The Case Western Reserve University wrestling team will be looking to build upon its best season in a generation when the 2026-27 campaign opens on Saturday, November 7 with the Mount Union Invitational.
Last season, the Spartans had three members qualify for the NCAA Championships, the most for the program since 2003. Art Martinez became the team's first All-American in 14 years, placing sixth in the 133-pound bracket.
Senior Mathew Gummere advanced to the national tournament at 184 pounds after placing third in the weight class at the NCAA Region V Tournament. He finished the year with a record of 29-19, including eight pins and two technical falls. Entering the 2026-27 campaign, Gummere has a record of 75-57 across three different weight classes, including a 56-43 mark at 184 pounds. He enters the season ranked 10th nationally and second in Region IV, Case Western Reserve's new region this season, by the NWCA.
Two other Spartans were also ranked regionally by the NWCA. Sophomore Alexander Goldman, who finished seventh in the region at 285 pounds last year, is ranked third at 197 pounds, his primary weight class. Goldman had a 19-15 overall mark last year, including a 12-4 record at 197 pounds. Junior Chase Crutchley ranked fourth at 174 pounds after going 32-16 last year in the weight class. He placed fourth in the region last year.
Sophomore Hunter Keane, who wrestled at 141 pounds last year, placed seventh in the region and led the team with 39 wins in 2026-27. Junior Louka Babic (174 pounds), sophomore Cole Rose (141 pounds), and senior Mike Valerino (133 pounds) all won exactly 20 bouts last season and are likely to make major impacts for the team.
Other top returning wrestlers include junior Alexander Greene Barrios (19-11, 133 pounds), junior Robert Minden (17-17, 157 pounds), sophomore Kodi Pfeiffer (16-15, 184 pounds), and sophomore Christopher Bezzeg (9-8, 165 pounds). Senior Dillon O'Keefe, juniors Simon Bishop and Anthony Levri, and sophomores Tatsu Homma, Dani Rosen, Nate Boyd, and Thomas Trout add depth for CWRU throughout the lineup.
Head Coach David Shapiro, entering his fourth season at CWRU, brought on eight first-year wrestlers and one graduate transfer to the team. The wrestlers new to collegiate wrestling include Quinn Bowles (285), Damian Lang (133), Christian May (141/149), Liam McConaughy (125), James Nalbone (133), Cameron Nelson (125), Jake Rheaume (165), and Michael Rusinko (133). Ayden Lutes comes to Case Western Reserve after three years of wrestling at Wabash College, where he earned two NWCA Scholar All-America honors and placed eighth regionally at 157 pounds in 2025.
Shapiro will be joined on staff by full-time Assistant Coach Kevon Freeman, returning coaches Garrett Chase, Jordan Decatur, and Joe Terry, and alumnus and returning coach Stephen Andryc. New to the staff is Tywan Claxton, who was an All-American at Division II King University and qualified for the national championship at Division I Ohio University.
After opening the campaign at Mount Union, the Spartans host their annual Bob Del Rosa Open on Saturday, November 14 inside the Veale Athletic Center. The team travels to Berea, Ohio, for the Baldwin Wallace Invite before hosting Division II Gannon on Saturday, December 5 inside Horsburgh Gymnasium. CWRU wraps up the fall portion of its schedule with the Chocolate Duals hosted by Messiah University on December 19 with potential opponents including Ithaca, York, Centenary, Arcadia, Penn College, and Lycoming.
The team rings in the new year by hosting the University Athletic Association Challenge on Saturday, January 2. The Spartans will face Ohio Northern, Eastern, and Washington & Jefferson in dual meets. The following weekend, Case Western Reserve will head to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the NWCA National Duals, competing against the best teams in Division III. The Spartans will host Baldwin Wallace for Senior Day on Thursday, January 14, followed by a trip to Manchester, Indiana, for the Tom Jarman Spartan Mat Classic that Saturday. CWRU ends the month of January with the historic Pete Willson Invite, hosted by Wheaton College.
In February, the Spartans will compete at the John Summa Invite, hosted by Baldwin Wallace, before traveling to Chicago for the UAA Wrestling Championship on Saturday, February 13. CWRU will face New York University and the University of Chicago in dual meets to determine the conference champion. After the squad's younger wrestlers compete at the Futures Invite, hosted by Adrian College, 10 Spartans will wrestle for their place at the national championships with the Region IV Championship Tournament, hosted by Ohio Northern University on February 26 and 27. Any wrestlers placing in the top three in their weight class at the regional meet will qualify for the NCAA Division III Men's Wrestling Championship, which will be held at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin on March 12 and 13.
