Pat Short – Inver Grove Heights/Simley

Patricia Short, daughter of Glenn and Elaine Wahlin, was born and raised on Long Lake Road in Mounds View, Minnesota, along with younger siblings Joseph, Sari, and Marci.

As a little girl, Pat was extremely shy, hiding in the closet whenever company would come to the house and staying there until they left. But she loved to dance. Pat’s dad enrolled her in a dance class when she was three years old. She cried every time for the first half dozen times she went to the dance studio, but finally started to face her fears and became the best little dancer in the class. Pat became a student helper at age 12 and started teaching the class at 14. Pat spent her summers in Los Angeles and attended the Cyd Charisse School of Dance. She stayed at her (rich) uncle’s house in the Hollywood Hills. By the time Pat was 17 years old, she owned and operated her own dance studio (1965 to 1991). She was co-owner of the Symposium National Talent Contest, one of the first major talent contests in the Midwest.

Pat was a Mounds View Wrestling Cheerleader in her Junior and Senior years and started dating Jim as a Senior. They were married at 19 years of age and had John at 20, Chris at 21, Will at 23, and Wade at 26. With Jim and the kids immersed in wrestling, Pat figured she needed to either “get involved or get divorced.” Pat decided to get involved, as in heavily involved. She started pairing for Freestyle and Greco when John was about six years old, and Wade was just a baby, sleeping under the table, while Pat made matches. As time went on, Pat’s expertise in matchmaking transcended various wrestling levels and styles, encompassing State, National, and International Tournaments in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle through a host of wrestling organizations – AAU, Land O’ lakes, USWF, MN/USA, Minnesota Storm, and Ninth Grade League. Pat has also worked the annual Christmas Tournament (since its inception) for the past 35 years as well as the State Wrestling Tournament for 20+ years. Her extensive resume includes a crowning achievement as Head Pairer for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, underscoring her comprehensive proficiency in the world of wrestling.

Pat has been honored with several prestigious awards, including USA Master Pairer of the Year in 1999, USA Wrestling Woman of the Year in 2002, and the USA Wrestling Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. Since 1970, Pat Short has been the esteemed voice of the Simley Spartan Wrestling Team, announcing all home meets and tournaments.

Pat joins her late husband, Jim, as only the third husband-and-wife duo acknowledged by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Minnesota Chapter. Their legacy extends to their four sons, who collectively captured seven Minnesota State Wrestling Titles. John – 1985, Chris – 1986, 1987, Will – 1988, 1989, and Wade – 1990, 1991. All four continue to enrich the sport of wrestling through coaching.

John and his wife, Jennifer, live in Ogema, Minnesota, where John teaches Science at Waubun High School and serves as head wrestling coach at Mahnomen-Waubun. John and Jennifer have four children – Alicia (Daniel), Andrew, Aaron (Marilla), and August – as well as three grandchildren – Gideon, Augustus, and Westley.

Chris and his wife, Barbara, live in Inver Grove Heights on the compound. The “compound” is a tract of land that Jim and Pat bought along with their home back in the “stone age” when it was not in the middle of the Metro Area. Now, it serves as a spacious area where Chris, Will, and Wade have built homes and have the blessing of being near their siblings and their mom. Chris owns his own commodities business and coaches the Simley Youth program along with his son Mack, who was a State Champion for Simley in 2014. Mack has three sisters, Sydney, Catherine, and Samantha. All three girls are into fitness and teach dance at one of Uncle Wade’s dance studios. Chris and Barbara have five grandchildren – James, MacKenna, Evie, Noah, and Ezekiel.

Will and his wife, Jodi, also live on the compound. Will serves as Simley’s Athletic Director and Head Wrestling Coach. Will and Jodi have two daughters, Morgan and Taylor, and a son, Jake. Jake, a four-time State Champion, served as Head Women’s Wrestling Coach at Augsburg for three years and is now the new Head Women’s Coach at Gand Valley State in Michigan. Jake and his wife Rachel have one son, William. Taylor and husband Sam have two girls, Isla Rose and Jovie James.

Son Wade and his wife Jessica own and operate two dance studios, one on the compound in Inver Grove and the other in New Richmond, Wisconsin. They also own and run the Triple S National Talent Contest. Wade and Jessica have four children. Son Quayin, who played football and wrestled, was a State Champ in 2021. He currently attends Wyoming University. Daughter Lilliqui, a phenomenal dancer, attends one of the top dance colleges in the Nation. Vristol, a Junior at Simley, also an exceptional dancer, plays varsity football and has wrestled on varsity since seventh grade. Seventh grader Drezden, an accomplished dancer as well, plays football and wrestles in the varsity wrestling room.

Jim and Pat have had many boys live with them over the years and loved every one like a son. Every young man had their own story. Calvin McKinney lived with the Short family for four years in High School and three years of College. Calvin and his wife Jamie live in Cottage Grove with daughters Kaitlyn and Sasha, where Cal works as a service technician. Cortez Arredondo lived with Jim and Pat for three years of High School. Cortez lives in Willmar, Minnesota, with his wife, Shelby, and their son, Creed. There, he works as a police officer.

Pat continues to follow her grandchildren in all of their endeavors and stays heavily involved in the sport of wrestling. The cheerleading dancer from Mounds View will be a Simley Spartan forever.