Muhlenberg men’s wrestling began its debut for the 2023-24 season on Nov. 4, 2023. Since then, the Mules’ performances have been nothing short of outstanding. With a current total record of 9-2, they are showing the public what strength and talent the Muhlenberg wrestling program has. Head Coach Jason McLean set the team up for success, and his team’s attitude compliments their positive outcomes.
The team’s most recent wins against McDaniel on Jan. 20, Merchant Marine on Jan. 27 and Johns Hopkins on Jan. 27 display the team’s work ethic. In speaking with a few of the athletes, they emphasized team culture and hard work. Andrew Loniewski ‘27 commented, “I would describe this season as fun, but nonetheless a grind. Our success this season has been a result of hard work and dedication in the room. Our guys have been working hard all year for this, and we really want to prove ourselves.”
Ricky Caamano ‘24 recorded his first-period pins against Merchant Marine with Loniewski. Another noteworthy achievement of Loniewski was pinning his opponent within the first minute at McDaniel giving Muhlenberg the lead.
Multiple standout individuals assisted Muhlenberg in their win at McDaniel. An athlete that completed the upset of the match was Paul Parise ‘25. He defeated the defending Centennial Conference champion, who is ranked seventh in all of Division III with a 12-8 win. He commented on how he stays composed saying, “For me and for the team, it proves that an opponent’s rank shouldn’t scare anyone away. The only way to make it out of a match like that is to stay calm, focused and do what you are good at in the match.” His mindset converges with his determination to produce wins like this. The future of the Mules not only shines bright, but athletes like Parise will leave a positive legacy for those after him to look up to.
Brian McCaw ‘25 is building off his strong win last year with first place at the Under Armour Invitational in 2023. At the McDaniel match, he won with a score of 10-1. In addition to his success, his motivation speaks volumes too. He said, “Our mindset going forward follows our team motto of ‘find a way’ where we’re just going out there looking to score points, be aggressive and find a way to win the match with whatever it takes.”
This type of mindset in the face of adversity is what transforms teams into champions. McCaw added, “This recent win was just a reminder to us and to everyone of how good this team really is on our best days taking out some tough competition like that gives us that extra confidence going into the rest of our conference duals and the individual tournaments as well.” Their team’s confidence bleeds into individuals igniting success.
Ultimately, the team’s goals are unlimited. They collectively and individually strive for excellence. Most of all, by prioritizing their mental and physical well-being, they are able to create positive outcomes. Brian McCaw ‘25 explained their goals perfectly, “We have goals like winning conferences, winning regions and qualifying as many weights for nationals as we can, but our main team goal for the season is really just to compete to the best of our ability and prove that we are a top 15 or even 10 team in the country.” We can confidently say that the Mules are hunting for victory this season. If you want to see the Mules in action, their upcoming match is at Muhlenberg on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.
