The competition may have been tougher, but that didn’t deter the Muhlenberg wrestling team from turning in another strong season. Even with

Loesch went 30-5 and became only the fourth wrestler in team history to win 30 matches in season.

the offseason additions of Kings Point and Stevens Tech to the Centennial Conference for wrestling, the Mules still finished 4-3 in CC dual meets, marking the sixth time in the last seven years they were better than .500 in conference action. Muhlenberg was 8-10 overall.

Sophomore Matt Loesch had the best season of any Muhlenberg wrestler, advancing to the consolation finals at 197 at the NCAA Division III Championships. Loesch finished in fourth place, the Mules’ best finish ever at nationals. He started off the first day of the tournament by winning his first two bouts against two seeded wrestlers, becoming the first Muhlenberg wrestler ever to win his opening bout at the NCAA Championships, not to mention his first two. This achievement alone earned him All-America status, joining Jason McLean (2001) and Nate Yeasted (2003) as the only other Muhlenberg wrestlers to be named All-Americans.

Loesch advanced to the NCAAs by winning the 197-pound weight class at the Centennial Conference Championships that were held at Memorial Hall on February 19. Junior Dale Mills, who missed most of the season with an injury, reached the 149-pound final for the second straight season. In

A two-year captain, senior Jeremy Hart won 65 bouts in his career.

the final, Mills was handed a loss by 10-7 decision by a Kings Point wrestler who had been ranked as high as second in Division III earlier in the season.

Sophomore John Hesse (184) also reached the finals, but was pinned by an Ursinus wrestler who entered the CC Championships with a 35-1 season record. Freshman Joe Tartar, who finished 20-8 with a team-high 11 pins, placed third at heavyweight. The Mules came in fourth place with a total of 48.5 points.

Muhlenberg wrestled its best as the dual-meet season came to a close and the conference championships came near. The Mules won three of their last five meets overall, and their two losses were both by five points, one to nationally ranked CC champion Ursinus.

Excitement for next season is already building with most of the roster set to return. Freshmen and sophomores accounted for 75 percent of the bouts that Muhlenberg won in 2004-05. In addition to Tartar, Hesse and freshman Brian Saval (157) were two other underclassmen to have big years. Hesse went 19-11, and Saval was 17-8 with three major decisions and three pins at 157.