The Iowa Lakes wrestling program continues to prove that success extends far beyond the mat, as the Lakers were recognized by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) as one of the top academic programs in the country.

Iowa Lakes earned NJCAA Men's Team Scholar All-America honors, finishing 6th in the nation with an impressive 3.583 team GPA. The recognition places the Lakers among the elite junior college programs nationally, highlighting a commitment to excellence both competitively and academically.

"This recognition speaks directly to the culture of our program," said Head Coach Corey Meyer. "We ask our athletes to be disciplined, accountable, and consistent in everything they do—whether that's in the practice room, in competition, or in the classroom. This group embraced that challenge every single day."

In addition to the team honor, eight Iowa Lakes student-athletes were individually recognized as NWCA Scholar All-Americans, an achievement that requires a high level of academic performance while competing at the collegiate level.

The honorees include:

• Marquis Bates
• Dominic Chimeno
• Ben Hammes
• Logan McDonald
• Larry Norrington
• William Penn
• Jacob Range
• Damien Spears

Balancing the demands of collegiate wrestling with academic responsibilities is no small task. With early morning workouts, rigorous training schedules, travel, and competition, maintaining a high GPA requires discipline, time management, and commitment.

"Our guys take pride in doing things the right way," Meyer added. "It's not just about winning matches—it's about preparing for life after wrestling. Achievements like this show they're building habits that will carry over long after their time here."

The Lakers' academic success comes alongside a season in which the team competed with toughness and consistency on the mat, embodying the program's philosophy of creating opportunities to win in every position and every match.

With a top-10 national academic finish and multiple individual honors along side a Top 25 finish at the National Tournamanet, Iowa Lakes continues to build a program defined by grit, growth, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.