2025-26 SEASON PREVIEW: Men’s Wrestling reloads for second season in NAIA
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College wrestling embarks on the new 2025-26 season on Saturday, beginning the program's second year in the NAIA.
Click here to view the 2025-26 Men's Wrestling Media Guide
The new season also introduces a number of new faces and revives a program that had just two wrestlers compete in every event last season. Joining sophomore Drew Matthews and 46-year-old Brian Swinehart, second-year head coach Jake Henderson and his staff added 13 new members to the Purple and Gold. This boost in numbers gives DC the chance to fill 8 of 10 weight classes to start the year with plenty of opportunities for duals rather than entires at open tournaments.
"As a coach, this is kind of the most exciting time when you get a bunch of raw talent in the room and just teaching them what you want and setting expectations," says Coach Henderson.
About the Team
Now with a 15-man team, Defiance is represented well around Northwest Ohio with 11 wrestlers coming from the surrounding area. Their coach is encouraged by how the team has come together and even overcome some old high school rivalries to mesh as a unit. This year's roster includes representatives from Wauseon, Delta, Liberty Center and Swanton in the NWOAL in addition to Tinora and Wayne Trace in the GMC.
"We were fortunate enough to get a lot of really good dudes in the area. Ninety percent of our team is from within an hour of us at Defiance. That's super exciting," says Henderson.
Nearly the entire freshman class had either 100 wins in high school, won an individual conference title, or qualified for the Ohio state wrestling meet during their prep careers.
While the excitement for the new year is high, Henderson and his staff are focusing in on the big picture and getting them prepared to make the leap into college wrestling. A group that is committed to the process of getting better each day, buying into the guidance of coaching and bringing their best effort into everything they do will breed results on the mats.
Henderson also noted that this approach is crucial with a challenging first month of competition designed to acclimate this team to a new level. "In order to get where we need to be, we need to show these guys what that top level of NAIA wrestling looks like."
The lineup for Defiance out of the gates will feature Matthews at 141 while he also noted newcomers Peyton Brown, Parker Cone, Kale Waxler, Connor Sintobin and Evan Smigelski as individuals to watch out for early in the year. Additionally, Timothy "Gage" Grunden will start the year unattached as Henderson anticipates his ability to join the team next semester at 133 and make a significant impact.
Conference Outlook
The WHAC's wrestling teams have achieved considerable success on the national stage. Cornerstone, Indiana Tech, Marian and Lourdes all finished last season in the NAIA Top 25. Defiance will get an early look at where they are in the pecking order when they host the WHAC Super Duals at the Smart Center on Nov. 22.
"It's really exciting to get on the road to Kentucky this weekend and scrap with some of the best in the country down there to start our season," says Henderson.
-JACKETS-