Anyway, I did these team by team.
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| Cumberlands |
The Patriots say goodbye to a heap of talented wrestlers who achieved many things for the program during their illustrious careers. What's really cool is that a lot of these guys were from the South, testimony that our great sport is growing exponentially in areas we thought it might not ever.
Chandler Akins - From what I understand Akins originally went to a college without a wrestling program. The Alabama native from what I've been able to gather transferred to Cumberlands & all things considered had a good career that ended on a high note of taking 3rd at this year's Patriot Open & winning a Mid-South Conference title.
Jace Luchau - A native of California, earned 4th place NAIA All American honors for the Patriots in 2023. Unfortunately wasn't able to find the award stand at the National tournament again, but did have outstanding showings at the Mid-South Conference taking 2nd & 3rd these past two years.
Tuner Black - Another Alabama native that really turned it on these last two season. Back to back Mid-South Conference titles & capped it all off with 7th place NAIA All American honors.
Dylan Preston - A Native of Kentucky, bid his time as a backup in his first couple of seasons, really stepping it up for the Patriots as a starter in '23-'24 & '24-'25. Made the Mid-South Conference finals this year.
Thomas Ketchen-Carter - Another Kentucky native, TKC could often be relied on in important duals & was a staple on the Patriot squad. 1st-4th-2nd in the Mid-South Conference, finished one match shy of being an All American this year.
Chandler Akins - From what I understand Akins originally went to a college without a wrestling program. The Alabama native from what I've been able to gather transferred to Cumberlands & all things considered had a good career that ended on a high note of taking 3rd at this year's Patriot Open & winning a Mid-South Conference title.
Jace Luchau - A native of California, earned 4th place NAIA All American honors for the Patriots in 2023. Unfortunately wasn't able to find the award stand at the National tournament again, but did have outstanding showings at the Mid-South Conference taking 2nd & 3rd these past two years.
Tuner Black - Another Alabama native that really turned it on these last two season. Back to back Mid-South Conference titles & capped it all off with 7th place NAIA All American honors.
Dylan Preston - A Native of Kentucky, bid his time as a backup in his first couple of seasons, really stepping it up for the Patriots as a starter in '23-'24 & '24-'25. Made the Mid-South Conference finals this year.
Thomas Ketchen-Carter - Another Kentucky native, TKC could often be relied on in important duals & was a staple on the Patriot squad. 1st-4th-2nd in the Mid-South Conference, finished one match shy of being an All American this year.
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| Lindsey Wilson |
Lindsey Wilson provided a home to two solid transfers, who accomplished some big things for the Blue Raiders in their final season.
Chase Ayers - Starting his career off at Life, the Tampa, Florida native made the Mid-South Conference finals this year.
Adrian Ayala - A native of Naples, Florida, Adrian Ayala came to Lindsey Wilson from Southeastern University. A tough wrestler, ended up making the Mid-South Conference finals a total of three times during his career.
Clarence Lee Green IV - Had a very respectable final season of collegiate wrestling. Took a 3rd place showing at the Mid-South Conference & nearly made All American honors, coming up one match shy at the NAIA national tournament.
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| Cumberland |
Victor Guzman - Being only an hour drive from Rock Island, I remember hearing about Victor Guzman while he was still in high school. Then when he went to go compete for Indian Hills for Coach Cole Spree (who I went to college with for a while), I kept an eye on him during that time too. He captured NJCAA All American honors for the Warriors & I thought he'd be an excellent addition to any four year program he chose to go to. I was right. 3rd & 2nd place finishes in the Mid-South Conference, what a Cinderella ending he had to his collegiate career, capturing a 3rd place finish at the NAIA championships.
Eli Clemmons - The Tennessee native capped off his time on the collegiate mats, making the finals of the Mid-South Conference.
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| Midway |
Kyler Adams - Over the past three years of covering NAIA wrestling, I have to say that Kyler Adams was always one of those wrestlers that I was never quite sure what to make of. Those of us who write about wrestling, often find ourselves evaluating & analyzing. You look over a bracket. You deduce and decide. You pick out the plausible champions. You pick out those who are likely to place. You eliminate those who are not. You have your darkhorses, so on and so forth. A guy like Kyler Adams, always made you stop and think. The Alaskan native was one you always knew was in the fight, and you never felt comfortable betting against. 4th-5th-4th in last three times at the Mid-South Conference.
Abe Hafez - Didn't follow him as well as I did Adams, but did end his career as an NAIA national qualifier. Was 5th at the Mid-South Conference.
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| Cornerstone |
There's little in life that I love more than to see new collegiate wrestling teams pop up. Every time a school that doesn't have wrestling either reinstates their program or gets a program for the very first time, I am ecstatic. Hard to believe that Cornerstone has now been around long enough to bid farewell to some seniors.
Trevor Marsman - When a new program begins, the first call of action is to find their first superstar. The wrestler who is going to take initiative & take the responsibility of being the one who puts the program on the map with his performance. As time goes on & Cornerstone produces more and more stars, the history books will show that the guy who started it all was Trevor Marsman. A three-time Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference champion, the Golden Eagle earned NAIA All-American finishes of 5th-5th-7th.
Thade Radosa - The one thing I can tell you about life is that it's often not fair. Truth is, had it not been for a series of injuries, Thade Radosa would be right there with similar accomplishments to that of Marsman. Nevertheless, although it didn't end in All American honors, Radosa still had a great career & still racked up a long list of other credentials. 3rd in the WHAC, I've said for years & I'll stand by it that the Missouri Valley Invitational is the NAIA's toughest in-season tournament. Radosa was 8th & 7th there during his career.
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| Indiana Tech |
Elijah Chacon - Not everyone starts off their collegiate careers as massive superstars & I think a lot of young high school kids thinking about wrestling in college could stand to know that. Some wrestlers start off not so hot, and through hard work, dedication, good coaching & belief in themselves, are on fire by the end of their careers. I think a lot of young high school kids thinking about wrestling in college, could stand to know that. Elijah Chacon ended his freshman season with a losing record. He ended his senior season a two time WHAC champ & 3rd in the NAIA nation.
Braydon Erb - Truth is, this big strong guy could've just as easily chosen to play collegiate football as he did to wrestle. Luckily for us, he chose the mat over the gridiron. Find it cool that one of his heroes growing up was Adam Coon. A multiple time WHAC place-winner, can't remember all of his placings but I know he won the tournament as a junior & I'm pretty sure he took 3rd twice.
