To witness the growth of St. Ambrose wrestling has been a real privilege for me the past two season & I expect 2026-2027 to be the best season yet. There's a lot of potential for firsts this year & a lot of records are likely to be made. One of which includes the most amount of NAIA qualifiers in school history. The key to success in my opinion is Coach Bo Bettinson's passionate & talented staff. I'm not going to name every single one of them, but he has a group of assistants that care deeply about helping each wrestler to succeed & get the most out of themselves, on the mat & off of it.
Three NAIA qualifiers for the Fighting Bees last season & we return two of them.
Georgino Moraga, what an inspirational story he was. A kid that thought he was done wrestling. Comes back, learns to friggin' sprawl & earns 8th place at the Missouri Valley Invitational! Then avenges some losses to become an NAIA national qualifier! Gonna miss seeing this kid around next season.
Heart goes out to Tyler Casey. What a class act he was & if he should so choose to be, what an outstanding coach he'll make one day. I cannot have more hatred for injuries than what I have, cause had it not been for injuries, this guy's successes would've been plentiful. Have to remind myself, as I often do, there's so much more to life than what you did or didn't do on the mat. While collegiate medals were few for him, he'll pick up on some golds throughout life.
Lastly, I have to put in a word for Jeremiah Morris. In 25 years of doing college wrestling, 99% of the time you find yourself writing about wins, accomplishments and credentials. Morris was never a national champion. He was never an All-American. He didn't even make the national tournament. Yet, it's kids like him that really make you realize why you love the sport as much as you do. Seeing a guy with his passion, with his energy & his infectious positivity. I told Coach Bettinson that I thought Morris was the heart of the team. Scott Sentes if you're looking for someone that's going to succeed in life beyond wrestling, I give you Jeremiah Morris.
Now, let's take a look at '27
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133
Mitchell Murphy |
Coach Bettinson picked up on a lot of good freshmen last season, who are going to do a lot of big things for the Bees, Mitchell Murphy is one of them.
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133
Tyler Clarke |
We got a glimpse of what's in store for Tyler Clarke last year when he placed 5th at the Battle in the Bluegrass.
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141
Guiseppe Guerra |
I can't help but feel a since of guilt when I think of Guiseppe Guerra. I have so much faith & belief in this kid, it isn't even funny. Not only does he have what it takes to be St. Ambrose's first All-American, he has what it takes to make the NAIA national finals and be the Bee's first NAIA national champion. I can't help but wonder sometimes if I might have contributed to the pressure I know he has felt at times. For years I've seen myself a small outlaw journalist, that a handful of wrestling fans read & paid attention to. Yet I've come to learn over the years, a lot of people read my stuff. Coaches read my stuff, and so do wrestlers. Not only that, but I've often reminded him in person of my belief in his abilities, and I can only hope that he knows I'm saying it because I mean it. Yes, JT1Wrestle does have a lot of expectations for Guiseppe Guerra, because I know how good he is, and I know what he's capable of.
5th in the Heart of America (HOA) as well as 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational, Guerra was 2nd at both the Grand View Open & the Battle in the Bluegrass.
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149
Josh Zeman |
Every season I have a list of highlights & Josh Zeman earning NAIA qualification last season easily made my top 10. I really think going to the dance, seeing his name on the paper & realizing that he was one of the best 32 wrestlers in the nation is going to make a real difference in him this season. Excited to watch him compete.
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149
Chuck Fitzgerald |
I can see Chuck Fitzgerald stepping it up a notch this season. He had a good showing at the Battle in the Bluegrass.
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157
Vinny Tindal |
JT1Wrestle is standing by the belief that Guerra is going to be the Bee's first All-American, but Vinny Tindal might not be too far behind him. I watched his wrestle a couple of times last year & it was obvious that he's capable of having an outstanding career. Quick, technical, & very physical.
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174
Jean-Luc Guerra |
Solid, tough wrestler on his feet. His Achilles last year was bottom wrestling, but with coaches like Dylan Meiners & Diego Machado, you know that'll be a weakness made into a strength soon enough. 4th at the Coe Invite.
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174
Brody Schmidt |
I know it seems a bit out of character for JT1Wrestle to be high on so many newcomers, but keep in mind I had a lot of opportunity to watch St. Ambrose in person last season & I have good reason to feel as excited as what I am. Brody Schmidt placed 5th at the Coe Invite.
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184
Nic Makwala |
Super tough top wrestler, with an absolute filthy trapped arm tilt. If you were a fan of Jake Patacsil of Purdue years ago, similar situation. I expect to be recording a ton of big back points from this guy at duals & tournaments this year.
