Raiders Undergo an Extreme Makeover - 2008-09 Wrestling Preview
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| Junior Sean Dreger finished third at last year's OAC Championships and was a 2009 Academic All-OAC selection. |
On the show a group of designers and builders go to a family’s home demolish it and build a better home in its place. Literally that is happening this season with the Purple Raider wrestling program as their facilities have been razed and a new wrestling room and locker room are under construction as part of a $16-million dollar project to renovate and remodel the Timken Physical Education Center and Peterson Fieldhouse. When the project is complete next school year Mount Union will have one of the premiere facilities in NCAA Division III wrestling with a new locker room along with a 3,600 square foot wrestling room.
Figuratively the makeover is happening as well as second-year head coach Mark Hawald takes on the role of one of the designers on the show as he is creating a Mount Union program with almost an entire new team as just three letterwinners and six total wrestlers that competed a year ago return.
Junior Sean Dreger (Alliance/Alliance) at 149 pounds is the top returner as he finished third at last year’s Ohio Athletic Conference Championships and was also an Academic All-OAC selection.
Junior Mike Manypenny (Salem/Salem) and Kyle Jordan (Ravenna/Ravenna) are the two returning letterwinners, while sophomores Tim Campbell (Bucyrus/Bucyrus), Josh Cintron (Alliance/Alliance) and Tod Rogers (Youngstown/Liberty) are the other Raiders that competed a year ago.
Hawald will look toward a large and talented freshman class to make contributions right away and build depth in the program.
One thing that is not changing at Mount Union is a competitive schedule as the OAC and home portion of the schedule begin December 2 at home against John Carroll University at the Timken Gymnasium in Alliance.