Mercyhurst University Athletics

Mike Wehler was named the second wrestling coach in Mercyhurst University history on August 1, 2007. The Lakers have had nothing but success on the mat and in the classroom under his leadership.

In the 2023-24 season, the Lakers finished with a record of 7-6 in dual meets while continually finding themselves ranked in the top 25 in the nation by the NWCA and Open Mat. The team finished with one win over a ranked opponent, taking #11 Millersville down on Januaury 20th in the Shippensburg Duals when the Lakers won 27-16. The team finished with two NCAA national qualifiers in Jake Niffenegger and Trever Begin with Niffenegger being named the champion at 141 in Super Region I before becoming the 32nd All-American under Wehler's tutelage with his sixth place finish.

The Lakers had two wrestlers named All-Americans in the 2022-23 seasons with Eric Bartos and Jake Niffenegger making the cut. Niffenegger reached All-American status in his first year collegiately, giving Wehler a second straight season having a freshman grabbing the honor. Eric Bartos climbed higher on the all-time wins list with 117 over his time on the mat for the fourth most in program history.

The 2021-22 season saw four Lakers qualified for the NCAA National Championships. It also produced the 100th career win for graduate student Jacob Robb. Wehler helped guide freshman Dillon Walker to All-American status after a 5th place finish at 174.

In a shortened 2020-21 season, the Lakers qualified two wrestlers for NCAA Nationals including one regional champion. The 2019-20 squad had four NWCA All-Americans, including a pair of regional champions. 

Mercyhurst won 51 of 56 matches from 2013-2016. In 2015, Mercyhurst finished fourth at the NCAA Division II National Championships at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The fourth-place finish broke the previous program-best of ninth place set in 2005, 2008, and 2009.

Mercyhurst finished with 58.0 team points and ended behind only the 2015 National Champions, St. Cloud State (84.5), second-place Nebraska-Kearney (76.5), and third-place Maryville (61.0). The Lakers were the top finishers from Super Region I.

Mercyhurst had six of its seven national qualifiers earn All-American status after day one of the tournament. The six All-Americans broke the school's previous record of four set during the 2005 National Championships.

Wehler, the 2015 Super Region I Coach of the Year, guided the Lakers to an 18-1 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponents. Mercyhurst won its third consecutive PSAC Division II Regular Season Dual Championship with a league-clinching 24-15 victory over Pitt-Johnstown on February 14.

From 2013-2016, Mercyhurst went 19-0 against PSAC opponents en route to their three consecutive regular season titles. Meanwhile, the 18 victories last season tied the program record for most dual victories in a season, which was established in 2013-14. The team's .947 winning percentage also tied the program record, again set last season.

Wehler was also chosen as the 2014-15 NCAA D-II Coach-of-the-Year as his squad finished ranked fourth nationally. Redshirt sophomore Francis Mizia won the NCAA award for most technical falls. Academically, the Lakers ranked first in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and 10th nationally. Eight grapplers made the NWCA Division II All-Academic Team.

Mercyhurst went 18-1 in 2013-14, had two All-Americans, and finished the season ranked 12th in the country. Wehler was the Super Region Coach-of-the-Year and eight wrestlers were chosen Division II Academic All-Americans.

The Lakers won 15 of 18 matches in 2012-13 as the team captured the Division II Academic National Championship. Mercyhurst had the highest team grade point average among all Division II institutions with wrestling. Wehler won the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award and freshman Dylan D'Urso took home the NCAA Award for Most Technical Falls.

In the 2011-12 campaign, the Lakers went 13-6 in their dual matches. Three grapplers qualified for nationals, as Ryan Bohince, Kody Young, and Fred Hale each advanced. As a team, Mercyhurst placed fourth in Super Region I. Young won the inaugural award for most falls in Division II at nationals. Eleven student-athletes earned NWCA All-Academic honors. Josh Shields wrapped up his career in 2012 with a nomination for the 2012 Mercyhurst Senior Student-Athlete of the Year Award.

Shields was the 2009 NCAA Division II 165-pound champion. He qualified for nationals three times in his career. In 2010, he advanced to the national title bout. A two-time regional champion, Shields finished a 106-22 career record, including an unbeaten mark in home dual matches. He holds the school record for career winning percentage at 82.8 percent. He defeated 28 All-Americans and six NCAA champions in his career. Shields was also a four-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) First Team Academic All-American.

Guiding a youthful squad in his fourth year at the helm in 2010-11, Wehler helped the Lakers to a 25th-place finish at the NCAA II National Championships.

