Different sports and different backgrounds, for sure. But what Mike Thorson and Bob Waldal had in common was a passion to coach.

Thorson, a Minot native, left an indelible mark as a college track and cross country coach at the University of Mary.

Waldal, who died last fall, sprang from Los Angeles to play college basketball at Dickinson State. The Californian became a North Dakotan, pacing the sidelines of high school basketball courts for the better part of five decades.

Those differing odysseys produced a similar long-term result. Both Thorson and Waldal have been honored by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association with the special achievement award.

MIKE THORSON

Thorson, a 1973 graduate of Minot High School, graduated from Minot State with a bachelor’s degree in 1978. He earned a master’s degree from the University of North Dakota in 1992.

When he stepped on the University of Mary campus in 1993 as the new track and cross country coach, neither he nor the school could of guessed what was in the offing.

Thorson’s accomplishments in 24 years at U-Mary are staggering. His men’s and women’s track and cross country teams won 47 conference championships and went on to four national runner-up finishes. The Marauders placed second in two indoor and two outdoor NAIA national meets.

His athletes earned All-American recognition 385 times and won 38 individual and relay national titles.

The spinoff of that success has been a truckload of individual coaching honors, including national coach of the year recognition on four occasions. He’s been elected to three halls of fame — NAIA, U-Mary and Minot State.

Thorson was the U-Mary head track coach for 24 seasons and headed the cross country program for 14 seasons.

“It’s the right time for me, the program and my family. … It was a glorious 24 years here,” he said of his decision to turn over the U-Mary coaching reins in July of 2017. “… I believe I’m leaving the program in very good shape. I was blessed. If I could, I would start over and do it all again.”

When the Marauders moved from the NAIA to NCAA Division II in the fall of 2006, Thorson knew he’d be wading into deeper water as a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

“We had a great run in NAIA, and I have to admit that we were a little nervous making the switch to Division II,” he said. “But we made an immediate impact, and that was very exciting. Usually it takes a while for a program to transition to another level, but we were able to step in and compete at a high level right away.”

“We were always pretty well-rounded. There were very few events that we didn’t have quality athletes in. That’s how you win championships,” he added.

Thorson hasn’t completely closed the door on coaching, though. He remains an assistant coach for the Marauders, focusing on the sprints and hurdles, and this spring he helped the Bismarck High School coaches work with their hurdlers.

BOB WALDAL

Bob Waldal was a 1964 graduate of Westchester High School in Los Angeles, which is a long bus ride from Dickinson.

About a decade back, he said in retrospect that his decision to play basketball in North Dakota wasn’t as unlikely as it seemed.

“I came here because I liked the school (Dickinson State), I had relatives here, and I really liked the area. I came to like all the small towns and the enthusiasm they had for basketball. Every town had a team back then. Those were the days,” he recalled.

Following graduation from Dickinson State in 1968, Waldal was named to the NAIA All-American team. He was also invited to the Olympic basketball trials and became the seventh-round draft choice of the NBA’s New York Knicks.

When he missed the cut on his basketball opportunities, he played baseball in the low minor leagues in 1969 and 1970 before returning to North Dakota.

Interrupted by four breaks of varying lengths, Waldal coached 28 girls basketball teams and 13 boys teams over the next 46 years, winning over 400 games.

During his stops at Golva, Watford City, Mandaree and Beach, he took nine teams to state Class B basketball tournaments, winning three state championships. Eight of those state tournament teams and all three state title teams were from Beach.

Waldal coached Buccaneer teams from 1988-89 through 1991-92, in 1999-2000, and from 2006-07 through 2015-16. His girls teams won state titles in 1989, 1990 and 2010, the last two going undefeated. His teams ran off strings of 51 straight wins and 11 straight state tournament victories.

Along the way, Waldal left a vivid impression on an array of people in Beach, North Dakota and far beyond.

“He was really a people person and a very generous spirit. All of us younger coaches in the region really looked up to him,” said Dickinson Trinity coach Carter Fong.

Long-time Watford City girls basketball coach Tom Suelzle played for Waldal.

“He was the reason why I got into (coaching). He had such a passion for the game and he treated all of his players so well. I learned so much from him,” Suelzle said.

Kelcee Dykins, a 2012 Beach High School graduate, said putting on a Buc basketball uniform meant going the extra mile.

“We have such a great tradition here, and we want to keep it going. I’ve watched a lot of good basketball over the years, and that’s what really pushed me,” Dykins said during her playing days. “The younger girls feel the same way. It’s so cool to be a part of this program.”

Mark Golberg, an assistant coach at Beach, said Waldal never lost sight of the basics.

“Bob had the answer for everything. A lot of it came down to the fundamentals of basketball. He knew all the Xs and Ox, but when it came to coaching it was ‘you have to be able to dribble, you have to be able to pass, and you have to be able to shoot.'”

To Waldal, though, basketball was as much a community experience as it was a sport.

“I coached a long time, and you could say it’s in my blood,” he said in 2006 after a six-year hiatus from coaching. “I needed to get out at that time (2000), but I knew it would be hard for me to stay out. I thought going to games would probably get me hooked again.

“Things have gone very well for us, and I’m just thankful to be a part of it. The team is winning, and the community is excited and talking basketball. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Championships aside, Waldal said each season had its challenges and successes.

“It’s been a different group of kids every year, and it’s exciting to watch them progress. Win or lose, it’s been very rewarding,” he observed.