And That's a Career - A final salute to the Class of '25 - NCAA Division III 174 lbs

 

Jared Stricker
UW-Eau Claire

'24-'25 sure does say goodbye to a lot of outstanding talent this year, and one of the best is Jared Stricker. 169 wins in his illustrious career, he won two NCAA Division III titles the past two seasons, after finishing as the runner-up as a sophomore.  3rd-1st-1st-1st in the Regionals, he also won the past three Pete Willson Invitationals & four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles.  43-0 on the season. 

Nathan Lackman
Alvernia

Another outstanding wrestler who leaves us from the 174 lbs weight class, is Nathan Lackman.  Winning two NCAA DIII titles for Rhode Island College, he transferred to Alvernia for his final season where he took NCAA DIII runner-up honors in a tight match with Jared Stricker.   120 wins in his career. 

Seth Goetzinger
Augsburg

As have many Auggies before him, and as will many Auggies after him, Seth Goetzinger put together an outstanding collegiate career.  Twice 7th in the D3 nation, he capped off his career with a 3rd place All American finish. He was also 3rd-2nd-2nd at the last three regionals. 

Dejon Glaster
Millikin 

102 career wins for Dejon Glaster.  The Tennessee native won three Collegiate Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin titles, along with placing 3rd & 1st at Regionals.  Earned NCAA D3 All American honors these past two seasons of 6th & 4th.  Also took runner-up honors at this year's Pete Willson Invitational. 

L.J. Richardson
Coe

The Texas native, was 2nd-4th-2nd at Regionals, and earned D3 All American honors of 6th each time he qualified for nationals.  24-7 in his final season. 

Zeb Gnida
Loras

The former Solon Spartan, ended his collegiate career as a two-time Regional champion (5th as a sophomore) with back-to-back D3 All American honors of 3rd & 7th.  Was 23-2 on the year. 

Javen Estrada
North Central

An NCAA DIII finalist in 2023, 8th might not have been exactly where Javen Estrada wanted to finish this season, but nonetheless, still a great career that saw two All American finishes & three Regional finals appearances. 

Jackson Gray
Ithaca

From the same high school as 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, Jackson Gray was a four-time Regional place-winner (4th-8th-1st-1st) & a two-time NCAA D3 qualifier who finished one match shy of All American honors.  32-7 on the year, earned 104 career victories. 

Adam Meyers
Ohio Northern 

In his final season of collegiate wrestling, Adam Meyers won a Regional title & finished one match shy of All American honors. 

Cam Hines
Western New England 

Another wrestler who had a strong ending to his collegiate career was Cam Hines of Western New England, who won a Regional title in '24-'25. 

Cale Callahan
Otterbein 

In his final season of collegiate wrestling, Cale Callahan was 16-5, taking 7th place honors at the Pete Willson Invitational & runner-up honors at Regionals. 

Harrison Hinojosa
Stevens Tech

74 career wins, Harrison Hinojosa qualified for the NCAA DIII championships in his final season with a 3rd place showing at Regionals. 

Tyler Bodovetz
Ohio Wesleyan 

Tyler Bodovetz made history in his final season as a Battling Bishop.  Became Ohio Wesleyan's first NCAA Division III qualifier with a 3rd place showing at Regionals.  Won 32 matches this season. 

Anson DeWar
Muhlenberg 

8th in the D3 nation back in 2023, Anson DeWar came up a little short of NCAA D3 qualification in his final season of wrestling.  Took 5th at the Regionals. 

David Burgess
Huntingdon

35-11 on the year, the Georgia native just missed NCAA D3 qualification with a 4th place finish at Regionals. 

Dylan Weaver 
Shenendoah 

100 career wins, Dylan Weaver won 27 matches this season & finished off his career with Regional placings of 4th & 7th. 

Carter Lloyd
Baldwin Wallace

An NCAA DIII qualifier last year with a Regional finish of 3rd, Carter Lloyd just missed out on qualification this season placing 4th at the Regional.  Had a 4-0 win over Xavier Preston. 

