Brandon Bowles ‘25 is a ‘Berg wrestler. Bowles is in his first season at the collegiate level and did not know what to expect. However, he has had a great mindset throughout his first season. Bowles shared, “As a team our chemistry could not be better. We support each other like family; we’ve also got each other’s back no matter what.” He added, “Personally I went through a lot dealing with trying to get back to 100% from my ACL surgery. I personally overcame a lot of adversity with that considering I haven’t competed since before my surgery.”
This past weekend, Bowles and the men’s wrestling team participated in the NCAA Mid-East Regional Tournament in Elizabethtown, Pa. Over this two-day tournament, the Mules placed sixth out of 20 participating teams who were in attendance. Bowles was one of the two Muhlenberg wrestlers who qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The championships are taking place on Mar. 11 and Bowles will represent Muhlenberg along with Joey Lamparelli ‘24. Heading into the DIII NCAA championships, Bowles’ focus remains unchanged. He said, “My expectations are just like every other match and tournament, which is to just to leave everything I have out on the mat and have no regrets.” Bowles’ strong mindset proves that he is ready to compete against some of the most qualified wrestlers throughout the country.
Bowles credits his coaches and teammates for allowing him to be a strong presence on the mat this year. He said, “My mindset has [been] just to stay confident in myself and my abilities. Also to trust my coaches and teammates to get me where I need to be.”
The Muhlenberg co-ed track team recently finished their indoor season, with high hopes heading for the outdoor season starting in just a few short weeks. Jason Ivey ‘23, reflected on his indoor season, but overall for the team as well.
Ivey said, “I’m pretty happy with my performance on Sunday because that was a culmination of all the effort I’ve put in over the season. This was my first season running indoor track and as such, my first 800 meter race was only a 2:15. But, by the end I was able to get my time down to a 2:08. We learned a lot from this season, and I think we’re all eager to carry this momentum into the spring season.” Ivey seems proud of his performance and looks forward to participating in the spring season. Ivey touched upon his personal goals. He said, “For the outdoor season, my personal goal is to run a sub 2:05 800 meter race. If I can do that, I’m confident that I can get my time down to the low two’s by next year.”
Ivey talked about the chemistry of the team. He said, “In my experience, the team chemistry this season has been fantastic. We are such a close knit group and everybody supports each other. We had a lot of injuries, but despite that, the injured would often come to the meets to support their teammates. What’s more, when people are competing, it’s amazing to see how invested they all are in each other’s success. Whether it’s racing, jumping or throwing you would always see teammates there on the sidelines screaming in support. It’s a great group of people, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”
The Muhlenberg wrestling team had a successful season with two wrestlers going to nationals, and the track team is poised to ensure they perform the best that they can in the upcoming spring season. The track team opens their outdoor season on Mar. 4 with the AARTF Championship in Rochester, N.Y., and then comes back to the area for the Lafayette Open on Mar. 26.
