The Wesleyan wrestling team entered this season looking to build on their successful 2023–24 campaign. The Cards went 8–4 in dual matches last year, their best winning percentage in ten years, and finished 13th at the NCAA DIII Regional Northeast Championships, but this year they looked to take the next step.

The Red and Black began the fall season with a strong tournament performance, placing third out of 12 teams at the Roger Williams Invitational on Nov. 9. Captain CJ Shea ’25 headlined the day, taking first place in the 165-pound division, while captain Aris Dashiell ’25 made a run to his title match before losing to the one-seed.

“I was definitely very proud of how we did,” Dashiell said. “Everyone wrestled really tough and showed up. You don’t really know how good or poor your program is until you see it performing against others. And so setting that bar high really shows these new guys that this is what we do. This is what we’re made of.”

Coming off of the successful tournament, the Cards turned their attention to a dual match with Trinity. They had no trouble disposing of the Bantams 36–10, in their biggest win over a NESCAC opponent in six years.

After the Trinity dual came the Cards’ second tournament, the Doug Parker Invitational in Springfield, Mass. Although three Cardinals captured titles in their respective divisions—Shea in the 165-pound division, Hayden Myers ’27 in the 141-pound division, and Dashiell in the 197-pound division—Wesleyan placed fourth with 116.5 points, only nine points out of second place.

“Doug Parker was the first college tournament [title] I have ever won, so that was nice,” Dashiell said. “And we had the most champs out of any team. So I think we were a little shocked [at fourth place], but we definitely were really excited for how our guys performed.”

Building off the strong performance, the Cards entered the Rochester Institute of Technology Tournament on Dec. 7 looking for something to give them momentum going into winter break. They delivered. Snagging their highest tournament place since the beginning of the 2023–24 season, the Cards came in second of 14 teams, with 8 wrestlers placing and Shea capturing yet another title.

With the fall semester over, the Cards had a month before their next competition, but their work was far from over. During winter break, the team continued to train and prepare for the remainder of their season.

“It’s definitely something that can get really difficult,” Dashiell said. “We work out twice a day, every day, and the weather is bad. We’re getting up early. [It’s] taxing on your body. I think it builds a lot of camaraderie, and that’s a big part of what makes wrestling so rewarding—it’s an individual sport, but you’re doing it with a group of guys who are going through the same exact thing that you’re going through. Winter Break definitely brings us all really close together.”

Two weeks before other students returned to campus, the Cards were back on the floor for a two dual-match day—first against Bridgewater State University and then Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). After a month off the floor, the Cards did not disappoint in their return. Against Bridgewater State, Wes finished off the Bears 46–6 before destroying WPI 38–3. Additionally, Wes wrestled four individual bouts against the Maine Maritime Academy, going 3–1 to cap off the team’s decisive return.

“It’s like starting up an old car: You gotta turn the key a couple times before it starts kicking into full motion,” Dashiell said. “And that first weekend back is really that couple of times that you’re really trying to start the car, but it’s definitely a good way to get us acclimated.”

The first tournament of the Spring semester came on Jan. 18, as the Cards traveled to Collegeville, Penn. to take part in the Will Abele Invitational. The previous year, Wes had placed 10th out of 17 teams, and so they entered the tournament hungry to improve.

The Cards put on an absolute show with two champions, three finalists, and eleven placers, good for 168 points and first place out of the 14 competing programs. Ike Guttentag ’26 won the 149-pound division with one pin and four tech falls—including a 17–2 win in the title match—and Shea kept his prolific season going, taking first in the 165-pound title match with an 8–4 decision. The tournament win was the first for the Red and Black since 2017.

“That was the first time in college that I’ve ever been on a team where we won a tournament,” Dashiell said. “Everyone felt like they were a part of that, which is the most important thing. But I think it was just cool to see a team really getting over the hump.”

With their momentum high, the Cards entered the dual-match season with the New England Wrestling Association Championships in Providence, R.I. They started the day with a convincing 36–9 win over the University of Southern Maine before suffering their first dual loss of the season to no. 15 Coast Guard Academy (12–28). Rebounding from the loss, Wes crushed Western New England University 37–6 and took down no. 21 Springfield College 25–18 to finish out the day fifth of the 16 teams. Against the Pride, the Cards fell to an early 0–3 deficit, but then rattled off 18 straight points to soar out of Springfield’s reach.

The win over Springfield was Wesleyan’s first dual win of the year against a ranked opponent. Myers and Dashiell both went 4–0 on the day to help the Cards secure their impressive showing.

“[The loss against Coast Guard] was definitely a good test for some of the guys [on] our team,” Dashiell said. “But it definitely helped kick-start us, because then we pulverized Western New England and beat Springfield as well. So, I think it definitely helped us take the next step forward.”

On Feb. 1, the Cards got another shot at Springfield in a standalone dual match. They improved on their margin of victory, beating the Pride 27–18 and improving their dual record to 7–1.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, the Cards take on Williams, no. 19 Ithaca College, and SUNY Oneonta, three of their four remaining duals. According to Dashiell, they’re ready for the challenge.

“In the springtime, we really amped up our training to push the guys, and you can see that reflected,” Dashiell said. “I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be 11–1. I remember my freshman year, we had a barely over .500 dual record, and so I think that [the program has] definitely grown a lot. I just hope that, after we leave, it can just keep growing and become the best version of itself.”

Ethan Lee can be reached at ejlee@wesleyan.edu.