Bucknell Wrestling enters the 2025-26 season with high expectations, EIWA-finalists and national championships qualifiers, and a loaded roster buoyed by a third-straight top-25 recruiting class. The Bison will need every weapon in the arsenal, as the team faces a potent and top-25-heavy schedule. Head coach Dan Wirnsberger and his determined staff aren't wilting wallflowers, looking to boost their record with soft soap schedules. The Bison aim to place grapplers on the EIWA and NCAA podium. Iron sharpens iron and, hopefully, the Orange & Blue.
The 2024-25 campaign witnessed some notable highlights. The Bison upset #21 Army for the first top-25 win in a decade, fifth-year senior Kurt Phipps won the program's fifth EIWA individual title, and five Bison advanced to the NCAA Championships. However, the season, like a see-saw, featured some struggles. After unhorsing the Black Knights, the team lost the rest of its dual meets, and though the program's emphasis is success in March, i.e., the EIWAs and the NCAAs, dual victories are appreciated.
Taking the next step program-wise begins in the bookend weight classes: 125 and heavyweight. The Bison have searched for years for a pencil-in wrestler at the 125 position. The team has plenty of options this season. Chris Nucifora leads the returning bunch, appearing in seven duals last season and representing the Bison at the EIWAs. Kade Davidheiser went 1-1 in 2024-25. Meyer Rosen has taken a forward step in his training. Freshman Andrij Szczesniuk brings exciting high school credentials.
'So we're starting to build some more depth at 125 pounds. We're just looking for one of those first two guys to step into the weight class, take it and own it, and make it their own."
The Bison have large shoes to fill at the 133-pound position. Phipps' graduation leaves a massive hole. However, nature abhors a vacuum, and his departure leaves plenty of opportunity for Ty Kapusta, who finished 9-7 last year. Freshmen Bryce Manera and Blue Stiffler both offer intriguing potential.
"There are a lot of expectations for Ty with his ability and what he was able to do throughout his high school career, and just looking for him to step into that weight class and make it his own and have success. Blue Stifler has had tremendous credentials in his high school prep career with a lot of success in freestyle and scholastic style, and we're looking forward to watching him. Bryce Manera had tremendous high school credentials. We want to see how he translates to collegiate wrestling and look for him to perform at a very high level."
Fifth-year senior Dylan Chappell headlines the 141-pound group. The three-time EIWA runner-up is hungry and ready to earn NCAA honors and an EIWA title and should surpass the 100-win mark. Chappell recorded four wins at the 2025 NCAA Championships and narrowly lost his bout for All-American honors. Senior Braden Bower dropped into the 141-pound category and, along with Vinnie D'Alessandro, Ethan Lebin, Stephen Lukas, and Logan McDermid, supplies additional depth for the Bison.
"Chappell will be the guy in that weight class. He's a guy who consistently performs when the lights are on and when the lights are the brightest, and that's going to be the same expectation with him this year as far as competing to win a national title and to bring home an all-American plaque. Braden Bauer is coming down a weight class from 149 pounds, where he competed for us at the EIWA tournament, and he will be looking to make his own statement at 141."
Senior Riley Bower (Braden's twin) conditioned his weight into the 149 slot. He has the early position for the starting assignment but will find competition from Aiden Davis and Kaden Schaefer. Davis was in-and-out of the lineup last year at 149.
"We are looking for a newcomer who could be the frontrunner at that weight class. Riley Bauer is moving down a weight class. He looks big. He looks strong and very competitive for that 149-pound weight class. For Davis, it comes down to whether he stays healthy throughout the season and continues to improve and develop. Schaefer adds quality depth at that weight class as well."
Returning starter, EIWA finalist, and U23 All-American Cade Wirnsberger leads the 157-pound troop. The expectations are high for the junior grappler after his breakthrough sophomore campaign. Creed Thomas dipped from the 165-pound class to add extra depth at 157. Oliver Graham, Brian Shindel, and Sean Walker offer quality for the reserves.
"We're looking for a breakthrough year for Cade to get to the NCAA tournament, make that podium, and become an All-American. That's another weight class where we have high expectations to perform at an elite level. Graham and Shindel are great guys who show up every day and work extremely hard."
Noah "Main Man" Mulvaney is the bright star for the 165-pound class. The junior made the EIWA finals last season but had to forfeit due to an injury suffered in the semifinal victory. He has been a two-time NCAA qualifier and seeks his junior year to be the national star-making campaign. Shane McFillin had an outstanding prep school career and will be an excellent understudy.
