More than a Helping Hand
If the All Wrestlers Crew (AWC) were on Yelp or Google Reviews, they’d have five stars. But these odd jobbers don’t need online ratings. People are already so delighted with their services that they operate entirely by word of mouth.
For nearly 25 years, the Decorah region has relied on this rotating roster of guys from the Luther men’s wrestling team to move households, paint houses, tear down structures, take down trees, build retaining walls, clean out basements, and dozens of other jobs. In a town like Decorah, with no professional movers and few handymen, the AWC is an invaluable resource. On the flip side, odd jobs from the Decorah community allow Luther wrestlers to stay in town for the summer to squeeze in extra training and work Luther wrestling camps. It’s a clever arrangement that benefits everyone.
The All Wrestlers Crew, a group of odd-jobbers on the Luther men's wrestling team, have been helping Decorah-area residents with all sorts of labor for the past 25 years.
Happy Wrestlers
The AWC was started in the summer of 2002 by Jesse Reyerson ’03, Mike Knipper ’03, and Ryan Thompson ’03, who were hoping to stay in Decorah for the summer to train. With the help of wrestling coach Dave Mitchell, they put out the word that they were looking for odd jobs. The Decorah community was ready for it.
That first summer, Jesse recalls booking work to help realtors clear out houses, homeowners take down trees, and residents move house. One of their first jobs was stripping and repainting a big old barn north of town on Locust Road. Jesse recalls the leap of faith they made when they invested in ladders, scraping tools, and electric sprayers for the job.
The experiment that summer was successful enough that Jesse, Mike, and Ryan were able to hand down the AWC to the next batch of Luther wrestlers hoping to stay in Decorah.
Lonnie Welsh ’06 remembers renting a house in summer 2003 with five other wrestlers—including Wyatt Reyerson ’05, Jesse’s brother—behind what is now Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. They took up the AWC mantle, digging ditches, building retaining walls, painting houses, and helping with moves. In addition to the general positivity from the community, Lonnie remembers the ingenuity of the crew. “One time when we didn’t have the right tools with us,” he says, “I had 125-pounder Nate Evans ’06 on my shoulders so that he could clean the windows on a higher one-story.”
These days, Lonnie coaches young wrestlers in Minnesota with Ryan LeBeau ’05, also a former AWC member.
Ryan remembers the glorious flexibility that being on the crew allowed: “If you didn’t have work for the day, you could go fishing or tubing or canoeing, and it gave us the opportunity to wrestle over the summer. It was a pretty awesome deal.”
In July, AWC members Chace Tankson '29 (left) and David Lyons '29 (right) helped Luther staff member Megan Rachuy '17 move house. It was the third time Megan hired the AWC. Photos courtesy of Megan Rachuy '17.
Current AWC members David Lyons ’29 and Chace Tankson ’29, who did around 30 AWC jobs this summer, agree. While Chace says the best part has been the people, he also enjoys how quiet and peaceful Decorah is over the summer. “Especially since I’m from a big city, I’m used to always hearing something,” he says, “but out here it’s so quiet you can really take it all in and enjoy it.”
David particularly remembers a job where they rebuilt a pond in an older woman’s backyard. He says, “It’s especially rewarding to help elderly people with these jobs. Seeing how much of an impact the work made on them, and how much joy it brought them, was a great experience.”
Happy Customers
The AWC fills an important gap in the Decorah area, and they also help customers during some intense periods in life, such as moving someone into assisted living or helping in the aftermath of a disaster. Ellen Macdonald commented on a recent Facebook post: “In the flood of 2008, we had three feet of water in our basement. After it receded, a wrestler single-handedly carried a water-logged double mattress up and out. Invaluable help!”
On the same post, Kelly Pujol ’90 commented, “They helped us move a grand piano and a few other pieces when my mom passed away. They were so appreciated!”
Megan Rachuy ’17 has hired the AWC three times, most recently for moving house over the summer. “Each time they’ve been timely, professional, kind, and eager to help,” she says. “Dave [Mitchell] and [assistant coach] Jeff [O’Gara] should be proud of them for representing Luther and their team well.”
Last fall, the AWC helped the Winneshiek Historical Society relocate its extensive archives in a complex three-phase move. Photos courtesy of Janelle Halverson.
Janelle Halverson, who serves on the board of directors of the Winneshiek County Historical Society, worked with the AWC last fall when the society relocated its archive in a complex three-phase move. About the crew, she says, “I don’t miss out on a chance to sing the praises of this outstanding program! These fellas not only helped with the enormous physical task of moving a TON of material; they also kept us all entertained and running on full tanks the entirety of the project. It’s impressive to see how well they work together and how easily they adapt to working with the groups they help. Luther College Wrestling has every reason to be proud of this program and the impressive work they provide in their community.”
The Luther men’s wrestling team received the 2026 Excellence in Collaboration Award, which recognizes an individual or group that has positively impacted quality of life for the Luther campus and the Decorah community.
In January, the Luther men’s wrestling team received the 2026 Excellence in Collaboration Award, overseen by both Luther and Decorah leaders, in recognition of the critical help they’ve provided Decorah-area residents over the years. In addition to their AWC work, Luther wrestlers regularly volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, community meals, and Adopt-a-Highway.
“I’m happy to see that the crew’s still going,” Jesse, who lives in Decorah, says. “I’ve heard great things through the years about how the guys can be relied on. I’m really happy that the AWC is still an option for people, and I think it speaks to the work ethic of a lot of wrestlers here.”