtful.
“If I had the time and the financial resources it would be nice to wrestle at the Olympic Center and make a run at the Olympics. However, that will probably not happen. I’d really like to donate my time and help coach kids in wrestling. It’s great to see them learn and progress throughout the years.”
In the near future, Darveaux and his fellow SCSU grapplers will host seventh ranked SDSU at Halenbeck Hall on Friday at 7 p.m. Fourteenth ranked Augustana will roll into town the next day for a 2 p.m. showdown with SCSU at Halenbeck Hall.
The two dual meets kick off a string of five straight meets against NCC foes. The Huskies will look to use the string of five straight conference match-ups to improve on their 3-4 dual meet record.
Adam Czech can be reached at: [email protected]
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