Wehler guided four grapplers to the national stage and another pair to a top-six finish in the regional tournament. During the regional tournament Wehler coached Michael Pollard to a fourth place finish, Londele Cox and Hale to third place finishes helping them reach the national spotlight. Wehler would also lead 157-pounder Jordan Shields to his first regional title before receiving his All-America certificate with a fourth place finish at nationals. Under Wehler’s direction, Pollard broke the single-season pins record of 14 and now has set the record at 18.

During his third season Wehler directed 165-pounder Shields into the national finals for the second consecutive year, with Shields adding his third All-America certificate in as many years. He took second in 2010, adding to his national championship title in 2009 and a fourth-place finish as a red-shirt freshman.

His second season as the Lakers leader was filled with milestones, including crowning the athletic department's first individual national champion in 165-pound sophomore Shields.

Three wrestlers - senior Payne Lint, junior Andy Lamancusa and Shields - qualified for the national tournament and all three came home with All-America hardware, giving Wehler five All-Americans and a national champion in just two years as the Laker leader.

Additionally, the Lakers set the program's single-season victory and winning percentage marks with a 16-5-1 record, eclipsing the 2005-06 squad that went 15-6. The squad finished ninth out of 35 teams at the national championship and fifth out of 15 teams at the NCAA Super Region 1 Championships. They went 4-1 at the East Region Duals and placed eighth at the NWCA/Cliff Keen Duals.

Lamancusa closed out the year as the Laker leader in single-season victories (37-10), as well as major decisions (12), and became the all-time leader in that category with 21. He is also the only Laker to earn multiple regional championships, having won the 157-pound title every year.

The Lakers also entered into the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and compete yearly in the conference tournament where Division I teams such as Edinboro, Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Clarion contend against the Division II teams for team and individual titles. In its first-year, Mercyhurst finished fifth to place the highest-showing of all the Divison II teams (Kutztown, Gannon, Shippensburg).

In his first season, as the Lakers finished ninth at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, and two wrestlers, Hudson Harrison and Josh Shields, earned All-American honors.

Wehler helped Harrison finish as the national runner-up at 165 pounds and Shields to a fourth-place finish at 174. Harrison became only the third Laker in program history to compete in a national title bout. Three other Lakers qualified for the national championships and 149-pounder Brian Pogel and 157-pound Andy Lamancusa won East Region Championships.

Under Wehler's direction, Pogel and Harrison each posted a school-record 34 victories during the 2007-08 season. Pogel climbed as high as No. 3 in the national poll after defeating the defending national champion at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals.

The Lakers posted a 10-14 dual record and wrestled a formidable schedule, facing seven Division I opponents and nine nationally-ranked Division II programs. Wehler's Lakers also took first place at the National Catholic Invitational and Ashland's Simonson Invitational.

Prior to coming to Mercyhurst, Wehler spent three years leading a historically successful program at West Liberty State. While there, he continued and built on the tradition. In three seasons, he coached four Division II All-Americans, 12 national qualifiers, and 21 Academic All-Americans.

In 2007, four of his wrestlers recorded at least 20 victories, and as a team, the squad set or tied five team records. Individually, four wrestlers qualified for nationals.

Wehler's coached 174-pound Tommy Clark to an NCAA Division II East Region Championship, helped him to 42 wins (the second-best single season mark in school history) and three new career records in major decisions, decisions and ride time. At the end of the 2007 season, Wehler's wrestlers broke five individual school records.

His 2007 squad also placed at the NWCA National Duals. Wehler finished his three-year stint at West Liberty with an overall dual meet record of 27-20.

Not only did Wehler's team excel on the mat, but also in the classroom. In his first season at the helm, six Hilltoppers earned Academic All-American status. The following year, seven were honored and in 2007, eight were given the award. That same 2007 team finished second in all of Division II in team GPA with a mark of 3.365.

Prior to his time at West Liberty State, Wehler was a graduate assistant coach at North Carolina at Pembroke in Pembroke, N.C. He was also the head wrestling coach at Hollidaysburg Area Senior High in Hollidaysburg, Pa. from 2000-02 and an assistant coach at Williamsport High School in Williamsport, Pa. from 1999-00.

Wehler wrestled at NCAA Division I Lock Haven from 1995-99 where he wrestled at 118 and 125. He was a member of the 1996 and 1997 PSAC Championship teams and the EWL title winner in 1997.

He was named to the Dean's List four times and received his bachelor's degree in health and physical education in May of 2000. He then earned his master's degree in physical education from North Carolina at Pembroke.