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| Marian |
Elliott Rodgers - My heart broke a little for Elliott Rodgers this year. Going for his fourth WHAC title, he came up short in the finals earning runner-up honors. Then going for his second All American honor (was 6th in '22) he came up a hair short there as well. Nevertheless, still had an outstanding career for the Knights and really shined earlier this season at the Missouri Valley Invitational, taking 3rd.
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| Lourdes |
Will Speight - To my knowledge the Wolfpack says goodbye to two outstanding seniors & Will Speight is one of them. A super tough wrestler who won the WHAC title this past season, he made the NAIA national tournament three times, capturing 4th & 5th All American honors.
Carter Kroll - In his last two-season, Carter Kroll made the WHAC finals twice, winning the title earlier this year.
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| Siena Heights |
Randy Frailey - I talk a lot about new/reinstated programs a lot here at Johnnythompsonnum1 & the importance of having "first" within that program. Things might not have turned out for Randy Frailey the way they should have (mainly due to health reasons) but the Saint was Siena Heights' first WHAC champ. That's worth celebrating.
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| Saint Mary |
Coach Kearney has done an excellent job & the Spires will return a large amount of talent for '25-'26, but nevertheless they do lose a few very talented wrestlers to the expiration of eligibility.
Hartwell Taylor - What an amazing career for Hartwell Taylor. An NAIA champion last year, I'm sure he was hoping for better than 4th place, but earning a top four finish in such a competitive weight class is still something to be very proud of. Winner of the last two KCAC tournaments, he also won the Missouri Valley Invitational earlier this year.
Ryker Blackburn - Winning the KCAC title this year, he came up a bit short of All American honors. Ends career with back-to-back Missouri Valley Invitational places of 5th & 6th.
Austin Almaguer - Couldn't find a pic of him in his Spire gear, so had to use one from when he was a Campbell Camel. Took back to back 3rd place finishes in the KCAC.
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| Oklahoma Wesleyan |
Kolby Encinas - Coach Carr says goodbye to a good one in Kolby Encinas. A multiple time NAIA national qualifier, he was 3rd at the KCAC championships this year.
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| York (NE) |
Brayden Smith - Won a KCAC title this year.
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| Friends |
Braden Morgan - Braden Morgan came to Friends this season, after a pretty successful career at Central Oklahoma, where he was one match shy of NCAA Division II qualification. I'm not 100% positive about this, but I think when Morgan captured 4th place NAIA All American honors, he became the first All American in school history. Pretty amazing accomplishment. Also won a KCAC title.
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| Oklahoma City |
What an historic year for the Stars! Two seniors who will go down in the history book for an assortment of different reasons.
Cade Manion - Since the combination of the American Midwest Conference & the Sooner Athletic Conference, Cade Manion not only became Oklahoma City's first four-time AMC/SAC champion, he became the conference's first four-time AMC/SAC champion. Not only that, but Manion also became a four-time NAIA All American this year as well. 4th-5th-5th-3rd for the Star. I believe he's now going to beat up on fires the same way he did many opponents, as he wants to become a firefighter.
Keegan Luton - Manion was the first AMC/SAC four-time champ, but he only got to hold on to the "only" moniker for a short period of time. Teammate Keegan Luton wasn't far behind. Luton captured his fourth AMC/SAC title a short time after Manion did. While Luton's NAIA championship experience did not end in All American honors, one still has to conclude that he had an outstanding career. There's so much more to this sport than the last 2-3 days of the season. So much more.
Going to go off on a tangent here for a second....
When I was a kid, wrestling in Texas was virtually non-existent. Very few high schools had wrestling programs & those that did were usually private. I remember Oklahoma's Tom Grossman who competed for Shady Grove Christian Academy in Grand Prairie & of course Pennsylvania superstar, Olympic champ Brandon Slay who wrestled in high school for Tascosa in Amarillo. Those were rarities though, and while there had been collegiate wrestling in Texas at one time, the idea of it ever coming back was preposterous. I don't know if wrestling fans younger than me truly understand the state of wrestling & the rather pessimistic outlook many fans had at one time of our sport growing collegiately. That's why I get so excited thinking about programs like Texas Wesleyan. College wrestling, at the varsity level, in Texas. It's surreal to me. I know everyone and their dog is, "DI! DI! DI." I'm as excited as they are about Tarleton State being the first Division I school in Texas since Texas-El Paso dropped in the early 70's, but without teams like Texas Wesleyan paving the road, the mere idea never would have come to fruition.
Braeden Baller - A native of Colorado & a transfer from Davidson, the thing I enjoyed about Braeden Baller the most was the guy was always ready and eager to compete. Seemed to wrestle anywhere and everywhere during his collegiate career. A three-time AMC/SAC champion, I was hoping he'd find the NAIA award stand at some point in his career. Didn't happen, but man did he collect a lot of medals from other tournaments. No doubt the Rams will miss him next season.
Jonathan Ward - A native of Houston, Jonathan Ward came to Texas Wesleyan after spending some time at Ozarks. Finished off his career with an AMC/SAC title.
Dillon Witt - I believe Witt ends his career as a three-time NAIA national qualifier for the Spartans. Had AMC/SAC finishes of 2nd-2nd-3rd.
Tyler Deen - Deen is a pretty neat story. Went the Division I route as he competed for both Nebraska & Cal State Bakersfield. Decided to do his final year of competition in the NAIA, competing for NAIA. Made the AMC/SAC finals. An example of how things can end on a high note for someone & furthermore an example of why the "DI or bust" mentality really needs to be put to bed. Lost in the crowd in DI, has much success in NAIA.
Alex Pena - Lubbock, Texas produced Buddy Holly & it also produced Alex Pena. Like Texas Wesleyan, Wayland Baptist provides a home in the Lone Star state for its wrestlers to compete, and among their stars, Pena was one of them. An All American all the way back in 2021 with an 8th place finish, I would have to say that Pena saved his best year for last. Not only did he take 4th at the NAIA championships this year, but he was also 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. 1st-3rd-2nd at the AMC/SAC.
I've always been very fascinated by Grand View wrestling. From the get-go, the Vikings have been a powerhouse in NAIA wrestling & while many things about the program have thoroughly impressed me, the dedication & loyalty their wrestlers have to GVU wrestling stands above them all. We live in a day in age where transferring is as easy as snapping your fingers. I can't say there haven't been any Vikings that haven't, but many have stayed with the program through the thick and thin. Even some extremely talented seniors, who didn't get to see the post season. We're talking kids that would have been All Americans at other schools.
