Kjar, Buswell inducted into Utah Sports Hall of Fame
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- Ben Kjar (left) and Cody Jensen congratulating each other after both were inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame. Kjar was Utah Valley University’s first All-American wrestler and Jensen was a quarter horse jockey that won 1,662 races in his career.
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- Blair Buswell puts the finishing touches on a sculpture of an ox in his studio in Pleasant Grove on Thursday, April 3, 2008. The sculpture will eventually be enlarged to five times its current size for display in Omaha, Nebraska.
Two individuals with Utah County ties were inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame as former Utah Valley University All-American wrestler Ben Kjar and sculptor Blair Buswell were honored.
In his acceptance speech Kjar urged the crowd to “disobey average” and to “call their shot” like he did when he was a sophomore in high school when he put 3XSC (three-time state champ) on his letterman’s coat, and of course to “stand out” versus just trying to fit in. Kjar shares these messages as a motivational speaker ranging from working corporate events to wrestling camps.
Kjar, also recognized the variety of people in his corner from his wife LaCol, to his parents and family members, workout partners, his college coach Greg Williams, and his high school coach Bart Thompson who is a member of the Gallery of Honor of the Utah Wrestling Hall of Fame as a distinguished coach and will be inducted into the Utah Wrestling Hall of Fame on September 28th.
Kjar, who was born with a facial condition called Crouzon Syndrome, was told by doctors he should never participate in any contact sports because of his facial differences and the constant need for reconstructive surgeries on his skull. But with the support of his parents Greg and Stana, along with many other family members and friends, Kjar not only participated in all sorts of activities, he found one where he truly excelled.
In high school Kjar became Viewmont’s first three-time state champion and helped lead his team to its first ever team title his senior year.
Kjar was then recruited first to wrestle at Oklahoma and then transferred to Utah Valley. In his senior year for the Wolverines, he placed fourth in the 2011 NCAA Champions becoming the program’s first ever All-American wrestler. He gave eventual champion Anthony Robles of Arizona State his closest match of the season, losing to him 4-2 in the semifinals. Both wrestlers had overcome huge physical challenges to get to that point as Robles was born missing one leg. As both wrestlers left the mat they were given a standing ovation by the nearly 20,000 fans in the arena.
Later in life Kjar would compete in the Veterans World Wrestling Championships and win gold in the Greco-Roman tournament and second in freestyle.
Kjar’s story has been chronicled in the documentary movie “Standout” which shows his life story of overcoming his facial differences which have included many instances of bullying not only through his childhood but into his adult life. The documentary was the first directive effort of Tanner Christensen, son of prominent Mormon filmmaker T.C. Christensen, and “Standout” has reached the initial list for the Academy Awards for best long form documentary.
Buswell is definitely the first person put into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame for being a sculptor but his work is prodigious. Buswell has done over 100 busts for inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame including doing the bust for his BYU football teammate Steve Young.
Buswell grew up in North Ogden but attended BYU. Though he was there on an art scholarship he also was a reserve running back on the football team.Buswell related a story that his position coach of the time, Garth Hall, was reluctant to put him in games because he didn’t want Buswell to injure his hands.
Former three-time Super Bowl winning and Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh was a pivotal figure in launching Buswell’s career. Walsh discovered Buswell’s work at a Cougar Club banquet in 1982 and commissioned him to do a statue of San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. Then the Pro Football Hall of Fame took notice and the rest is history.
Buswell’s work also has gone beyond doing busts for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and many of them are recognizable to people all over the globe. He did the statue of golf icon Jack Nicklaus for the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, the statue of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden that sits at Pauley Pavillion, the statue of NBA basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson for Cincinnati University, along with statue given to the winner of the Doak Walker award that goes to the college’s top running back. Out of the sports realm, Buswell has also done busts of Chartlon Heston, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as well as historical and religious figures and events.
Buswell remarked how he was able to blend two things he loved together, sports and art. He also thanked his family for their support and encouragement to chase his dreams.
Kjar and Buswell were honored along with 2-time Olympic medalist in freestyle skiing Shannon Bahrke, longtime Deseret News sports columnist Lee Benson who was recognized as the top sports columnist in Utah 14 times in a 15-year span, and quarter horse jockey Cody Jensen who won an amazing 1,662 races including the prestigious American Quarter Horse Futurity twice.
