LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University was crowned the 2025 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Wrestling Champions on Sunday afternoon at the Melvin Price Convocation Center on the Bearcats’ campus.
McKendree secured its sixth league championship, the most in the Conference since the sport became sponsored in 2017. Upper Iowa University and Maryville University followed in second and third place, respectively. University of Indianapolis, Drury University, and Quincy University rounded out the field, finishing in fourth through sixth place.
QUARTERFINALS
#3 Indianapolis 37, #6 Quincy 8
RECAPS:
UINDY |
QU
- UINDY wins: Toby Billerman (133), Gavin Garcia (149), Nathan Conley (157), Shane Bates (165), Trey Sizemore (174), Aidan Petersen (184), Derek Blubaugh (197), and Cale Gray (285)
- QU victories: Brian Farley (125) and Sabian Russell (141).
- UINDY’s Sizemore and Petersen recorded falls for the Greyhounds.
- QU’s Russell notched a 20-4 win via tech fall.
#4 Maryville 31, #5 Drury 12
RECAPS: MU |
DU
- MU wins: Evan Binder (133), JP Homfeld (141), Logan Rubinstein (157), Cole Ritter (174), Dalton Litzsinger (184), Jeramiah Larson (197), and Orest Nazarchuk (285).
- DU victories: Bryson Humphries (125), Trevor Christian (149), and Will Kuster (165).
- MU’s Larson and Nazarchuk closed out the dual with back-to-back pins.
- DU’s Kuster recorded the biggest win for the Panthers, winning by tech fall (15-0).
SEMIFINALS
#1 Upper Iowa 26, #4 Maryville 14
RECAPS:
UIU |
MU
- UIU wins: Treyton Ackman (125), Ethen Doty (149), Dalton Schams (157), Collin Altensey (165), Lawson Losee (174), and Colter Bye (184).
- MU victories: Binder, Hudson Hackbarth (141), Larson, and Ryan Herman (285).
- UIU’s Doty and Altensey claimed wins via first-round pin.
- MU’s Binder and Larson collected major-decision victories.
#2 McKendree 21, #3 Indianapolis 19
RECAPS: MCK |
UINDY
- MCK wins: Joey Semerad (149), James Hoskinson (157), Cory Peterson (165), Matt Ortiz (174), Zeke Waltz (184), and Logan Kvien (197).
- UINDY victories: Jadon Gyan (125), Billerman, Brayden Lowery (141), and Gray.
- MCK’s Waltz recorded a pin, while Kvien picked up a huge overtime sudden victory over top-ranked Derek Blubaugh (4-1).
- UINDY’s Billerman and Lowery recorded falls for the Greyhounds.
FIFTH-PLACE MATCH
#5 Drury 22, #6 Quincy 18
RECAPS:
DU |
QU
- DU wins: Humphries, Christian, Kuster, Jeremiah Halter (174), Tristan Staat (184), and Jack Stoffel (285).
- QU victories: Isaac Bourge (133), Russell, Hunter Vernon (157), and Maxim Ryner (197).
- DU’s Halter notched a 22-6 tech fall victory, to go with Kuster and Christian’s major-decision wins.
- QU’s Russell finished the day 2-0 with a 5-0 decision win.
THIRD-PLACE MATCH
#4 Maryville 32, #3 Indianapolis 13
RECAPS: MU |
UINDY
- MU wins: Sam Shafer (125), Binder, Homfeld, Ritter, Litzsinger, Larson, and Narzarchuk.
- UINDY victories: Jackson Hoover (149), Conley, and Bates.
- MU racked up 22 points in the last four matches, including two pins and two major decision.
- UINDY registered wins via two major decisions and one tech fall.
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 McKendree 23, #1 Upper Iowa 17
RECAPS: MCK |
UIU
- MCK wins: Jason Strope (125), Ronan Schuelke (141), Hoskinson, Peterson, Ortiz, and Waltz.
- UIU victories: Dawson Schmit (133), Doty, Geoffrey Freeman (197), and Joshua Gaye (285).
- MCK’s Waltz came up big for the Bearcats, pinning Colter Bye to give them a 23-9 advantage and putting the dual out of reach.
- UIU’s Doty secured his second first-round fall of the day.
The All-GLVC teams and major award winners will be determined in the coming weeks, pending a vote of the league’s head coaches. Additionally, most Conference teams now await the NCAA Division II Super Region IV tournament, which will start on March 1 in Warrenburg, Mo. Upper Iowa will compete in Super Region V in Sioux Falls, S.D.