Profile on BVU Wrestler Ben Strandberg (originally appeared in Spring 2007 BVBriefs) Memories. Buena Vista University and the city of Storm Lake are full of them for Beaver wrestler Ben Strandberg. Most of them great. Some of them painful. All of them unforgettable. Not that you will ever hear Ben wishing that they would go away. One look at him in his uniform reveals the ink that he will carry with him the rest of his life as a reminder of all that he had and tragically lost one fateful spring day six years ago. B.J. Strandberg, Ben's older brother, was the quintessential hometown athletic hero. He had the full package deal to go along with being one of the most successful wrestlers in Storm Lake High School's history: a great personality, academic success, the respect and friendship of his teammates as well as of his opponents, tremendous family support, and a cute girlfriend. Needless to say, there were an abundance of smiles around town when he decided to stay in his home community to continue his athletic career after posting over 150 prep victories. "B.J. had a very bright future as a collegiate wrestler and there was no doubt in my mind that he would be an All-American at least once before he graduated from BVU," recalls former Buena Vista wrestling coach Al Baxter. "He had the desire, motivation, family support and ability to be an outstanding wrestler at the college level." During his freshman season, B.J. was well on his way to fulfilling the promise that Baxter saw in him. He earned a varsity spot at 197 pounds on a Beaver team that placed eighth at the NCAA National Championships. He went 19-12 on the year, and although he did not reach All-America status, the season was a success. After all, he was only a freshman, and there would be three more years to reach those loftier goals. In early May, B.J. began the gradual process of moving his belongings from his campus dorm room back to his family's home, less than a mile away, for the summer. Taking a break from that one Saturday, he and a group of his friends decided that they were going to go into town for a bite to eat in B.J.'s pickup truck. Eventually, for one reason or another, everyone besides he and his good friend Jeff Paulson decided to stay on campus and eat in the cafeteria. Heading north, they approached the railroad tracks that bisect the town. According to the police report, B.J stopped completely, or almost completely, at the tracks. He pulled ahead and was swiftly blindsided by a train on the driver's side. Jeff escaped the collision with a broken nose and some other minor injuries. B.J. was killed instantly. Ben and his dad, Jerry, were at a freestyle wrestling tournament out of town that day. When they returned home, they found a variety of vehicles outside of their house, including a patrol car, and immediately knew something was amiss. A family friend exited the house, met the car, and told the two Strandbergs the devastating news. Ben lost more than just an older brother that day. One of his best friends and most influential role models had been ripped away. To be sure, the relationship between the two competitive siblings who were only separated by two years was not always filled with hugs and tender moments. There were often wrestling scrums between the two that broke out, and not all of them were exactly conducted fairly and without malice. However, as the two grew and matured, they continually found that they had increasingly more in common and actually enjoyed each other's company. "We fought a lot growing up," remembers Ben. "The year that B.J. came to Buena Vista, we got 10 times closer. I would come to campus and work out with him after our practices. He was my best friend by the time he passed away. We never said we loved each other growing up and then after he came to BVU, we said it almost every time we parted." In the weeks following the accident, the memories were overwhelmingly painful and powerful. Ben did not want to forget about his brother, but the constant reminders of his untimely passing, from the high school gym where they both wrestled their home matches to the lake where they spent time water skiing, were simply too much. He made the decision he needed to get away. "I just couldn't live in Storm Lake anymore. You can't go anywhere in Storm Lake without going by the tracks." His mom, Anna, who worked at the University, and dad agreed. They all needed a fresh setting to attempt to cope with the tragedy. With that mindset, the Strandbergs moved to Emmetsburg in August 2001 where Ben had many friends and would be the most comfortable for his senior year of high school. "I believe Ben would have followed in his brother B.J.'s footsteps and been a member of our team if the accident hadn't happened," says Baxter, who knew given the set of circumstances that it was still too soon for Ben to return and enroll for his freshman year of college at Buena Vista. Ben ultimately chose the University of Nebraska-Omaha and became a two-time national qualifier. His junior season, UNO brought in a freshman in his weight class who won the first two open invitationals of the fall semester. Despite being ranked fourth in the nation, Ben was told over the holiday break that he would have to beat his new teammate at the next tournament in order to keep his varsity spot. It was time for Ben to make another decision. Stay at UNO and be fighting for his varsity slot for the rest of his collegiate career or transfer to another school where he was assured of having the chance to make an impact. He ended up selecting the same place his older brothers Brad and B.J. had years before: Buena Vista. "It felt like the right choice. (Buena Vista assistant coach) Pat Wilsbacher and B.J. were in the same class, and I had heard great things about head coach Mark Schwab. I thought I could handle it, so two weeks later I was at Buena Vista." Once again there was a Strandberg wrestling for the Beavers in the 197 pound weight class. Ben seemingly picked up right where B.J. left off half a decade earlier. He went 21-11 with his new team and qualified for nationals. Instantly, he became a team leader. "Ben is a great example by his actions," states Schwab. "He is an honor student, is always where he is supposed to be, and in simple terms, he works his tail off." Although he says he has more friends at Buena Vista than he ever did at UNO, Ben does not regret the 3 1/2 years that he spent in Omaha. He was a part of two national championship teams. He also had time for healing. "I discovered living on campus isn't the same as living in Storm Lake. I still have to drive by the tracks and whatnot, but it's easier." Along with his tattoos, there are plenty of artifacts around Buena Vista to remind Ben of B.J. From a tree that was planted in his memory to the "BJ" that is stitched on the Beaver wrestlers' singlets to the wrestling All-American display that bears his name, there are numerous items that keep B.J.'s memory alive. The place where Ben has one of his fondest and final memories of his brother is a place he now goes every day, the wrestling room in the basement of Siebens Fieldhouse. On the Thursday before the accident, all three Strandberg brothers came to campus to the wrestling room. Reenacting a scene that played out countless times in the Strandberg living room, Brad, Ben and B.J. all took turns wrestling each other. "Brad left after awhile. B.J. and I kept wrestling until we were exhausted. Then we just started goofing off like little kids and were laughing at each other. I'm so glad that we had that moment together." One last memory. Perhaps the best of all.