Kenny Sauer
SUNY-Oneonta

Kenny Sauer ends his career as a three-time Regional place-winner with finishes of 7th-8th-4th. 

Jayden Curley
Roger Williams

Jayden Curley is another who ends his career as a three-time Regional place-winner.  6th-3rd-5th for the Hawk. 

Ryan Riser
UW-Whitewater

Ryan Riser did not have a good regional, but where he did shine this year was at the Pete Willson Invitational where he took 5th place honors. 

Leo Draveling
UW-La Crosse

I've spoken many times of how difficult it can be to even make a line up in collegiate wrestling.  How sometimes there are very good wrestlers who do not make the varsity.  Such is the case with Leo Draveling.  Behind Eddie Simes in the lineup, Draveling was 3rd at the WIAC.  He has impressive wins over Zane Pannell (17-3), Bryce Parke (falls in 4:02 & 3:37), Hunter Mays (11-6) & Javen Estrada (fall 2:44). 

And That's a Career - A final salute to the Class of '25 - NCAA Division III 165 lbs

 

Matt Lackman
Alvernia

What a phenomenal & noteworthy career Matt Lackman had during his time in collegiate wrestling.  Became the first wrestler in Division III history to face his brother in the national finals.  Then after D3 All American finishes of 5th-2nd-3rd, became the Golden Wolves first ever D3 national champion.  149-5 over four seasons, was a four time Regional champion. 

Nick Sacco
TCNJ

Injuries kept Nick Sacco from doing as well as he otherwise would have, but none the less, what a great career for the Lion.  A national champion as a junior in '24, he was 4th as a sophomore & 8th this year as a senior at the D3 championships.  1st-1st-2nd at Regionals. 

Jacob DeGuire
Springfield

3rd in the D3 nation in '23, Jacob DeGuire's '24 season unfortunately ended in injury but he came back strong in '25 having a successful final season of wrestling.  Placing 3rd at Regionals, he was 6th in the D3 nation on 29 victories.  95 in total. 

C.J. Shea
Wesleyan

After finishing 5th at Regionals last year, C.J. Shea has a fantastic final season of collegiate wrestling winning a Regional title & finishing 7th in the D3 nation.  Was 38-3 this season. 

Alex Villar
North Central

4th at the NCAA DIII championships in '22, Alex Villar was unable to recapture All American honors in his last three seasons, but still has many successes in his attempt.  A three-time Collegiate Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin champion, he was 3rd-2nd-2nd at the last three Regionals.  A 10-5 decision over All American Andrew Supers on the season, he has 95 career victories. 

Chris Stathopoulos
Stevens Tech

Awesome final season of wrestling for Chris Stathopoulos.   The Duck won Regionals & finished one match shy of D3 All American honors.  Had a 9-5 decision over All American Jacob DeGuire. 

Mawuli Nevis
Wabash

The Cincinatti native made the most of his first & only season as a starter.  23 wins on the year, qualified for the NCAA DIII Championships with a 3rd place showing at Regionals. 

Josh Heuss
UW-Stevens Point

Another senior who had a good end to his collegiate career.  29 victories in '24-'25 & an NCAA DIII qualification with a 3rd place showing at Regionals. 

Teagan Hendricks
Ohio Northern 

A two-time NCAA DIII qualifier with Regional finishes of 1st & 2nd.  One match shy of D3 All American honors, Hendricks was 4th at the Pete Willson Invitational. 

David Reid
Roanoke

An NCAA DIII qualifier in '24 with a runner-up finish at Regionals, I have to conclude that David Red is probably the best 165 lbs'er who fell short of qualification in 2025.  4th at Regionals, he had an assortment of W's over both  qaulifiers and All Americans.  A 2:36 fall over Mark Troni, an 8-7 decision over Chris Stathopoulos, a 14-13 decision over Jacob DeGuire & a 5-2 decision over Teagan Hendricks.  Was 3rd at the Pete Willson Invitational. 

Chase Anestis
Plymouth State

Another super tough wrestler who didn't quite make it to the NCAA DIII championships this season.  30-4 on the year, lost a 2-1 tiebreaker to two-time All American Jacob Deguire in the match to qualifier.  

