The University Athletic Association has announced its 30th Anniversary Wrestling Team. Forty-eight student-athletes earned the honor with at least 10 honorees from all three UAA wrestling schools, including an Association-best 20 from NYU.
The team consists of each student-athlete who was named Most Outstanding Wrestler, was named to the All-Association team at least three times in his career, and/or captured an individual NCAA title.
Among those honored are the only three to earn back-to-back Most Outstanding Wrestler honors: Mat McClenahan (1990-91) of NYU, Mario Springer (1993-94) of the University of Chicago, and Isaac Dukes (2010-11) of Case Western Reserve University.
Frank Arado (Chicago, 1989-92), Chris Ricklic (CWRU, 1992-95), Derek Messmer (CWRU, 1993-96), Neil Rodak and Jeff Combs (Chicago, 1995-98), Jason Snow (NYU, 1999-2002), Nick Kehagias (Chicago, 2001-04), Troy Carlson (Chicago, 2007-10), and Ryan Hatten (Chicago, 2008-11) each earned All-Association honors four times.
Eleven NYU grapplers earned All-Association honors in three consecutive years: Nathan Pike (2015-17), John Messinger (2015-17), Brandon Jones (2013-15), Patrick Sheehan (2013-15), David Rice (2011-13), Matt Magill (2009-11), Kyle Christiansen (2007-09), Nick Coleman (2006-08), Mike Oldham (1998-2000), McClenahan (1989-1991), and Ben Weinthal (1988-90). Sabino Galassi (2010-11, 2013), and Matt DiGiovanni (2012, 2014-15) earned All-Associaton honors three times in four years.
Phil Kruzel (2005-07), Steve Mlynarczyk (1999-2001), J.R. Moore (1999-2001), Brett Castillo (1992-94), Pat Payne (1990-92), Doug Logan (1988-90), and Cary Starnal (1988-90) of the Maroons each garnered All-Association accolades three consecutive times.
Mike Sanchez (2004-06), Desi Molina (1999-2001) and Scott Miller (1988-90) of CWRU earned three consecutive All-Association honors, while Drew Gardella (2006, 2008-09) was honored three times in four years.
In 30 years, 39 individuals from the UAA have earned All-America recognition at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. Peter Wang of Chicago (177 pounds, 1991-92) and Ricklic (167 pounds, 1994-95) each captured back-to-back national individual titles. Wang was named Division III Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1992. Pike (133 pounds, 2017), Dukes (149 pounds, 2010), and Messmer (Heavyweight, 1996) also won NCAA individual championships.
UAA 30th Anniversary Wrestling Team
Frank Arado, Chicago
Robert Bruce, NYU
Andy Bugajski, Chicago
Troy Carlson, Chicago
Brett Castillo, Chicago
Kyle Christiansen, NYU
Nick Coleman, NYU
Jeff Combs, Chicago
Travis Cox, CWRU
Matt DiGiovanni, NYU
Isaac Dukes, CWRU
Sabino Galassi, NYU
Drew Gardella, CWRU
Ryan Hatten, Chicago
Andy Horrigan, CWRU
Stephen Hult, NYU
Raymond Jazikoff, NYU
Brandon Jones, NYU
Nick Kehagias, Chicago
Gene Kobilansky, NYU
Phil Kruzel, Chicago
Doug Logan, Chicago
Matt Magill, NYU
Mat McClenahan, NYU
John Messinger, NYU
Derek Messmer, CWRU
Scott Miller, CWRU
Steve Mlynarczyk, Chicago
Desi Molina, CWRU
J.R. Moore, Chicago
Chris Nader, CWRU
Ai Nguyen, Chicago
Michael Oldham, NYU
Pat Payne, Chicago
Nathan Pike, NYU
James Powderly, NYU
David Rice, NYU
Chris Ricklic, CWRU
Neal Rodak, Chicago
Vinnie Russo, NYU
Mike Sanchez, CWRU
Josh Schmidt, CWRU
Patrick Sheehan, NYU
Jason Snow, NYU
Mario Springer, Chicago
Cary Starnal, Chicago
Peter Wang, Chicago
Ben Weinthal, NYU