The UW-Whitewater wrestling team traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to compete in the 2026 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship March 13-14. The Warhawks sent five wrestlers to the national stage after strong performances over the season: seniors Justin Fortugno and Dominik Mallinder, and juniors Luke Swan, Brayden Peet and Jermaine Butler.

“Three have experience here at the NCAA Championships, which helps a lot,” head coach Matt Zwaschka said. 

Sending multiple wrestlers to compete at a high level shows the strength of the wrestling program. Zwaschka said the week leading up to the competition is all about preparation and grind to compete against the best DIII wrestlers in the country. 

“We train hard back to back days to get ready for a tournament like this,” Zwaschka said. 

While Zwaschka is excited to see the progress of the program as a whole, the experience and preparation is just as meaningful to the athletes. For Swan, who competed at 157 pounds, competing at the national level is a mix of staying locked in, sharing experiences with one another and making it big in the championships. 

Swan said this is the stage he’s been working towards all season while being able to maintain confidence and show what he’s got.

 “When looking back to the work it takes to get to this point, it lifts me to a higher level of motivation and confidence,” Swan said. “I know what we do day in and day out to be able to have this opportunity and there is no other option but to leave it all out on the mats.” 

Preparation is one of the biggest things athletes can do for this competition. Swan said that being able to be present with his teammates while staying locked in on the ultimate goal is one of the best things he can do. 

“The biggest things for me are hanging out with my teammates beforehand and understanding the work I’ve put in has gotten me to this point,” Swan said.

Ultimately, the Warhawks had two wrestlers place in the tournament. Mallinder led UW-W with a strong performance in the 149-pound weight class, finishing as the national runner-up. Mallinder won three matches to reach the championship competition before falling to Central College’s Cade Siebrecht in the title matchup. 

Peet was also able to give the Warhawks a strong finish with All-American honors and a fourth-place finish in the 165-pound bracket. Peet opened the tournament with two victories, including a double overtime win, but fell in the semifinal round to UW-La Crosse’s Tanner Gerber. He subsequently lost to Messiah University’s Keegan Demarest to finish fourth nationally. 

The team finished with 31.5 points, finishing 16th in the team standings.