Wisconsin missed out on a potential football player, but the Badgers' wrestling program also whiffed on recruiting a native son. Fernando Mendoza repaid Miami for their lack of interest by denying the Hurricanes a national title. Mulvaney, on a smaller scale, has made Wisconsin pay for ignoring its burrow hole. Bucknell has wrestled the Badgers three times in his career, and the Bison grappler owns a perfect 3-0 record.

Mulvaney landed at Bucknell because the Bison were the first to express interest and faith. He reciprocated that attention. Bucknell held many attractions for a small-town Wisconsin boy. The small classes, the ability to know a professor by name, the finance major, the school's renowned Freeman College of Management, and the wrestling team's family culture also fit his profile.

"I wanted to be at a place where there's a good culture, and you could really tell that it was a family. I know a lot of programs say we have this family culture, but sometimes it's not how it was described. At Bucknell, I could tell that everyone was best friends."

Mulvaney is not a demonstrative wrestler. His victory celebrations are generally sedate and restrained compared to those of many teammates and opponents. He exudes quiet confidence. However, his major recruiting story reveals the confident knight underneath his singlet of steel.

At a major recruiting open, he approached Bucknell's head coach, Dan Wirnsberger, and handed him the QR code for his questionnaire. He also slipped Wirnsberger this quote: "I'm about to wrestle on Mat 22 if you want to watch me go whoop this guy up." The story works because Mulvaney did, indeed, whoop that guy up. The Bucknell coaching staff consulted the QR code, and his recruitment process began.

Mulvaney wrestled at 182 pounds in high school. Bison fans are aware he works the 165-pound circuit in college. He planned to wrestle the 174-pound class while teammate Myles Takats would handle the 165-pound responsibility. Instead, Takats kept growing, and Mulvaney, after body fat and hydration tests, discovered that 165 worked best for him. Wrestling weight has become an exact science. Championships and titles are won and lost in the laboratory.

Accomplished and talented coaches pockmark the Bucknell staff. Wirnsberger was an All-American and still has the physique to wrestle with the lads, if necessary. Mulvaney has received direct training from every coach. And by direct, wrestling means direct contact. The coaches aren't drawing patterns on a whiteboard. They head down to the trenches and wrestle the grapplers. Coach Dan Neff is his normal weight coach, but he spent his freshman year wrestling with Coach Thomas Flitz (the upper weights guru), and he occasionally duels Coach Tyler Smith, a Bucknell legend. The diverse methods have grown his expertise.

"I've got a good mix of working with all the coaches, which I think is beneficial because I don't have to lean on one guy. I know I have a whole crowd in my corner."

Neff raved about Mulvaney's maturity and development.

"It's been an incredible experience working with Noah these past two years. He has a great mind for the sport, able to analyze a position that needs improvement, work on it, and then confidently make adjustments come match time—something that's easier said than done in wrestling. His mind for the sport will always stick out to me, but it's definitely not his only attribute. He's consistently positive, not just when things are going well; he works incredibly hard and lives a lifestyle that aligns with the goals he's set for himself. When you put all these things together, you have something truly special, on and off the mat. Noah is and will be a staple in this program, and I’m just happy to be part of his journey."

Mulvaney has enjoyed a successful career, but it has come with caveats and what-ifs. Injuries marred his sophomore year. They popped up early in the season and returned in March, forcing a medical disqualification in the EIWA Championship match. He gamely wrestled in the NCAA National Championships, but his valiant spirit could not overcome tender flesh.

This season, he has become Bucknell's most consistent grappler. He owns a 19-4 record overall and a 13-1 mark in dual matches. He recently hit the 60-win milestone with a 15-0 tech fall against Lock Haven. His confidence has matured for two reasons: cool veteran experience and the foundation of his faith.

"I'm really diving into my faith, and I feel like that is a driving factor of why I've been having such peace before I go out and compete."

Mulvaney also worries less about his status in the weekly rankings and focuses more on just wrestling in the moment. Last year, he often wrestled with the nagging concern that a loss would plummet him down the rankings. A warrior can't afford distractions during battle.

"This year, I feel like I don't really pay attention to those outside factors. I just want to do my best in every single match."

The two hallmarks of experience and faith exhibit themselves in his wrestling style. He is methodically stoic. Often, opponents will land the first takedown, but Mulvaney refuses to panic or switch to a more aggressive maneuver. He knows he has seven minutes and three periods and, if required, sudden victory. Mulvaney is 3-0 this year in matches pushing an extra period and 4-1 against ranked foes.

