GRANTHAM, Pa. – The 2024-25 Messiah Wrestling season begins on Saturday, November 2nd, when the Falcons host the Messiah Invitational in Hitchcock Arena. Check out the 2024-25 season preview below.
2023-24 Season Recap
The Falcons finished the season with an 11-11 record, holding a 5-1 record at home. Messiah started the season out strong, finishing first among eight teams at the Messiah Invitational. The Falcons also claimed the top spot at the Messiah Petrofes Invitational, finishing first out of 13 teams. At the MAC Championships in January, the Falcons finished fourth out of six teams. As a team, the Falcons finished seventh out of 22 teams at the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet before sending two individuals,
Josiah Gehr and
Ryder Slayton, to the NCAA Division III National Championships, where the team finished 25th out of 66 teams.
Roster Outlook
Messiah returns six starters from last season to their roster.
Asa Brunk was a two-year starter at 133 lbs. and will move up to 141 lbs. this season. At 149 lbs., the Falcons 2023-24 starter
Noah Rice returns to the roster.
Clay Gainer earned a sixth-place finish at 165 lbs. at the NCAA Southeast Regional last season and will wrestle at 157 lbs. this season.
Following an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional,
Austin Brass returns for the Falcons at 174 lbs. The Falcons bring a 2023-24 NCAA National Qualifier back at 184 lbs. with the return of
Ryder Slayton. Slayton finished third at the NCAA Southeast Regional last season. Rounding out the returning starters of last season is
Sawyer Dereszynski, who returns at 197lbs.
The Falcons add eight new faces this season, with seven freshman and one sophomore transfer.
Keegan Demarest was a Pennsylvania state finisher his senior season and will wrestle at 165 lbs. New Mexico state finisher
Micah Martinez will look to wrestle at 285 lbs.
Austin Jeffrey will wrestle at 125 lbs. and was a Virginia state qualifier last season. Messiah's lone transfer,
Landen Pangborn was a Michigan state finisher his senior season of high school.
Schedule Preview
Messiah will compete in a mix of tournaments and duals this season. Action opens on Saturday, November 2, when the Falcons host the Messiah Invitational in Hitchcock Arena. Action for the day is set to begin at 9:00 a.m. The Falcons will compete on the road for the remainder of November before returning to Hitchcock Arena December 6 and 7, to host the Petrofes Invitational. Johns Hopkins University will make the trip to Grantham on December 11 for a dual meet. The Falcons will wrap up the 2024 portion of the season with the Chocolate Duals on December 21.
Messiah will compete at the Middle Atlantic Conference meet on January 18. The Falcons will compete at home in a dual versus York on February 7, the Messiah open on February 8, and in a dual versus Elizabethtown on February 14. The NCAA Southeast Regional will take place on February 28 and March 1 with the NCAA DIII Championships taking place on March 14 and 15 in Providence, Rhode Island.
