CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Fresh off its 17th national championship, the Wartburg College men's wrestling program swept the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) major postseason awards and recorded its largest group of all-conference selections since 2017.

Kade Blume and Kasey Ross were named the league's Most Valuable Performer, while head coach Eric Keller earned his fifth consecutive and 10th overall A-R-C Coach of the Year honor.

Wartburg added 10 additional all-conference honorees, marking the program's highest total since 2017.

Keller guided the Knights to their 17th national title, tying legendary coach Jim Miller with 10 championships at the helm, including three as co-head coach. Wartburg produced seven NCAA All-Americans—its highest total since 2022—and has now had at least five All-Americans at every NCAA Championship since 2019. Keller was also named Region VI Coach of the Year and NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year in 2026.

In conference competition, Wartburg extended its dual winning streak to 50 and secured its 43rd A-R-C championship. Off the mat, the Knights set a program record with 10 NWCA Scholar All-Americans and placed eight on the A-R-C All-Academic Team.

125 – Brett Birchman (Jr., Fennimore, Wis./Fennimore) earned his second career all-conference honor after posting a 20-8 record with four major decisions, three technical falls, and one fall. He captured the Region VI title to qualify for his first NCAA Championship, where he placed seventh to earn All-America honors. Birchman was a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American and an A-R-C All-Academic selection.

133 – Patrick Mullen (Fr., Naperville, Ill./Immaculate Conception College Prep) secured all-conference recognition following a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, compiling a 28-7 record. The freshman totaled nine pins, four technical falls, and three major decisions while scoring 114 team points. He finished runner-up at Region VI and won the Cliff Keen Mike Duroe Invitational title.

141 – Kade Blume (Fr., Roland, Iowa/Roland-Story)  became just the second freshman national champion in program history (since 2018), finishing 25-2 with 11 technical falls, five major decisions, and three pins. He claimed the Region VI title and went a perfect 12-0 in conference duals. Blume was also named an NWCA Scholar All-American and A-R-C All-Academic honoree.

149 – Caleb Olson (Fr., La Porte City, Iowa/Union) earned all-conference honors with a 20-10 record in his freshman campaign. He placed third at the Region VI Championships to qualify for nationals and recorded nine technical falls, four pins, and two major decisions. Olson went 6-4 in conference action.

157 – Charlie Dojan (Sr., Mounds View, Minn./Irondale) closed his career with his second all-conference selection, posting a 31-2 record with 18 technical falls, five major decisions, and two pins. A third-place finisher at the NCAA Championships, Dojan earned his second All-America honor. He won the Region VI title and two regular-season tournaments and finished his career with 66 wins and 32 technical falls (third-most in program history).

165 – Aiden Brosinski (Jr., Genoa, Wis./De Soto) went 19-7 on the season, tallying four technical falls, four pins, and four major decisions. He won the CUW Invite and placed fourth at Region VI while going 8-2 in conference bouts.

174 – Mike Slade (So., Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) posted a 25-11 record with seven technical falls, five major decisions, and three pins. He placed third at the regional meet to qualify for the NCAA Championships, earning his first all-conference honor.

184 – Kasey Ross (Sr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) capped a perfect 30-0 season with a national championship, recording 14 technical falls, seven pins, and four major decisions. He did not allow a point during his NCAA title run and earned All-America honors for the second time. Ross won his third consecutive Region VI title and was named A-R-C Most Valuable Performer. He concludes his career with a 78-6 record.

197 – Cal Dorota (So., Highland, Wis.) went 28-6 and earned All-America honors with a seventh-place NCAA finish. He totaled five pins and five technical falls while winning the Region VI title and posting a 12-0 conference record.

285 – Mitchell Williamson (Sr., River Falls, Wis./River Falls) earned all-conference recognition following a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships, marking his third All-America honor. He went 25-1, winning both the Region VI title and CUW Invite. Williamson finished his Wartburg career with a 57-7 record.
 
 
WARTBURG CONFERENCE MVPs
1977 Paul Guillaume 190
1978 Steve Deike 134
1983 Mike Hogan 134
1984 Mike Hogan 142
1994 Zane Braggs 118
1995 Jamal Fox 142
1996 Tom Smith 126 Jamal Fox 142
1997 Tom Smith 126 Dusty Rhodes 134
2000 Ben Kritsonis 133
2003 Bart Mehlert 149
2005 Dustin Hinschberger 141
2006 Jacob Naig 149
2011 Byron Tate 197
2013 Kenny Anderson 133
2014 Kenny Anderson 133 Cole Welter 165 Landon Williams 174
2015 Kenny Martin 149
2016 Kenny Martin 149
2017 Eric DeVos 174
2018 Brock Rathbun 133 Cross Cannone 149 Kyle Fank 197
2019 Cross Cannone 157 Kyle Briggs 174
2021 Kyle Briggs 174
2022 Zayren Terukina 141
2023 Zane Mulder 174 Massoma Endene 197
2024 Massoma Endene 197
2025 Massoma Endene 197 Mitchell Williamson 285
2026 Kade Blume 141, Kasey Ross 184
 
WARTBURG CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR
1974 Dick Walker
1976 Dick Walker
1981 Dick Walker
1988 Dick Walker
1993 Jim Miller
1995 Jim Miller & Randy Steward (Loras)
1996 Jim Miller
1997 Jim Miller
1998 Jim Miller
2000 Jim Miller
2003 Jim Miller
2006 Jim Miller
2009 Jim Miller
2012 Jim Miller/ Eric Keller
2013 Jim Miller/ Eric Keller
2014 Eric Keller & Randy Steward (Loras)
 2015 Eric Keller
2018 Eric Keller
2022 Eric Keller
2023 Eric Keller
2024 Eric Keller
2025 Eric Keller
2026 Eric Keller