Men's Wrestling | 3/2/2015 12:23:00 PM

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Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Emily Zadny, Student Sports Information Assistant)

Mar. 2, 2015 - If it hadn't been for his high school football coach his freshman year, Dylan Mahler may have never found himself on the wrestling mat.

"My coach urged me to join the team because a lot of the skills used in wrestling are helpful for linemen," said Mahler. "I ended up enjoying wrestling much more, and focused on that instead." 

Nearly eight years later, the senior from Marquette, Michigan has left his mark on the North Central College wrestling program. Wrestling at 285 pounds and finishing with an overall record of 34-8, Mahler led the team in pins (10), as he did last season, as well as claiming the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship title this season. He leaves the program with 95 career wins, four Academic All-CCIW selections, and two National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-America awards.

Mahler attributes his success not only to his own hard work, but also because of the support from his coaches.

"The coaching staff here has a mentality that really fits my wrestling style: condition hard and wrestle tough," he said." They've certainly elevated my ability to do both."

The team's practices are a great representation of what the program breeds and strives for. The hard work has paid off for the Cardinals grapplers, going 7-5 on the season and clinching third place at the CCIW Championships.

"We usually warm up with an intense game of handball and then after my team wins, we start drilling: practicing all of our best moves," jokes Mahler. "Then we either go through a technique session or move straight into 'live' wrestling, where we wrestle competitively. Towards the end, we do some sort of conditioning exercises.

"It is not at all like what you see on WWE. You'd be surprised by how many great wrestlers attended their first practice under this misconception. Most of them thought they'd be smashing chairs on each other!"

When he's not at practice or competitions, the Entrepreneurship Major can be found on the third floor of Res/Rec, doing Resident Assistant rounds.

"It's more about energy management than time management," he said. "There are 24 hours in a day, which is plenty of time to get everything done. But getting everything done correctly requires emotional intelligence and energy management. Take a break when you need one and then get right back after it."

Following graduation, he hopes to return home to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, unless a career presents itself in the area. Looking back on his four years of wrestling at the collegiate level, Mahler has a lot to be proud of, not just of his own accomplishments, but those of his teammates as well.

He remembers watching teammate Nick Santos qualify for the National Championships last season and his own repeat victories at the North Central Invitational, where his father and brother were in the stands cheering him on.

Mahler capped an impressive four-year career last weekend at the NCAA Division III Midwest Region Championships, placing fifth and winning his final collegiate match by pin.

"I'm really happy to be at North Central College and to have been a part of this wrestling program," he said. "Coming in with only four short years of wrestling under my belt, I found myself in our starting lineup, which was humbling, and those early opportunities helped me adapt to college wrestling in the long run. It has been an incredibly powerful experience and my coaches here have taught me the true meaning of toughness, hard work, and accountability."