Wrestling prepares for the Conference Championships

After only winning four matches last season, Muhlenberg College’s wrestling team has been a force to reckon with this season. Yes, their 9-10 record and current five game losing streak may not seem ideal, but this year’s squad is comprised of a very solid group of wrestlers that are looking to make a name for themselves in the Centennial Conference.

Despite the recent hardships, the Mules have already enjoyed their share of success in the new year. On Jan. 15, the Mules won two matches in a dominating fashion. In the opening match of the day, they easily won over Case Western Reserve University by a lopsided score of 31-11. Later in the day, the Mules secured another rather easy victory, winning a match versus Penn State Mont Alto in another one-sided affair, 38-14. In one of the more thrilling matches of the day in Allentown, team captain Jake Gordon ’18 earned a victory to record his 17th win of the season. Going along with his mere nine losses, this has been one of the best seasons of Gordon’s career as a collegiate wrestler.

Apart from his excellent performance as a wrestler, Gordon has provided some much needed veteran leadership to this team. While every team needs some form of leadership, it is important that the less experienced members have someone to look up to, especially with such a talented freshmen class in the 2016/17 season. Such freshmen that have excelled thus far on the team are Quentin Bernhard ’20 and Will Lamb ’20.

The next matches for the Mules will take place in Gettysburg, Pa., where both Gettysburg College and McDaniel College will compete with the Mules. The major key for Muhlenberg in this pair of matches will be to end their five-game losing streak, which stands as their longest stretch without a team victory on the season. But with team members such as Gordon, Bernhard, and Lamb, this team never fails to lose its confidence in their collective abilities.

Gordon, reflecting on the season thus far, stated, “Muhlenberg wrestling has been on a steady rise over the last three years under the guidance of coach Shaun Lally. As a young team composed of primarily freshmen and sophomores, the Mules have plenty of room to still develop into a conference powerhouse. I am coming off a third place finish at last year’s conference tournament and Gennaro Cerminara ’19 is having a stellar season with 24 wins and 12 pins. The Mules are preparing for a successful run at the 2017 Centennial Conference Championships and Regional Tournament.”

Overall, the Mules have had quite a versatile season with plenty of ups an downs. With several important matches on the upcoming schedule, though, the Mules have a chance to make a run at championships and regionals this year.

The Centennial Conference Championships will take place on Sat., Feb. 11 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Two weeks later, the NCAA East Regional round will take place on Sat., Feb. 25 at a location which has yet to be determined.