I had an opportunity to talk to NAIA national champion Aden Reeves & get his perspective on it. He told me that the experience at Grand View is like no other. You feel and know you're a part of something special. A family, where you're valued and the something special, you're a part of, is special cause you're a part of it.
Jameel Coles - A standout NJCAA wrestler for Fort Hays Kansas Tech Northwest, Coles did a lot of great things these past two years for the Vikings. 2nd & 3rd place finishes at the Heart of America, he took 7th place NAIA honors last year. This year he won the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Trayvonne Jackson - The Miami, Florida native took runner-up honors at the HOA this year & ends his career with back-to-back 3rd place finishes at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Justin McCunn - 3rd at the Friends Falcon Invite, Justin McCunn had Missouri Valley Invitational finishes of 2nd & 8th.
Tony Mendoza - Only 12 spots available at the end of the year & when thinking about how few that can be per team, a guy like Tony Mendoza comes to mind. I had the opportunity to watch him wrestle a couple of times live. A guy that was constantly on the attack. Very difficult to defend against. Took 3rd at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Alex Reynolds - The Georgia native had one Hell of a career for the Vikings. A two-time NAIA national champion, was 3rd-1st-1st at the HOA.
Carson Taylor - My girlfriend is from the Fort Dodge area, and as a result, we've spent a fair amount of time in the area. I can remember lifting weights at a gym downtown & people telling me to keep an eye on this Taylor kid. A three-time HOA champ, he took NAIA national honors of 2nd-3rd-1st.
Edrich Nortje - An All American last year, came up a bit short this year. A really neat story to Edrich Nortje, one of the handful of wrestlers we've seen from South Africa. Not only one of the stars of the men's team, but also helped to coach the Women's team. A two-time HOA runner-up, took 7th this year at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Christian Nishi Rivera - a native of Las Vegas, CNR took runner-up honors at the HOA this year.
I grew up in the small southeast, Iowa community of Sigourney. We don't have a college in our town. The nearest school to us is William Penn. When I first got started in the sport, back in the early 90's, one of my pee-wee coaches was the head coach at William Penn. Over the years, I've known quite a few wrestlers who competed for William Penn. Hell, the guy who convinced me that JT#1 needs to be D2, D3, NAIA & NJCAA, as much as it is D1, wrestled for William Penn.
Cameron Hargrove - NAIA R12 this year, Cameron Hargrove had an outstanding career for the Statesmen. 5th-1st-3rd at the HOA, he represented William Penn strong at the Missouri Valley Invitational with places of 5th & 4th.
I worked at the Iowa State Fair the summer before Graceland announced their return to the sport of wrestling. The booth I was working was right next to the booth for Graceland. Told the lady who worked the booth who I was & the next day she brought me a Graceland wrestling shirt. Drew Sams, the younger brother of Marcus Hollingshead & Brett Sams, who were both members of Paul Graham's pee-wee wrestling club with me...a Yellow-Jacket All-American. Amazing how often this sport comes full circle.
Joe Teguia - The New Jersey native took a 4th place finish at HOA this season.
John Schuttler - Speaking of my girlfriend, John Schuttler not only went to school with her brother Cody, but they were in the same class. I remember when I first met Cody, I asked him if he had any good wrestlers in his class, and John was one of the first names he mentioned. Back to back 4th place finishes at HOA for the former Manson-Northwest Webster Cougar.
Let's face it, JT#1 is no Flo & JT#1 is no Track either. Matter of fact, I'd imagine of all college wrestling related media you read, JT#1 is the lowest budget and most simplistic of them all. I am a one man show. I'd tell you I operated on a shoe-string budget, but I can't afford a shoe-string. I think I do fairly well, all things considered. Average 25,000 readers a month, and I'm fairly well known in the wrestling community.
Coach Bo Bettinson & the St. Ambrose program have been very good to me. There are other programs and coaches that are as well, but Coach Bettinson has gone out of his way to share my stuff & help try and grow JT#1. I've invested into a camera, some new computers & some other equipment. I'm working hard to try and adjust my schedule so that next year, I can dedicate more time to wrestling. I really want to start covering the sport more and covering the sport better. Still have to have some things go my way in order for this dream to become a reality, but I want to do as much for the Fighting Bee program as I can next season. Fingers crossed that it works out that way for me.
Diego Machado - a tough, tough kid from Nevada who always had a "bring it" attitude every time he stepped out onto the mat. Schedule allowed me to attend two St. Ambrose home duals this year & I also watched them compete at Grand View. Machado was a fan favorite that the home crowd in Davenport loved. Back to back bronze medal showings at HOA.
Jaydon Terronez - I know it's only a matter of time before Coach Bettinson gets his first All American at St. Ambrose. I think if Jaydon Terronez's health would have been better during his career, he'd have been the first. Very physical wrestler, a master of the neck wrench. If he could get it set up & locked in, you were a gonner. Had some great highlights during his career & an NAIA qualifier this season.
Jonah Chew - We've had so few collegiate wrestlers from Hawaii over the years. You give me $100 bill for every college wrestler from Hawaii one could name & give me $0.10 for every college wrestler from Pennsylvania that one could name. You'd easily walk away with more $$ from the Pennsylvania dimes, than you would the Hawaiian Benjamins. So yeah, I get excited when we see someone from Hawaii competing in the collegiate ranks. Jonah Chew had a strong career for the Eagles. 3rd-3rd-1st at the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
Keller Rock - I really thought Keller Rock would win an NAIA national title before his career was all said and done. With Dad as a Coach, I was sorta surprised that the bigger wrestling medias didn't make a bigger deal out of it. Rock didn't win the NAIA title, but he came very close these past two seasons. 2nd last year & 3rd this year. Was also 2nd & 1st the past two seasons in the CCC.
Montana is one of those states that has actually produced quite a bit of talent over the years, but is rarely mentioned in conversation. I suppose with such a small population, one that even dwarfs Iowa where I live, it's going to be hard to compete with the Pennsylvanias & the Ohios, which have more people in Philadelphia and Columbus, than Montana has in the entire state. Nevertheless, Montana has had & will continue to have some great wrestlers.
