GRANTHAM, Pa. – The 2026-27 Messiah Wrestling season behind on Saturday, Nov. 7, when the Falcons host the Messiah Invitational in Hitchcock Arena. Check out the 2026-27 season preview below.
2025-26 Season Recap
The Falcons finished with a 14-5 record, also claiming three tournament wins and a win at the 2026 Middle Atlantic Conference Championship. Messiah opened the season with a first place finish out of 10 teams at the Messiah Invitational before a second place finish the following week at Ursinus. The Falcons wrapped up the tournament slate of the first half of the season with wins at the Scotty Wood Invitational hosted by Muhlenberg and at the home Petrofes Invitational. The Falcons opened the 2026 tournament slate with a win at the MAC Championships in the field of 10. As a team, the Falcons finished third of 21 teams at the NCAA Region III Regional, with
Keegan Demarest and
Zach Needles earning a place at the NCAA Division III National Championships. Demarest finished third, earning All-American honors.
Roster Outlook
Messiah looks to return six of their starters from last season's regional meet.
Keegan Demarest returns as a notable presence in the Falcons line-up after qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championship in the 2025-26 season where he earned All-American honors with a third-place finish in the 165 lbs. weight class.
Tucker Seidel looks to return after a successful freshman campaign in which he finished fifth at the regional meet.
Jacob Cunningham and
Levi Snyder also had podium finishes at the regional championship, earning sixth and seventh respectively, as the senior duo looks to improve in their final Falcon campaigns.
Austin Jeffrey and
Kaleb Britting competed at regionals and will look to continue their success on the mats this season. The Falcons will look for key returners to set the tone and for a strong group of first-year athletes to make an impact on the mat.
Schedule Preview
The Falcons will compete at a mix of tournaments and duals throughout the season, opening their season on Saturday, Nov. 7 with the Messiah Invitational set to begin at 9:00 a.m. in Hitchcock Arena. Messiah will then travel to Ursinus and Muhlenberg for the Racich Rumble and Scotty Wood Invitational. The Falcons will return home Dec. 4 and 5 for the Messiah Petrofes Invitational. The Falcons will host Delaware Valley on Friday, Dec. 11 for a dual before traveling to Arcadia University to take on the Knights and Johnson & Wales University. The Falcons conclude the 2026 portion of the season with the Chocolate Duals in Hitchcock Arena on Dec. 19.
The 2027 slate opens with the Bud Whitehill Duals hosted by Lycoming College on Jan. 8 and 9 before the Falcons compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships on Saturday, Jan. 16. The team will compete in a mix of tournaments and duals to close the season before ending the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 1:00 p.m. at The College of New Jersey.
