La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team opened its 2025-26 home schedule with a 25-18 dual victory over Luther College (Iowa) Saturday night in Mitchell Hall.

The Eagles, ranked fifth in this week's National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Top-25 Poll, improve to 3-0 on the season. The Norse, ranked 10th in the NWCA, drop to 0-1.

UWL now leads the all-time series, 37-17-1, with Luther (Iowa). 

In the first meeting between the teams since 2020, Luther (Iowa) took a 6-0 lead with Patrick Gugala-Reinders winning by forfeit at 125-pounds.

The Norse' Connor Kidd, ranked seventh, extended the lead to 9-0 with a decision (8-2) over 13th-ranked Wyatt Magolski at 133-pounds.

UWL got on the scoreboard at 141-pounds with 11th-ranked Talan Schutte winning by major decision (8-0) over Mateo Ochoa to cut the Luther (Iowa) lead to 9-4.

Joe Penchi followed with a win by decision (2-1) over Quentin Vilmenay at 149-pounds to make it 9-7. Luther (Iowa) extended the lead to 15-7, winning by fall (2:58) over Kolt Knaack at 157-pounds.

In a match-up of top-four ranked wrestlers at 165-pounds, top-ranked Clayton McDonough of Luther (Iowa) won by decision (5-4) over UWL's Tanner Gerber, ranked fourth in NCAA Division III. The win gave the Norse a 18-7 lead.

UWL took the final four matches to secure the dual victory. Seventh-ranked Eddie Simes started the run at 174-pounds for the Eagles with a decision (2-1) over sixth-ranked Bryce McDonough to make it 18-10.

Tate Flege and Tyler Dormanen followed with wins by fall for the Eagles. Tate Flege, ranked third at 184-pounds, won by fall (3:23) over Noah Pettit to cut the deficit to 18-16. Dormanen followed with a fall (1:48) over Griffin Schultz at 197-pounds to give UWL its first lead of the dual at 22-16.

Markos Mihalopoulos, ranked 11th at 285-pounds, secured the dual victory for the Eagles with a win by decision (4-0) over Tashaud Nelson.

UWL held Greg Lonning Day on Saturday as the Eagles' women's basketball team also hosted Luther (Iowa), earning a 83-60 win.

Lonning served as UWL's head wrestling coach from 1992-98, leading the Eagles to their first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) title in school history in 1993. UWL also captured the championship in 1998. Lonning led the program to top-12 finishes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships in all six seasons as head coach, including a third-place finish in 1998 and fourth-place showing in 1996.

Named the 1993-94 WIAC Coach of the Year, Lonning coached 19 NCAA Division III All-Americas at UWL, including three national champions. He also coached 19 conference champions. Lonning was an assistant coach at UWL for three years before being named head coach.

He was a three-year letter winner at Luther (Iowa), earning two NCAA Division III All-America honors at 118-pounds. Lonning captured the national title in 1983 and was a two-time Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) champion.

Inducted into the Luther (Iowa) Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994, Lonning earned his bachelor's degree from Luther (Iowa) in 1984 and his master's degree from UWL in 1991. He was inducted into the NWCA Division III Hall of Fame in 2017. Lonning passed away March 8, 2022.  

His daughter, Moran, is currently in her third season as UWL's head women's basketball coach. She earned a pair of letters at Luther (Iowa), being named the IIAC Most Valuable Player in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Lonning was a two-time All-America.

UWL's wrestling team returns to action Wednesday, December 3 at UW-Platteville at 6 p.m.