Season Preview: Wrestling boasts top-end talent, great depth for 2023-24
By Wes Mayberry
| 2023-24 Wrestling Schedule | 2023-24 Wrestling Roster |
ADA —Coming off a spectacular 2022-23 season, the Ohio Northern wrestling team is looking to continue that success in 2023-24 under 36th-year head coach Ron Beaschler.
The Polar Bears tied the program record with most All-Americans in one season with three last year and set a new program best with nine Scholar All-Americans while posting a 20-3 record in dual meets.
Junior Jacob Reed (Canal Winchester/Lancaster) earned both of those accolades a season ago and returns to lead this year's roster along with junior Gavin Layman (Chesterton, Ind.), who was a Scholar All-American and qualified for the NCAA Championships last season.
The D3wrestle.com Freshman of the Year in 2021-22, Reed posted his second straight third-place, All-American finish last season wrestling at 141 pounds and became the fifth two-time All-American in program history. He finished the year with a record of 44-1, falling one victory shy of the program's all-time single-season record set by current assistant coach Kyle Kwiat in 2012-13.
Named the 2022-23 OAC Wrestler of the Year as a member of the All-OAC First Team, Reed boasts an 87-6 record with 32 pins and 19 major decisions and is a two-time All-OAC and NWCA Scholar All-American selection.
Layman qualified for the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds and was an All-OAC First Team selection last season, finishing with a record of 34-8 and showing great improvement from his 26-24 freshman campaign.
In two seasons at ONU, he is 60-32 overall with 16 pins.
Juniors Teagan Hendricks (Jamestown/Greenview), Jayden Jones (Ashland), Colin Mellott (Wapakoneta), Adam Myers (Springfield/STEM Academy) and Cael Vanderhorst (Covington) also return after earning Scholar All-American honors last season.
Mellott and Hendricks headline that group as top-eight placers at last season's NCAA Central Regionals, finishing fifth at 125 pounds and seventh at 157 pounds, respectively. Mellott closed the year with a 25-7 record, and Hendricks was 29-13.
In two years at ONU, Mellott is 43-29 overall with 12 pins, and Hendricks is 53-26 with 20 pins.
Myers posted a 24-12 record at 174 pounds last season, while Vanderhorst was 23-9 at 149 and Jones was 21-10 at 157.
Myers is now 41-22 in his career, Vanderhorst is 48-15, and Jones is 37-21.
Other top returners include junior Dylan Le (Dublin/Scioto), senior Jadon Brownlee (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) and sophomore Jackson Hawker (Perrysburg).
Le was 32-15 at 133 pounds last season, while Brownlee was 25-16 at 285, and Hawker was 23-14 at 174.
Le and Brownlee own 58 and 50 career wins, respectively.
Senior Matt Dewitz (Oak Harbor), juniors Zach Dabney (Lake Villa, Ill./Warren Township), Nick Campbell (Brecksville/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) and John Radey (Matthews, N.C./Butler) and sophomores Gabe Hansen (Richwood/North Union), Ajay Locke (Lancaster), Andrew Parker (Sunbury/Big Walnut) and Colton Spurgeon (Mount Vernon) round out the returning lettermen for 2023-24.
The Polar Bears are scheduled to begin their season on Nov. 4 at the Mount Union Invitational prior to their OAC and home opener against John Carroll on Nov. 11.
Other home events include the ONU Invitational on Dec. 2 and duals against Mount Saint Joseph on Jan. 3, Muskingum on Jan. 16 and Adrian (Mich.) on Feb. 15.
ONU is hosting the 2024 NCAA Central Regional Championships on March 1-2.
The 2024 NCAA Division III Championships are scheduled for March 15-16 in Lacrosse, Wis.