Philip Burney
Trine

Another tough senior who barely missed out on NCAA DIII qualification this season.  4th at Regionals, Philip Burney has 25 wins on the season.  Had a 3-2 decision over Josh Heuss. 

Joey Jens
Millikin 

Injuries seemed to plague Joey Jens for much of his career, but nevertheless he did manage 25 wins this season with a 6th place showing at Pete Willson & a 5th place showing at Regionals. 

And That's a Career - A final salute to the Class of '25 - NCAA Division III 157 lbs

 

Mike Petrella
Baldwin Wallace

One of the best 157 lbs NCAA DIII wrestlers of all time, the career of Mike Petrella has officially come to an end.  151-3, what didn't this guy achieve during his time as a Yellow Jacket? A four time Regional champion, he was 2nd-1st-1st-1st in the NCAA Division III championships.  Had it not been for a guy named Brett Kaliner, Petrella may have never known defeat in his D3 career. 

Cooper Pontelandolfo
N.Y.U. 

123 wins in his career, Cooper Pontelandolfo had an outstanding four years as a Violet.  2nd-2nd-1st-1st at Regionals, he was 6th-6th-3rd-2nd in the D3 nation.  Went 32-1 in his final season. 

Tyler Goebel
UW-La Crosse

Like many Eagles, Tyler Goebel had an outstanding collegiate career.  3rd-1st-3rd at Regionals, Tyler Goebel made the NCAA DIII finals last season & took a 6th place finish this year.  Went 26-5 in '24-'25. 

Darian Estevez
Chicago

8th in the D3 nation back in 2022, Florida native Darian Estevez nearly earned All American status once again this season when he finished one match shy of a top 8 finish at nationals.  3rd at Regionals, another highlight of his final season was making the finals of the Pete Willson Invitational (6th there as a sophomore too). 

Anthony Taylor
Averett

The Georgia native had a great career competing for the Cougars.  5th-3rd-2nd at Regionals, he was a two-time NCAA Division III qualifier.  1st-2nd-1st at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. 

Jason Rezac
Alvernia

A three-time NCAA Division III qualifier, Jason Rezac was a four-time NCAA Division III qualifier with finishes of 5th-2nd-3rd-2nd at Regionals.  87 career victories and was 19-5 on the year. 

Demetri Teddlie
Ozarks

A transfer from D2 King, Demetri Teddlie decided to spend his final season competing in NCAA Division III, as a member of Ozarks.   Had a strong season, going 25-8, qualifying for the D3 nationals with a runner-up finish at Regional 6.  He was also 4th at Pete Willson.  One of the handful of collegiate wrestlers I can name from Louisiana. 

Xavier Howard
McDaniel

A Regional champion last season, & 8th in the D3 nation, things didn't go as well for Xavier Howard in his final year of collegiate competition.  Taking 6th at Regionals this year, he had 90 career wins. 

Andrew McDougal          Jarrod Pominville
Roanoke

Andrew McDougal has Regional finishes of 7th & 4th the past two seasons.  His backup, Jarrod Pominville, a Georgia native, was a runner-up at ODAC. 

Matt Lucas
Roger Williams

In his final season of collegiate wrestling, Matt Lucas went 35-9, finishing one match shy of D3 qualification with a 4th place finish at Regionals. 

Ramiro Guerrero 
Olivet

Ramiro Guerrero finished off his collegiate career as a three-time Regional place-winner with finishes of 5th-6th-5th. 

Mike Smith
MSOE

Another three-time Regional place-winner, Mike Smith went 7th-5th-7th his last three seasons. 

And That's a Career - A final salute to the Class of '25 - NCAA Division III 149 lbs

 

Hayden Brown
Johnson & Wales

The whole COVID-19 thing sure makes eligibility complicated.  Hayden Brown might have a season left, but just in case he does not, I'm including him in this write-up.  A four-time NCAA DIII qualifier, had an outstanding final two seasons.  3rd in the D3 nation last year, he ended his career as a NCAA DIII champion.  39-1 on the season, 132-11 overall. 