"Mulvaney is a junior with a wealth of experience, and we are looking for a breakout year, breakout season for him. A breakout season for him is competing for a national title and standing on the podium at the NCAA tournament."
Stardom in the 174-pound group belongs to Myles Takats. The grappler, like Mulvaney, enters his junior year as a two-time NCAA qualifier, questing for that additional step into All-American national glory. Takats recorded wins over the #9, #16, and #17 ranked wrestlers last year.
"High expectations now for Myles as he is an upperclassman. He has a tremendous amount of experience. He had a significant offseason, taking third at the U23 World Trials. He has continued on his positive trajectory for an NCAA title and All-American honors."
The 184-pound classification will be a battle between the duo of senior Mikey Bartush and sophomore Tyler Bienus. Bartush has rotated out of the duals lineup at 184 and 197 pounds. He has senior experience over Bienus, who offers a youthful ceiling.
"Bartush is a great competitor, strong, tenacious, tremendous work ethic. Bienus has continued to improve. Another one of our weight classes where we have some good quality depth as far as both of them are extremely competitive. The expectation for that weight class is to compete to be an EIWA champion, to be at the NCAA tournament, and making that podium."
Sophomore Dillon Bechtold made an immediate impact as a 197-pound freshman, winning 24 bouts, slotting an EIWA finalist, and earning qualification to the NCAA Championships. A big-time competitor, he recorded six tech falls. He had a tremendous offseason by placing second at the U-20 World Team Trials.
"He is, again, moving in a very positive direction and trajectory as far as his goal and expectation is not only at the national tournament but to be on top of that podium as an NCAA champion and All-American. Dillon is obviously excited about his season. We are excited as a coaching staff to see the improvements he's made in the offseason and the potential he has."
The heavyweight group appropriately has the most depth on the squad. Five grapplers will wrestle for the starting position. Senior Logan Shephard is the frontrunner with his national preseason ranking and 2025 EIWA placement. Fellow senior Riley Godek offers additional veteran experience. The three freshmen, Dante Donaldson, Will Greenberg, and Lucas Lawler, are massive additions to the second bookend in the Bison lineup.
"We might have our deepest group that we've ever had, and you can never have enough big guys. Lawler is right on Shephard's heels. He had a tremendously credential-wise high school preparatory career, and he's looking to make a major impact right away and be the guy at that weight class. Greenberg, a state champion from Ohio, is a true heavyweight, built like a barrel, and he adds great depth in competitiveness. Donaldson is a strong heavyweight who will improve and fill out his body."
The senior class of Bartush, Braden Bower, Riley Bower, Chappell, Godek, Lukas, and Shephard has reinvigorated Bucknell Wrestling since the COVID-19 pandemic. Their expertise and leadership will be the keystone for the 2025-26 squad.
"These guys have all been contributors to our program. They've all had success at some point or are currently in our starting lineup. It's been a great class of retention with these guys, leadership, and thankful for everything they've given to our program. We are excited to see how they finish their careers here at Bucknell and wish them well after they graduate from Bucknell."
Coach Tyler Smith is the program's recruiting coordinator and he has delivered three straight top 25 classes. The baseline of talent in the wrestling building has risen like a flood every campaign. The latest freshman crop of Donaldson, Greenberg, Lawler, Manera, McDermid, McFillin, Stiffler, and Szczesniuk plugs the few holes in the Bison roster.
"Tyler Smith has done a tremendous job. he does a good job just identifying talent, but not just identifying talent, but the right talent that's the right fit for our program at an institution like Bucknell, where you're talking about matching elite academics along with elite Division I athletics."
The Bison scheduled ambitiously with six opponents ranking in the inaugural top 25 poll and four other foes receiving votes. Throw in the always stout Navy Classic and prestigious Midlands Championships and the Orange & Blue will be well-tested for the EIWAs and NCAAs. That is Coach Wirnsberger's philosophy. He does not desire synthetic results but strives for a program producing phyllophytes.
"We set up our schedule accordingly so that we see and challenge our guys as much as we possibly can throughout the course of the season. We're just looking that these guys have their best result by the end of the year. We're returning four NCAA qualifiers. We have half of our starting lineup in the preseason rankings. We only need two or three other weight classes to step up and perform and that's our expectation. If we can get those other weight classes to perform, we can do some great things with this team this year as far as dual meet wins and getting our program consistently into the top 25."
The 2025-26 Bison are locked and loaded for the difficult schedule and eager for March glory. The ability and depth are present in Lewisburg. If the team can stay healthy and a few weight classes develop, wrestling will be the hottest ticket on this side of the Susquehanna. The road to March starts this weekend at the Navy Classic.