"My teammates say, I'm never counting Mulvaney out because, you know, he gets taken down first all the time and finds a way to win the match."

Off the mat, Mulvaney remains involved in the sport as the sole student-athletic representative on the NCAA Oversight Committee. His voice is the one consulted by the board members anytime they require the student-athlete perspective. He recently voted on when to open the transfer portal. It is a prestigious honor, and he hopes to serve again next year.

His tenure comes during a period of growth for the sport. Viewership for NCAA wrestling has grown. Wrestling, at its core, represents the struggle between two men for victory. It reflects the core of human existence. Social media has provided immediate access to the stars and their personalities.

"It's just entertaining to watch the two guys battle it out. You know, there's a lot that goes into wrestling, and a lot of people don't see what goes on behind closed doors. But seeing the two people go out there and scrap, see who's coming out with their hand raised is, I think, very entertaining."

Mulvaney's personality cements itself in his recently discovered Christianity. Bill Morrow, the area's FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletics) representative and former Bucknell football coach, held Bible studies and introduced Mulvaney and several teammates to Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. Those interactions launched his faith journey during his sophomore summer when he accepted Christ.

The decision to attend Cornerstone also brought Eros into his life, which quickly evolved into Pragma. Mulvaney met a local lady from nearby Miffinsburg at church. After nine months of blissful courtship, Mulvaney nervously proposed to her last December. Thankfully (his exact wording), she said yes!

Their wedding is planned for this May, meaning Mulvaney will spend his senior year in a honeymoon state of mind. Fortunately, he has a mentor to guide his steps. Former Bison heavyweight and teammate Dorian Crosby was also married during his collegiate career. Mulvaney plans on asking Crosby for advice on balancing marriage, school, and wrestling.

"I'm ready for marriage. I felt like that's where the Lord really wanted me to be and do, and he's been the center of that decision. So I feel a lot of peace with that, and I'm excited to start my life with her."

Compounding his upcoming nuptials this summer is his planned FCA internship with Bill Morrow. He will be working with the local high schools, helping to disciple them in their faith, leading Bible studies around campus, and connecting with local churches. It certainly isn't the typical Bucknell finance internship on suit-and-tie Wall Street, but it is Mulvaney's path. He is aware that many of his classmates and professors might view his decision as not worldly, but his faith calls him not to be of this world.

"I'm exploring different opportunities because I could see doing something FCA or missionary work as a career for me. Sometimes I talk to my classmates outside of the team, and sometimes that's weird for them because I'm not getting a traditional internship with how well-known the Freeman College of Management is. Taking a different route is something people think is odd, but I really enjoy it."

Coach Wirnsberger, a veteran in the profession, has seen countless student-athletes come and go. He knows the importance of remaining grounded in an intensely competitive environment where winning and losing often trump everything.

"Noah has also had a significant impact on the Bucknell community and the local community with his involvement with FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). His Faith keeps him balanced and centered, allowing him to perform without the pressure to win. His identity is found in something greater than himself. Noah will continue to impact lives beyond his years at Bucknell."

But the wedding is in the future. Right now, Mulvaney has his eyes set on wrestling hardware. He wants a crack at the EIWA individual title and an NCAA podium chance that craven injury denied him a year ago. Additionally, he is shooting for 100 career wins, a team EIWA title, and the program ranking in the top 25. The Bison have come agonizingly close in the past two years to collecting several ranked wins. Wirnsberger recognized his player's ability:

"Noah loves the sport, which helps him stand out from his competitors. He always wants to learn and grow with his technique and training. He is a pleasure to coach and mature beyond his years. Noah has helped take our program to another level with his consistency and growth throughout his career."

As a junior, he doesn't have his postgraduate plans sealed and delivered quite yet, but Mulvaney does know he will stick around the area. He wants to see how the FCA internship proceeds before he makes any long-lasting decisions. Central Pennsylvania has a marvelous way of working its way into someone's heart and encouraging them to plant roots in the region's fertile soil.

Whatever his future may hold, Mulvaney has a fresh and structurally sound faith to guide him. Bucknell has blessed him with many opportunities, and the wrestler is fully aware of his debt.

I'm just super grateful to be a part of a program like the Bucknell Wrestling Team. I go back to when I was getting recruited; they believed in me the most. I just want to represent the team to the best of my ability. That doesn't always mean that I'm winning the most or anything, but as long as I'm giving it my all and contributing as much as I can, that's what I'm going to do and what I want to do. My character and how I present myself are more important to me, and my faith is more important to me than a winning record."

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