Grantham, Pa. - The Wheaton wrestling team opened the 2025-26 on Saturday at the Messiah University Invitational. The Thunder return to action with a home dual match against Elmhurst on November 6 inside King Arena. 

Thunder freshman Caleb Cox won four matches in his collegiate debut at 157-pounds on Saturday at Messiah. No. 1 seed Tyler Rossini defeated Cox in an 8-3 decision in his first match. Cox won by fall at the 3:26 mark of his second match as he defeated Arcadia's Tyler Glazier. Cox then defeated Samuel Zeigler in an 18-2 technical fall at 3:51, and Cox followed that with a 20-4 technical fall against Michael Beers at the 5:40 mark of their match. Cox defeated Messiah's Noah Rice in a forfeit. Noah Danforth of Washington & Lee topped Cox in an 11-3 major decision to the impressive day for the freshman.

Taggart Kazmierczak opened up his day at 165-pounds with a 15-0 technical fall in 2:00 minutes against Arcadia's Zachary Stevens. Kazmierczak followed that with a 16-0 technical fall (5:40) against Elizabethtown's Ethan Bliss. Messiah's Keegan Demarest, the No. 1 seed at 165-pounds, defeated Kazmierczak in a 20-4 technical fall (3:24). In the consolation bracket, Kazmierczak defeated Messiah's Joel Swanson in a 20-4 technical fall at the 5:32 mark. Washington & Lee's Devin Sweeney ended Kazmierczak's day in a 16-1 technical fall (7:00).

Senior Garrett Boyd opened up his day at 174-pounds in a 4-2 loss (decision) against Washington & Lee's Jacob Wright. Boyd defeated Johns Hopkins' Arthur Gordon in a 5-4 decision to open his run in the consolation bracket. Boyd then defeated Liberty's Josiah Foss in a 5-3 decision. Arcadia's Stanley Pete defeated Boyd in a 10-6 decision.

Jacob Kraker opened his day at 197-pounds by winning in a fall at the 6:22 mark of his match against Messiah's Nathaniel Manarin. John Santowski of Washington & Lee defeated Kraker in an 11-4 decision and Kraker followed that by winning a 10-6 decision over Arcadia's Tyler Mains in the consolation bracket. Brockport's Simon Lingle defeated Kraker in an 8-2 major decision.