At one time Montana, Montana State & Western Montana all had wrestling programs. There were quite a few choices. Today, we're down to Montana State Northern & Providence. Both have done an outstanding job of providing a home for Montana high school wrestlers to compete collegiately.
Devin Crawford - A Montana native, was a four-time CCC place-winner during his days of competition. 8th-6th-5th-5th for the Light.
Rylin Burns - In wrestling we often talk about "tournament wrestlers." Guys who you know are always going to be at their very best when the stakes are highest. That was Rylin Burns. 4th & 5th at the CCC these past two seasons, he came to compete at the NAIA's two toughest tournaments, the National tournament & the Missouri Valley Invitational. He was 5th & 7th in the NAIA nation, and 3rd & 2nd at MVI.
Aaron Gandara - The Arizona native came to Southern Oregon as a transfer from Fresno State. A career full of ups and downs, he was a two-time CCC champion, winning the title his sophomore & senior years. He was 4th as a junior. Came within one match of ending his career as an NAIA All American.
Evan Potter - 3rd-2nd-2nd in the NAIA nation, I'd conclude Evan Potter as one of the best within the NAIA to never win a national title. An Oregon native, he was 3rd-1st-1st the last three CCC championships as well.
Jaxon Morlan - I spoke earlier of how the state of Montana has produced some good talent & truth is, so has the state of Utah. I mean after all, that's where Cael Sanderson is from. Jaxon Morlan is a Utah native, took runner-up honors at the CCC this year.
Kyle Knudtson - A fact about me that not many people know, is that while I'm not near as fixated with it, my second favorite sport is baseball. While multi-athletes exist a lot between football & wrestling, we don't see many between baseball & wrestling. I love it when we do. Knudtson was also a pitcher on the Mountaineer baseball team. Not sure if he's playing right now or not. Wrestling wise, pretty successful. An All American last year as a junior, had CCC finishes of 2nd-3rd-3rd.
David Rubio - Over these past few years, David Rubio has become a favorite of mine. Corban in every way has worked extremely hard to put themselves on the map of NAIA wrestling & they've done a great job. David Rubio has been their star. Their first All American, their first NAIA finalist & their first NAIA national champion. 5th-2nd-2nd-1st in the NAIA nation. 1st-1st-2nd in the CCC.
Tyson Stover - Another tough senior for Corban, Stove was an NAIA qualifier this year with a 4th place finish at the CCC.
The past few years, this has been one of the coolest stories in the NAIA. What makes NAIA wrestling different from all other divisions of collegiate wrestling, is that you can have more than one wrestler wrestling varsity at the same weight class. I've talked to Coach Kearney who has a similar situation with Roman De La Cruz & Freddie Barajas (both juniors, who will be seniors in '25-'26). I'm sure there's times when the two are at one each other throats, but I know among the competition, there has to be a brotherly connection there too. It's pretty cool watching them.
Brad Antesberger - A three-time NAIA All American, Antesberger was 3rd-7th-4th these past three seasons. A three-time Great Plains Athletic Conference champion.
Kasten Grape - A two-time NAIA All American in his own right, Kasten Grape had finishes of 4th & 3rd. Was a two-time GPAC runner-up.
*NOTE* - They shared the Missouri Valley Invitational title this year.
Aaron "Swayz Happens" Sweazy's favorite team, says goodbye to a group of talented seniors.
Creighton Baughman - A guy that loved to pin, things ended very well for Creighton Baughman this year. 2nd-2nd in the GPAC, he finally won a title this season. He also ended as an All American, with an 8th place finish in the NAIA nation. A runner-up at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Mason Garcia - The California native finished 3rd & 4th at the GPAC the past two years.
Cole Price - Cole Price came to Concordia (NEB) from Iowa Western Community college where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American. Ended his career by making the GPAC finals.
Kaleb Lind - As far as I know, the college I spent 2 and 3/4's years at only graduates one senior this year, in Kaleb Lind. Career didn't quite turn out the way I was hoping it would, and I think that was in partially due to injuries. 2nd-5th-6th at GPAC.
Jakob Jerabek - The Mustang finished off his career as a three-time GPAC finalist.
Alex Vandyke - Taking 3rd as a junior, Alex Vandyke won GPAC titles in both his sophomore and senior seasons.
Tyler Okada - I thought a lot about Tyler Okada during the fires in Los Angeles. When Waldorf dualed St. Ambrose at St. Ambrose, I was hoping to see Okada in action, but it was during the height of the fires. I was concerned for him and his family. I have no idea if the fires hit where he lived, but I sure hope that they and their property was safe. I asked around to a few different people, but never did hear anything back. A Missouri Valley Invitational place-winner last year, he came up a little short this year. Bounced back strong at the GPAC, taking a strong 3rd place finish, ending his career with another NAIA qualification.
Burt Brandt - The Warriors say farewell to two tough seniors this year & Burt Brandt is one of them. The soon to be accountant took 3rd place honors in the GPAC.
Zeph Sivels - I'm not what career Zeph Sivels is stepping into but I know it'll have something to do with Criminal Justice. He also took 3rd place honors in the GPAC, and was one match shy of earning NAIA All American honors.
Angel Banda - You have to remember, I'm old enough to have known of a time when there was no college wrestling in the state of Georgia. I'd see all sorts of talent, extremely good talent like Witt Durden & Chris Rodrigues come out of Georgia, but there was no place for them to wrestle within their home state. Georgia still doesn't provide enough collegiate opportunity in my opinion, but trust me, 7 programs is a lot better than 0, and seeing teams like Reinhardt do as well as what they do, has been very rewarding. Angel Banda is a Georgia native who had a great career for the Eagles, and I'd say his senior season was his best. 4th & 2nd in the Appalachian Athletic Conference as a sophomore & junior, the Eagle won the title in his final attempt. He also took 8th place NAIA All American honors.
Devin Griffin - Here's the thing about Devin Griffin, he's yet another example of a kid from Nevada who wanted to compete in college. There's not a lot of athletic opportunity in Nevada to begin with. Only four schools, two NCAA DI & two NJCAA provide athletics, and we're 0 for 4 on those who provide wrestling, although UNLV has an outstanding NCWA program. With that said, I seem to come across more and more kids from Nevada, who have the itch to compete in college. Griffin had an outstanding final season. 5th in a super tough bracket at the AAC, he wrestled exceptionally well at the NAIA's, taking 5th place All American honors.
