BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's wrestling team opens its season, Saturday, Nov. 8, as the Titans head south to Decatur, Ill. for the Millikin Open hosted by Millikin University. First rounds of action are set for 9:30 a.m. at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center.

Head Coach Adam Richards continues to build the program in his second season at the helm. He is joined by second-year assistants, Michael Triplett, Brian Roberts, and Steven Robbins, along with first-year assistant, Nick Dardenas.

The Green and White's roster sits at 23 wrestlers, including 15 newcomers. The junior class consists of regionally ranked Austin Johnston (Normal, Ill.-Normal West), along with Jeremy Olson (Tremont, Ill.-Tremont) and Alexander Jackson (Harvey, Ill.-Bremen), who won College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Men's Wrestler of the Week, Feb. 11, 2025.

Joining them are sophomores, Ameer Alamawi (New Lenox, Ill.- New Lenox), Evan Carel (Hamilton, Ill.- Hamilton), Jackson Castaneda (Oak Forest, Ill.- Oak Forest), Ash Hinman (Springfield, Ill.- Springfield Southeast) along with transfer David Roa (Berwyn, Ill.- Morton West).

Freshmen Jeremiah Austin (Jefferson City, Mo.- Capital City), Cameron Borneman (Bourbonnais, Ill.- Bradley-Bourbonnais), Trey Dunning (Mishawaka, Ind.- Mishawaka), Can Gorgulu (Wilmette, Ill.- New Trier), Moses Kim (Champaign, Ill. - Champaign-Centennial), Dylan McGrew (Normal, Ill.- Normal West), Aidan Mehmedi (Countryside, Ill.- Lyons Township), Elijah Moore (Highland Park, Ill.- Highland Park), Brady Mouser (Bloomington, Ill.- Tri-Valley), Daniel Muth (Urbana, Ill. - MacArthur), Silas Oberholtzer (Lake Barrington, Ill.- Barrington), Tate Sigler (Le Roy, Ill. - Le Roy), Phoenix Wombacher (Peoria, Ill.- Richwoods) and Tyson Zvonar (Frankfort, Ill.- Lincoln-Way East) are expected to make their IWU debuts this season.

The Titans will send 17 competitors down Route 51. McGrew and Mouser will wrestle at 125 pounds. Zvonar takes on the 133-pound weight class while Johnston looks to build on his success at 141 pounds after winning four matches at last year's Millikin Open. Alamawi is joined by Austin and Muth at 149 pounds. After a fourth place finish a year ago at 149 pounds, Carel shifts to the 157-pound weight class alongside Borneman and Oberholtzer. The rest of the Titan lineup is rounded out by Castaneda and Gorgulu at 165 pounds, Moore at 174, Blanton, Hinman, and Olson at 184 pounds, and Dunning at 197 pounds.

Opening rounds of the Millikin Open are scheduled for a 9:30 a.m. start Saturday, Nov. 8. Final results of the tournament will be posted to the men's wrestling schedule page of iwusports.com upon the meet's conclusion.