Hall of Fame
Being a Duhawk ran in the family for Paul Cleary as his brother Pete '00 was on the wrestling team at Loras and his sister Katie '02 ran cross country and track. As a four-year member of the wrestling team under head coach Randy Steward, Cleary excelled on the national stage, earning All-America distinctions in 2002 when he placed third at the NCAA Division III National Championship at 184 lbs. and in 2003 when he finished fifth. He ranks fourth all-time in career-wins with an overall record of 118-31. He owns the program record for career takedowns (417) and team points (81) and is the lone Duhawk in the 40-wins club for the 2002-03 season. He was the 2002 IIAC Champion at 184 lbs. A history and secondary education major with minors in political science and psychology, Cleary was a standout student, earning Scholar All-America honors in 2001, 2002, and 2003. He was a graduate assistant for the Duhawks for the 2004-05 season and continued to work with the team as a volunteer assistant the following season. He went on to earn his master's degree in education from Morningside College in 2014 and is currently the head wrestling coach at Western Dubuque High School where he teaches social studies in addition to his role as an assistant football coach for the junior high. Cleary has been named the Iowa 3A Wrestling Coach of the Year (2017), Iowa Junior High Football Coach of the Year (2016), and Iowa 3A District Coach of the Year (2016, 2017). He lives in Dubuque with his wife Ashley a 2004 Loras graduate, and has two children, Sean and Jillian.