Matt Jenkins - Another Georgia native, Jenkins was 3rd-2nd-3rd at the AAC & he too ended his career with All American honors placing 4th at the NAIA championships.
Thomas Williams - The past couple of seasons, whenever I watched Thomas Williams compete, I couldn't help but feel we weren't seeing him at full capacity. Sometimes you watch a wrestler & know he's holding back for some reason. There's something within him that needs to be unlocked. I felt that as he finished 7th at the AAC as a sophomore & 5th at the AAC as a junior. I'm not sure when the key was discovered, but I'm glad it was, because it was clear watching him this year, that whatever that something was, it had been unlocked. Williams made the AAC finals & then took 7th place honors at the NAIA championships.
I already talked about this a bit when I went over the seniors of Reinhardt, but I have to elaborate a bit more. When I was a kid the idea of college wrestling ever coming back to Georgia was difficult for me to conceive. The idea of a school in Georgia being one of the top teams within its division? I'll say this.
Johnnythompsonnum1 started in 2001. The internet was new, and I had recently discovered message boards. Places to go and talk about subjects that I was passionate about with others who were also passionate. I found message boards to talk about books, history, movies, music, weight lifting and professional wrestling. I wondered if there was anywhere to go and talk about college wrestling. That's when I found themat.com message boards. Not the greatest of places to get your start discussing college wrestling, but it was a place to start.
Anyway, the topic of college wrestling in the south was one that was discussed from time to time. I made the argument that if a school in Georgia were to get wrestling, they could become very respectable within due time. Called an idiot, told I know nothing about wrestling, the Ohioans and Pennsylvanians loved to make fun of JT#1 and his outlandish ideas that college wrestling could thrive in a state like Georgia. Well here we are all these years later and often neck & neck with Grand View, Life competes for the #1 crown within the NAIA year after year. They say so long and farewell to five outstanding talents this year, but even with that much departure, you still known they're going to come back super strong next season.
Bret Minor - A native of Kansas City, Bret Minor took 3rd & 1st place finishes at the AAC these past two seasons & finished off his collegiate career with an 8th place All American finish at the NAIA's.
Steve Villalobos - Steve Villalobos reminds me of how often I run across talent from Miami, Florida. When it comes to people listing and talking about, "wrestling cities" I think Miami is probably the most underrated city in the country. I'm not saying it's Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania or Iowa City, Iowa, but I think Miami should be mentioned more often than what it is. Villalobos 3rd at the AAC as a sophomore won back-to-back titles these past two seasons. He also earned back-to-back 4th place All American finishes at the NAIA's.
Fabian Padilla - The New Mexico native took runner-up honors at the AAC & 7th place NAIA All American honors at the national tournament in his final season.
Tre Morrisette - Super tough wrestler, I really thought he'd make the NAIA award stand multiple times in his career, but in the end, I was happy to see him finally make the award stand with a 5th place finish at the NAIA's this year. He was also an AAC champ, taking runner-up honors last year.
J.D. Perez - 5th-6th-3rd, at the very beginning of the season I called the Ottawa transfer the best wrestler in the NAIA yet to win a national title. The New Mexico native "got er done" as Larry 'The Cable Guy' would say. An AAC title & a NAIA title for the Eagle.
I'm not going to reiterate myself, but honestly I could say a lot of the same things about Florida that I said about Georgia earlier. It's been a real treat seeing collegiate programs pop up in the Sunshine state, and an even more rewarding experience to see Southeastern do as well as they've been doing.
Kael Brisker - A native of Wilton, Iowa, an area I'm pretty familiar with, Kael Brisker did what I know I'd do if I were a great high school wrestler in today's environment. He went to compete some place warm! Traded in the ice & snow of a January & February Iowa winter for some Southeastern Fire! Had an outstanding final two seasons. 2nd-1st within the AAC and 4th & 6th within the NAIA nation.
Anthony Federico - A transfer from the University of Illinois, Federico won an AAC title & took 6th place NAIA All American honors.
Gage Braun - JT#1's favorite of the Rocky series is Rocky III. On top of the heap, everything comes crashing down for Rocky Balboa, and his whole world falls apart. He has to put himself back together, find himself again & climb back to the top. The story reminds me a lot of Gage Braun. An NAIA champion in 2022, failed to place in 2023. Took 2024 off & then comes back the same way Rocky did in Rocky III and takes it to the NAIA championships, the same way Rocky did to Clubber Lang! We're talking a two-time NAIA champ!!
Trace Braun - Brother Trace had himself one heck of a fine career for the Fire too! 7th & 8th place finishes in the NAIA nation for the Fire.
Angel Hernandez - A transfer from Life, the Dade City native took runner-up honors at the AAC & finished one match shy of All American honors.
When I was a kid, wrestling in Texas was virtually non-existent. Very few high schools had wrestling programs & those that did were usually private. I remember Oklahoma's Tom Grossman who competed for Shady Grove Christian Academy in Grand Prairie & of course Pennsylvania superstar, Olympic champ Brandon Slay who wrestled in high school for Tascosa in Amarillo. Those were rarities though, and while there had been collegiate wrestling in Texas at one time, the idea of it ever coming back was preposterous. I don't know if wrestling fans younger than me truly understand the state of wrestling & the rather pessimistic outlook many fans had at one time of our sport growing collegiately. That's why I get so excited thinking about programs like Texas Wesleyan. College wrestling, at the varsity level, in Texas. It's surreal to me. I know everyone and their dog is, "DI! DI! DI." I'm as excited as they are about Tarleton State being the first Division I school in Texas since Texas-El Paso dropped in the early 70's, but without teams like Texas Wesleyan paving the road, the mere idea never would have come to fruition.
Braeden Baller - A native of Colorado & a transfer from Davidson, the thing I enjoyed about Braeden Baller the most was the guy was always ready and eager to compete. Seemed to wrestle anywhere and everywhere during his collegiate career. A three-time AMC/SAC champion, I was hoping he'd find the NAIA award stand at some point in his career. Didn't happen, but man did he collect a lot of medals from other tournaments. No doubt the Rams will miss him next season.
Jonathan Ward - A native of Houston, Jonathan Ward came to Texas Wesleyan after spending some time at Ozarks. Finished off his career with an AMC/SAC title.
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| Missouri Baptist |
Dillon Witt - I believe Witt ends his career as a three-time NAIA national qualifier for the Spartans. Had AMC/SAC finishes of 2nd-2nd-3rd.
