Wrestling | 1/8/2026 1:16:00 PM

NWCA Multi-Divisional National Duals Website

UWL Head Coach Dave Malecek Previews the NWCA Duals

Cedar Falls, Iowa - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team, ranked third in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, is set to compete in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)/U.S. Marine Corps Multi-Divisional National Duals Friday-Saturday, January 9-10 at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome. The duals are presented by A Better Way Athletics, Capitol Construction and Defense Soap.
 
UWL is third in the NWCA Top 25 Poll in both tournament and dual rankings.

College teams from NCAA Men's Division I, Division II, Division III, NCAA Women and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women and Men will be competing. 

The Eagles are the third seed for the duals and will wrestle at 12 p.m. on Friday, January 9 against the winner of the Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.)/University of Chicago (Ill.) preliminary match at 10 a.m. 

The NCAA Division III field features 24 programs, including defending champion Augsburg University (Minn.). The Auggies, ranked first this season, have won nine team titles at the NWCA National Duals. Wartburg College (Iowa) is ranked first this year and captured 13 national duals crowns.

UWL is the only other team to win the NWCA Duals, taking the crown in 2022 with a 31-9 victory over Wabash College (Ind.) in the championship match.

UWL has finished at least fifth in 10 of the last 14 NWCA Duals. Along with the team title in 2022, the Eagles were second in 2011 and third in 2012, 2024 and 2025. UWL placed fourth in 2023 and fifth in 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Of the 24 programs competing in this year's Division III national duals, 16 are ranked in the top 25, including all of the top-10. Wartburg (Iowa) is ranked first, Augsburg (Minn.) second, UWL third and The College of New Jersey fourth entering this year's national duals.

Loras College (Iowa) is fifth, Roanoke College (Va.) seventh, Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) eighth, Central College (Iowa) ninth and Coe College (Iowa) 10th.

Other schools ranked in the duals include UW-Whitewater 13th, Vermont State University Castleton 14th, Baldwin-Wallace University (Ohio) 15th, Chicago (Ill.) 18th, Wabash College (Ind.) 19th and New York University 20th.

UWL is 9-0 overall this season, including 3-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The Eagles have earned league victories over UW-Platteville (39-3), UW-Oshkosh (52-0) and UW-Eau Claire (23-12). UWL has won its last 20 duals in the WIAC.
 
The Eagles also have a 42-3 victory over 15th-ranked Baldwin-Wallace (Ohio) and 24-17 win over ninth-ranked Central (Iowa). UWL earned a 25-18 victory over then 10th-ranked Luther College (Iowa) earlier this season.

 Seven wrestlers are ranked in the NWCA Division III, including Quintin Wolbert (125-pounds) second. Tanner Gerber (165) and Tate Flege (184) are both ranked third while Eddie Simes (174) is fifth and Tyler Dormanen (197) sixth. UWL's Markos Mihalopoulos (285) is 10th and Talan Schutte (141) 12th.