Kyler Romero 
Wartburg

The Washington native had a fantastic final two-seasons as a Knight of Wartburg.  A two-time Regional champion, took D3 All American honors of 5th & 3rd.  Went 30-2 on the year. 

Colby Frost
Southern Maine

A three-time NCAA DIII qualifier & a two-time D3 All American, Colby Frost had an outstanding career for the Huskies.  112 career wins, was 3rd-5th-3rd-2nd within the Regional & twice 6th in the D3 nation.  Was 37-4 in his last go round. 

Mike Conklin
TCNJ

In my opinion the toughest match to win at any Division of collegiate wrestling is the R12 match at nationals.  Mike Conklin impressed me by being in that match three-times during his collegiate career, & winning it all three times.  2nd-5th-1st-2nd within the Regional, he had D3 All American honors of 8th-7th-7th.  37 wins on the season, 93 career wins in total. 

Mike Glynn III
R.I.T. 

The future mechanical engineer got it done on the mat & got it done in the classroom.   5th-8th-2nd-3rd at Regionals, he took back-to-back D3 All American honors of 8th these past two seasons. 

Tyler Herrema
Olivet 

A match shy of NCAA D3 qualification as a junior last year, Tyler Herrema finally got through this year as a senior with a runner-up finish at Regionals.  Was one match shy of earning D3 All American honors.  29 wins on the season. 

Daniel Uribe
Wabash

A four-time NCAA DIII qualifier, I'd have to conclude Daniel Uribe as one of the best to never earn All American honors during his career. 3rd-2nd-3rd-1st at Regionals, had 31 victories in his final season. 

Xavier Pena
Centenary

Years ago Xavier Pena ended his high school career as one of the best that year to never earn New Jersey State placement & ironically enough he ended his collegiate career as one of the best to never earn NCAA Division III All American honors.  2nd-1st-3rd-2nd at Regionals, the four-time D3 qualifier earned 25 wins on the season. 

Zach Sato
UW-Eau Claire

An assortment of accomplishments and credentials in the career of Zach Sato.  Along with finishing 5th in the D3 nation as a junior, Sato was 2nd-2nd-1st in the last three Pete Willson Invitationals.  1st-3rd-3rd-1st at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference & 3rd-4th-2nd-3rd at Regionals.  104 career victories, and was 34-5 this year. 

Cael Vanderhorst
Ohio Northern

25 wins on the season, Cael Vanderhorst took runner-up honors at both the Pete Willson Invitational & at Regionals this year.  An NCAA DIII qualifier in his final year as a Polar Bear. 

Elijah Cyr
Castleton

Elijah Cyr really stepped it up a notch this season.  Got tough when he needed to get tough & earned himself an NCAA D3 qualification with a 3rd place showing at Regionals.  Was 7th in the Regional last year.  110 career victories for the Spartan. 

Landon Card
Cornell (IA)

There are a lot of talented D3 wrestlers who never saw the NCAA DIII championships & Landon Card is one of them. He was 5th-5th-5th in the last three Regionals & looking back at those finishes, it occurs to me the level of intestinal fortitude it had to have taken to have won that 5th place match all three times.  You know that you aren't going to Nationals, there's nothing in winning that final match other than a W for your team & a W for your pride.  I respect and admire that a great deal.  I've seen many wrestlers over the years that once they realize the dream of being a national qualifier is off the table, they forfeit to 6th place.  Card never did that.  He came back each time & earned that 5th place finish.   He was also 3rd & 4th at the prestigious Pete Willson Invitational & this year alone defeated Tyler Herrema 7-1, Brett Back 7-4 s.v & Cael Vanderhorst 11-6.

Wenchard Pierre Louis
Ithaca

Not sure what went wrong for WPL at Regionals this season.  You hate to see it in someone's final season, but sometimes that's the roll of the dice.  Nevertheless, many highlights within his career, including 1st & 2nd place finishes within the Regional as a sophomore & junior.  In this season, had a 5-2 decision over Xavier Pena & a 13-7 decision over Zach Sato.