Tyler Deen - Deen is a pretty neat story. Went the Division I route as he competed for both Nebraska & Cal State Bakersfield. Decided to do his final year of competition in the NAIA, competing for NAIA. Made the AMC/SAC finals. An example of how things can end on a high note for someone & furthermore an example of why the "DI or bust" mentality really needs to be put to bed. Lost in the crowd in DI, has much success in NAIA.
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| Wayland Baptist |
Alex Pena - Lubbock, Texas produced Buddy Holly & it also produced Alex Pena. Like Texas Wesleyan, Wayland Baptist provides a home in the Lone Star state for its wrestlers to compete, and among their stars, Pena was one of them. An All American all the way back in 2021 with an 8th place finish, I would have to say that Pena saved his best year for last. Not only did he take 4th at the NAIA championships this year, but he was also 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational. 1st-3rd-2nd at the AMC/SAC.
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| Grand View |
I've always been very fascinated by Grand View wrestling. From the get-go, the Vikings have been a powerhouse in NAIA wrestling & while many things about the program have thoroughly impressed me, the dedication & loyalty their wrestlers have to GVU wrestling stands above them all. We live in a day in age where transferring is as easy as snapping your fingers. I can't say there haven't been any Vikings that haven't, but many have stayed with the program through the thick and thin. Even some extremely talented seniors, who didn't get to see the post season. We're talking kids that would have been All Americans at other schools.
I had an opportunity to talk to NAIA national champion Aden Reeves & get his perspective on it. He told me that the experience at Grand View is like no other. You feel and know you're a part of something special. A family, where you're valued and the something special, you're a part of, is special cause you're a part of it.
Jameel Coles - A standout NJCAA wrestler for Fort Hays Kansas Tech Northwest, Coles did a lot of great things these past two years for the Vikings. 2nd & 3rd place finishes at the Heart of America, he took 7th place NAIA honors last year. This year he won the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Trayvonne Jackson - The Miami, Florida native took runner-up honors at the HOA this year & ends his career with back-to-back 3rd place finishes at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Justin McCunn - 3rd at the Friends Falcon Invite, Justin McCunn had Missouri Valley Invitational finishes of 2nd & 8th.
Tony Mendoza - Only 12 spots available at the end of the year & when thinking about how few that can be per team, a guy like Tony Mendoza comes to mind. I had the opportunity to watch him wrestle a couple of times live. A guy that was constantly on the attack. Very difficult to defend against. Took 3rd at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Alex Reynolds - The Georgia native had one Hell of a career for the Vikings. A two-time NAIA national champion, was 3rd-1st-1st at the HOA.
Carson Taylor - My girlfriend is from the Fort Dodge area, and as a result, we've spent a fair amount of time in the area. I can remember lifting weights at a gym downtown & people telling me to keep an eye on this Taylor kid. A three-time HOA champ, he took NAIA national honors of 2nd-3rd-1st.
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| Dickinson State |
Edrich Nortje - An All American last year, came up a bit short this year. A really neat story to Edrich Nortje, one of the handful of wrestlers we've seen from South Africa. Not only one of the stars of the men's team, but also helped to coach the Women's team. A two-time HOA runner-up, took 7th this year at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
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| Baker |
Christian Nishi Rivera - a native of Las Vegas, CNR took runner-up honors at the HOA this year.
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| William Penn |
I grew up in the small southeast, Iowa community of Sigourney. We don't have a college in our town. The nearest school to us is William Penn. When I first got started in the sport, back in the early 90's, one of my pee-wee coaches was the head coach at William Penn. Over the years, I've known quite a few wrestlers who competed for William Penn. Hell, the guy who convinced me that JT#1 needs to be D2, D3, NAIA & NJCAA, as much as it is D1, wrestled for William Penn.
Cameron Hargrove - NAIA R12 this year, Cameron Hargrove had an outstanding career for the Statesmen. 5th-1st-3rd at the HOA, he represented William Penn strong at the Missouri Valley Invitational with places of 5th & 4th.
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| Graceland |
I worked at the Iowa State Fair the summer before Graceland announced their return to the sport of wrestling. The booth I was working was right next to the booth for Graceland. Told the lady who worked the booth who I was & the next day she brought me a Graceland wrestling shirt. Drew Sams, the younger brother of Marcus Hollingshead & Brett Sams, who were both members of Paul Graham's pee-wee wrestling club with me...a Yellow-Jacket All-American. Amazing how often this sport comes full circle.
Joe Teguia - The New Jersey native took a 4th place finish at HOA this season.
John Schuttler - Speaking of my girlfriend, John Schuttler not only went to school with her brother Cody, but they were in the same class. I remember when I first met Cody, I asked him if he had any good wrestlers in his class, and John was one of the first names he mentioned. Back to back 4th place finishes at HOA for the former Manson-Northwest Webster Cougar.
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| St. Ambrose |
Let's face it, JT#1 is no Flo & JT#1 is no Track either. Matter of fact, I'd imagine of all college wrestling related media you read, JT#1 is the lowest budget and most simplistic of them all. I am a one man show. I'd tell you I operated on a shoe-string budget, but I can't afford a shoe-string. I think I do fairly well, all things considered. Average 25,000 readers a month, and I'm fairly well known in the wrestling community.
Coach Bo Bettinson & the St. Ambrose program have been very good to me. There are other programs and coaches that are as well, but Coach Bettinson has gone out of his way to share my stuff & help try and grow JT#1. I've invested into a camera, some new computers & some other equipment. I'm working hard to try and adjust my schedule so that next year, I can dedicate more time to wrestling. I really want to start covering the sport more and covering the sport better. Still have to have some things go my way in order for this dream to become a reality, but I want to do as much for the Fighting Bee program as I can next season. Fingers crossed that it works out that way for me.
Diego Machado - a tough, tough kid from Nevada who always had a "bring it" attitude every time he stepped out onto the mat. Schedule allowed me to attend two St. Ambrose home duals this year & I also watched them compete at Grand View. Machado was a fan favorite that the home crowd in Davenport loved. Back to back bronze medal showings at HOA.
Jaydon Terronez - I know it's only a matter of time before Coach Bettinson gets his first All American at St. Ambrose. I think if Jaydon Terronez's health would have been better during his career, he'd have been the first. Very physical wrestler, a master of the neck wrench. If he could get it set up & locked in, you were a gonner. Had some great highlights during his career & an NAIA qualifier this season.
