This past season, the Thunder wrestling team had some very notable wins, but also some unfortunate losses. Early on in the season, the Thunder took a tough loss to a strong Elmhurst team in a conference match. Fortunately for Thunder fans, the team bounced back during their first three invitational tournaments of the season as they finished within the top-five in each of them, helping them regain the confidence they needed as they entered the dual matches.
The men came out strong in the duals as they won their first three matches with an average team score of over 37 points per match. They struggled to keep that momentum, though, as they tallied three more losses to the record in their last five team duals. They also suffered a disappointing eighth place finish at the Manchester University Spartan Mat Classic.
In the midst of those tough losses, however, the team came together to finish the season with some key wins. The Thunder had an impressive fourth place finish at the Pete Wilson Invitational Tournament at King Arena and a hard-fought third place finish in the CCIW Championship.
The Thunder then finished off their season with another top-five finish at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Tournament and placed 44th of 58 teams in the NCAA Division III Championships. Seniors Logan Walkup and Mikey Swider and juniors Carlos Fuentez and junior Jared Fekete all qualified for individual National Tournament as well.
“As a team we praise God that he has blessed the season, but we also understand that the season didn’t end the way any of us wanted it to,” said Fuentez thinking back to the season. “Wheaton wrestling is always straining to seek perfection and settle for excellence. We’re motivated as a team to get better and make the next wrestling season one that honors God.”