By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
After a season with many positive developmental steps, Springfield College wrestling enters the 2024-25 campaign feeling good about the trajectory of their program.
The Pride went 14-7 last year and placed fifth at the NCAA Division III Northeast Regional Championships. Head coach Jason Holder is pleased with his team’s mindset a week and change away from the start of the season, while recognizing there is still room to improve.
“I’m excited about their aspirations,” Holder said. “I’m happy with where they’re at, but also realize that they’ve got a lot more work to do. I’m pretty excited about what these guys can bring.”
Springfield is led by a strong upper class, one that includes senior Jacob Deguire. Last year, Deguire placed third in the Nationals tournament and tied the national record for pins. However, he suffered a torn labrum, which required surgery last December.
Now healthy, Deguire figures to once again be a staple for the program.
“I’m excited to see him back in the lineup,” Holder said. “It’s always helpful when you have the biggest pinner in the country in your lineup.”
Moreover, Holder believes Deguire’s experience and leadership can have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the roster.
“I think it helps with giving other guys around him confidence that he’s going to go out and get the job done, and give them confidence that they can do that as well,” Holder said.
Also among the Pride’s junior standouts is Myles Leonard – an athlete who is no stranger to pins as well. In his first season of competition at Springfield, Leonard was second in the nation in pinfalls behind only Deguire, following up his strong rookie campaign by placing fourth in the region last year at 157 pounds, and very nearly qualified for Nationals.
“He was a takedown away from going to the national tournament,” Holder said. “We threw a challenge brick, and he didn’t win his challenge, and then he got taken down in overtime. He lost to a fifth-year senior.”
Leonard trained hard this offseason to take the next step this year.
“He’s lifted quite a bit, and he’s looking to hopefully get back and get to the national tournament, and go beyond that,” Holder said.
As Springfield continues to improve, Holder is looking forward to seeing where this season takes them and wants to keep a focus on steady improvement.
“All they can do is what’s within their control, and do the right things, and train hard and continue to get better every day,” Holder said. “And by the end of the season, hopefully that’ll be going to a national tournament.”
The Pride have only competed amongst themselves in practices so far, but the team is excited about their upcoming chances to take on outside opponents.
“We’ve been in a room beating each other up, and when we go to Ithaca, we’ll find out, ‘all right, how good are you?’” Holder said. “‘And then how good can you be? How can we improve in some situations against other competition?’”
Deguire shares Holder’s optimism for the program, and believes the Pride will have a quality team that will factor into the late-season tournament picture.
“We’re a smaller team this year, a little bit, but a pretty good group,” Deguire said. “We’re gonna make a good run this year, I think, hoping to send a couple guys to Nationals by the end of the year.”
On Friday, Nov. 1, Springfield will travel to Ithaca College to compete in the annual Ithaca Invitational, a two-day event where they will face several schools, including regional powerhouses Castleton and Johnson & Wales.
Both programs gave the Pride trouble last season, so they’ll have an early opportunity to gain some momentum, and see where the program stands. Springfield is eager to face the challenge.
“We’re going to be tested early, and that’ll be fun,” Holder said.
(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)