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| Embry Riddle |
Jonah Chew - We've had so few collegiate wrestlers from Hawaii over the years. You give me $100 bill for every college wrestler from Hawaii one could name & give me $0.10 for every college wrestler from Pennsylvania that one could name. You'd easily walk away with more $$ from the Pennsylvania dimes, than you would the Hawaiian Benjamins. So yeah, I get excited when we see someone from Hawaii competing in the collegiate ranks. Jonah Chew had a strong career for the Eagles. 3rd-3rd-1st at the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
Keller Rock - I really thought Keller Rock would win an NAIA national title before his career was all said and done. With Dad as a Coach, I was sorta surprised that the bigger wrestling medias didn't make a bigger deal out of it. Rock didn't win the NAIA title, but he came very close these past two seasons. 2nd last year & 3rd this year. Was also 2nd & 1st the past two seasons in the CCC.
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| Montana State Northern |
Montana is one of those states that has actually produced quite a bit of talent over the years, but is rarely mentioned in conversation. I suppose with such a small population, one that even dwarfs Iowa where I live, it's going to be hard to compete with the Pennsylvanias & the Ohios, which have more people in Philadelphia and Columbus, than Montana has in the entire state. Nevertheless, Montana has had & will continue to have some great wrestlers.
At one time Montana, Montana State & Western Montana all had wrestling programs. There were quite a few choices. Today, we're down to Montana State Northern & Providence. Both have done an outstanding job of providing a home for Montana high school wrestlers to compete collegiately.
Devin Crawford - A Montana native, was a four-time CCC place-winner during his days of competition. 8th-6th-5th-5th for the Light.
Rylin Burns - In wrestling we often talk about "tournament wrestlers." Guys who you know are always going to be at their very best when the stakes are highest. That was Rylin Burns. 4th & 5th at the CCC these past two seasons, he came to compete at the NAIA's two toughest tournaments, the National tournament & the Missouri Valley Invitational. He was 5th & 7th in the NAIA nation, and 3rd & 2nd at MVI.
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| Southern Oregon |
Aaron Gandara - The Arizona native came to Southern Oregon as a transfer from Fresno State. A career full of ups and downs, he was a two-time CCC champion, winning the title his sophomore & senior years. He was 4th as a junior. Came within one match of ending his career as an NAIA All American.
Evan Potter - 3rd-2nd-2nd in the NAIA nation, I'd conclude Evan Potter as one of the best within the NAIA to never win a national title. An Oregon native, he was 3rd-1st-1st the last three CCC championships as well.
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| Eastern Oregon |
Jaxon Morlan - I spoke earlier of how the state of Montana has produced some good talent & truth is, so has the state of Utah. I mean after all, that's where Cael Sanderson is from. Jaxon Morlan is a Utah native, took runner-up honors at the CCC this year.
Kyle Knudtson - A fact about me that not many people know, is that while I'm not near as fixated with it, my second favorite sport is baseball. While multi-athletes exist a lot between football & wrestling, we don't see many between baseball & wrestling. I love it when we do. Knudtson was also a pitcher on the Mountaineer baseball team. Not sure if he's playing right now or not. Wrestling wise, pretty successful. An All American last year as a junior, had CCC finishes of 2nd-3rd-3rd.
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| Corban |
David Rubio - Over these past few years, David Rubio has become a favorite of mine. Corban in every way has worked extremely hard to put themselves on the map of NAIA wrestling & they've done a great job. David Rubio has been their star. Their first All American, their first NAIA finalist & their first NAIA national champion. 5th-2nd-2nd-1st in the NAIA nation. 1st-1st-2nd in the CCC.
Tyson Stover - Another tough senior for Corban, Stove was an NAIA qualifier this year with a 4th place finish at the CCC.
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| Doane |
The past few years, this has been one of the coolest stories in the NAIA. What makes NAIA wrestling different from all other divisions of collegiate wrestling, is that you can have more than one wrestler wrestling varsity at the same weight class. I've talked to Coach Kearney who has a similar situation with Roman De La Cruz & Freddie Barajas (both juniors, who will be seniors in '25-'26). I'm sure there's times when the two are at one each other throats, but I know among the competition, there has to be a brotherly connection there too. It's pretty cool watching them.
Brad Antesberger - A three-time NAIA All American, Antesberger was 3rd-7th-4th these past three seasons. A three-time Great Plains Athletic Conference champion.
Kasten Grape - A two-time NAIA All American in his own right, Kasten Grape had finishes of 4th & 3rd. Was a two-time GPAC runner-up.
*NOTE* - They shared the Missouri Valley Invitational title this year.
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| Concordia (NEB) |
Aaron "Swayz Happens" Sweazy's favorite team, says goodbye to a group of talented seniors.
Creighton Baughman - A guy that loved to pin, things ended very well for Creighton Baughman this year. 2nd-2nd in the GPAC, he finally won a title this season. He also ended as an All American, with an 8th place finish in the NAIA nation. A runner-up at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Mason Garcia - The California native finished 3rd & 4th at the GPAC the past two years.
Cole Price - Cole Price came to Concordia (NEB) from Iowa Western Community college where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American. Ended his career by making the GPAC finals.
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| Northwestern (IA) |
Kaleb Lind - As far as I know, the college I spent 2 and 3/4's years at only graduates one senior this year, in Kaleb Lind. Career didn't quite turn out the way I was hoping it would, and I think that was in partially due to injuries. 2nd-5th-6th at GPAC.
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| Morningside |
Jakob Jerabek - The Mustang finished off his career as a three-time GPAC finalist.
Alex Vandyke - Taking 3rd as a junior, Alex Vandyke won GPAC titles in both his sophomore and senior seasons.
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| Waldorf |
Tyler Okada - I thought a lot about Tyler Okada during the fires in Los Angeles. When Waldorf dualed St. Ambrose at St. Ambrose, I was hoping to see Okada in action, but it was during the height of the fires. I was concerned for him and his family. I have no idea if the fires hit where he lived, but I sure hope that they and their property was safe. I asked around to a few different people, but never did hear anything back. A Missouri Valley Invitational place-winner last year, he came up a little short this year. Bounced back strong at the GPAC, taking a strong 3rd place finish, ending his career with another NAIA qualification.
