After sending five athletes to the NCAA National Championship meet in the 2023–24 season, the Ithaca College men’s wrestling team is locked in this year as it strives to put enough individuals on the podium to win the long-eluded NCAA Division III Wrestling Team Championship — something the team has not secured since 1994.
The Bombers are returning four national qualifiers from last season; juniors Isaias Torres and Ryan Galka who wrestle at 133 and 197 lbs respectfully, along with seniors Wenchard Pierre-Louis and Jackson Gray who wrestle at 149/157 lbs and 174 lbs respectively.
Head coach Marty Nichols ’90 said that having these four returners, including Torres who achieved All-American status last season, is a great start in building a national championship caliber team.
The more wrestlers the Bombers can send to the national championship meet, the more opportunities they have to score points and get on the podium. Last year, Torres scored 12.5 points with his seventh place finish in the 133 lb weight class, leading the Bombers to a 29th place finish overall.
“To have those four guys, different weight classes, wrestling with the other guys on the team is a huge help,” Nichols said. “Brings everyone’s level up across the board.”
The South Hill squad got off to a strong start this season at the annual Ithaca Invitational from Nov. 1–2. They were led by junior Konrad Parker who won his weight class, leading the Bombers to a third place finish overall.
Nichols said Parker, who placed fourth at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships in the 165 lb class last season, has been one of the early standouts this season.
“He’s looking really tough, I think he has a chance to win the whole thing,” Nichols said.
Last season was Gray’s first appearance at the NCAA National Championship meet and he said he believes that this season he is in a spot to win the national championship. After coming up just short of nationals in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons, Gray said he learned to enjoy the process rather than putting too much pressure on himself.
“There’s no reason to get caught up in how you’re doing in the regular season,” Gray said. “You just gotta get better everyday.”
Gray said that his teammates are in great shape and that their pre-season preparation over the summer is showing. However, what has stood out to him is the strong first-year student class, which features 10 athletes.
“They’re bringing the energy this year, and they’re very committed and they’re ready to go,” Gray said. “I haven’t felt that with a freshmen class before.”
This large incoming class adds to an abundance of youth in the room as the Bombers also return 10 sophomores, one of them being Jake Jones.
Jones took the country by storm as a first-year student, placing 5th at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships in the 184 lb weight class, as well as leading the team in falls with 24.
Jones said he is not satisfied with these results from last season. He has slimmed down drastically and is looking to wrestle in the 157 and 165 weight classes this season. He said the weight loss is leaving him feeling healthier and more confident.
“Stuff’s different this year,” Jones said. “I’m ready to take on the country.”
Jones said a new mantra that the team is adapting this season is “let’s build something special,” which Nichols said to the team prior to the first official practice Oct. 14.
Nichols, who won a team national championship as an athlete at the college and was a multiple time All-American in the 150 lb weight class, understands what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of the sport.
“We have the athletes to get it done,” Nichols said. “I think something special could happen.”
Outside of his four nationally-qualifying returners, Nichols said he believes there are plenty of other potential All-Americans in his room like Jones, Parker and senior Xavier Pommells (174/184 lbs).
Pommells is entering his second season as a Bomber after wrestling for two years at Nassau Community College, where he was a national qualifier in 2022–23 and a district champion in 2021–22. Unfortunately, Pommells’ last season was cut short because of an injury.
Jones credits much of the team’s success to his coach. He said Nichols is one of the best coaches he has been trained by and his enthusiasm helps elevate the squad.
“Coach Nichols, he’s an artist of the sport,” Jones said. “He makes the practices fun and he really helps us learn from what our mistakes are.”
Last season the Bombers defeated No. 23 Springfield College, won the New York State Championships and took second place at both the SUNYAC and Mideast Regional Tournaments. However, despite these strong results, the South Hill squad found themselves left outside the national rankings most of the season.
“I feel like we’re not getting the recognition we should, but it just creates more of a desire for us to build something special,” Jones said. “We want to prove to the country that we’re to reckon with.”
Gray said that every season he has been on the team, their big goal was to always win a national championship. However, he said that this year does not seem as out of reach compared to years past.
“I truly think that the room is different this year,” Gray said. “The energy is so much more focused and I really think we can pull it together this year.”
Their next meet will be Nov. 10 at the Bob Del Rosa Ohio Intercollegiate Open at Case Western Reserve University.