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| Midland |
Burt Brandt - The Warriors say farewell to two tough seniors this year & Burt Brandt is one of them. The soon to be accountant took 3rd place honors in the GPAC.
Zeph Sivels - I'm not what career Zeph Sivels is stepping into but I know it'll have something to do with Criminal Justice. He also took 3rd place honors in the GPAC, and was one match shy of earning NAIA All American honors.
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| Reinhardt |
Angel Banda - You have to remember, I'm old enough to have known of a time when there was no college wrestling in the state of Georgia. I'd see all sorts of talent, extremely good talent like Witt Durden & Chris Rodrigues come out of Georgia, but there was no place for them to wrestle within their home state. Georgia still doesn't provide enough collegiate opportunity in my opinion, but trust me, 7 programs is a lot better than 0, and seeing teams like Reinhardt do as well as what they do, has been very rewarding. Angel Banda is a Georgia native who had a great career for the Eagles, and I'd say his senior season was his best. 4th & 2nd in the Appalachian Athletic Conference as a sophomore & junior, the Eagle won the title in his final attempt. He also took 8th place NAIA All American honors.
Devin Griffin - Here's the thing about Devin Griffin, he's yet another example of a kid from Nevada who wanted to compete in college. There's not a lot of athletic opportunity in Nevada to begin with. Only four schools, two NCAA DI & two NJCAA provide athletics, and we're 0 for 4 on those who provide wrestling, although UNLV has an outstanding NCWA program. With that said, I seem to come across more and more kids from Nevada, who have the itch to compete in college. Griffin had an outstanding final season. 5th in a super tough bracket at the AAC, he wrestled exceptionally well at the NAIA's, taking 5th place All American honors.
Matt Jenkins - Another Georgia native, Jenkins was 3rd-2nd-3rd at the AAC & he too ended his career with All American honors placing 4th at the NAIA championships.
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| St. Thomas |
Thomas Williams - The past couple of seasons, whenever I watched Thomas Williams compete, I couldn't help but feel we weren't seeing him at full capacity. Sometimes you watch a wrestler & know he's holding back for some reason. There's something within him that needs to be unlocked. I felt that as he finished 7th at the AAC as a sophomore & 5th at the AAC as a junior. I'm not sure when the key was discovered, but I'm glad it was, because it was clear watching him this year, that whatever that something was, it had been unlocked. Williams made the AAC finals & then took 7th place honors at the NAIA championships.
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| Life |
I already talked about this a bit when I went over the seniors of Reinhardt, but I have to elaborate a bit more. When I was a kid the idea of college wrestling ever coming back to Georgia was difficult for me to conceive. The idea of a school in Georgia being one of the top teams within its division? I'll say this.
Johnnythompsonnum1 started in 2001. The internet was new, and I had recently discovered message boards. Places to go and talk about subjects that I was passionate about with others who were also passionate. I found message boards to talk about books, history, movies, music, weight lifting and professional wrestling. I wondered if there was anywhere to go and talk about college wrestling. That's when I found themat.com message boards. Not the greatest of places to get your start discussing college wrestling, but it was a place to start.
Anyway, the topic of college wrestling in the south was one that was discussed from time to time. I made the argument that if a school in Georgia were to get wrestling, they could become very respectable within due time. Called an idiot, told I know nothing about wrestling, the Ohioans and Pennsylvanians loved to make fun of JT#1 and his outlandish ideas that college wrestling could thrive in a state like Georgia. Well here we are all these years later and often neck & neck with Grand View, Life competes for the #1 crown within the NAIA year after year. They say so long and farewell to five outstanding talents this year, but even with that much departure, you still known they're going to come back super strong next season.
Bret Minor - A native of Kansas City, Bret Minor took 3rd & 1st place finishes at the AAC these past two seasons & finished off his collegiate career with an 8th place All American finish at the NAIA's.
Steve Villalobos - Steve Villalobos reminds me of how often I run across talent from Miami, Florida. When it comes to people listing and talking about, "wrestling cities" I think Miami is probably the most underrated city in the country. I'm not saying it's Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania or Iowa City, Iowa, but I think Miami should be mentioned more often than what it is. Villalobos 3rd at the AAC as a sophomore won back-to-back titles these past two seasons. He also earned back-to-back 4th place All American finishes at the NAIA's.
Fabian Padilla - The New Mexico native took runner-up honors at the AAC & 7th place NAIA All American honors at the national tournament in his final season.
Tre Morrisette - Super tough wrestler, I really thought he'd make the NAIA award stand multiple times in his career, but in the end, I was happy to see him finally make the award stand with a 5th place finish at the NAIA's this year. He was also an AAC champ, taking runner-up honors last year.
J.D. Perez - 5th-6th-3rd, at the very beginning of the season I called the Ottawa transfer the best wrestler in the NAIA yet to win a national title. The New Mexico native "got er done" as Larry 'The Cable Guy' would say. An AAC title & a NAIA title for the Eagle.
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| Southeastern |
I'm not going to reiterate myself, but honestly I could say a lot of the same things about Florida that I said about Georgia earlier. It's been a real treat seeing collegiate programs pop up in the Sunshine state, and an even more rewarding experience to see Southeastern do as well as they've been doing.
Kael Brisker - A native of Wilton, Iowa, an area I'm pretty familiar with, Kael Brisker did what I know I'd do if I were a great high school wrestler in today's environment. He went to compete some place warm! Traded in the ice & snow of a January & February Iowa winter for some Southeastern Fire! Had an outstanding final two seasons. 2nd-1st within the AAC and 4th & 6th within the NAIA nation.
Anthony Federico - A transfer from the University of Illinois, Federico won an AAC title & took 6th place NAIA All American honors.
Gage Braun - JT#1's favorite of the Rocky series is Rocky III. On top of the heap, everything comes crashing down for Rocky Balboa, and his whole world falls apart. He has to put himself back together, find himself again & climb back to the top. The story reminds me a lot of Gage Braun. An NAIA champion in 2022, failed to place in 2023. Took 2024 off & then comes back the same way Rocky did in Rocky III and takes it to the NAIA championships, the same way Rocky did to Clubber Lang! We're talking a two-time NAIA champ!!
Trace Braun - Brother Trace had himself one heck of a fine career for the Fire too! 7th & 8th place finishes in the NAIA nation for the Fire.
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| Keiser |
Angel Hernandez - A transfer from Life, the Dade City native took runner-up honors at the AAC & finished one match shy of All American honors.
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