DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Loras College men's wrestling team enters the 2025-26 wrestling season with momentum, experience, and a renewed sense of purpose under first-year head coach Devin Bahr.

The Duhawks, who open the year tomorrow at the University of Dubuque Jim Fox Invite, come in ranked No. 7 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) preseason poll and return a lineup built around proven postseason talent.

Last season, Loras sent seven wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, including All-American Eric Kinkaid, who finished third. Kinkaid returns to anchor the middle of the lineup and sets a high bar for the program's goals this winter.

"We had a lot of success last year having seven national qualifiers, so we have the goal of qualifying all 10," said Bahr. "Personally, I think we have the team that can All-American all 10. It's high expectations, but having expectations brings pressure, and in a certain sense, pressure is a good thing."

Along with Kinkaid, three more national qualifiers return in Connor Fiser, Chase Fiser, and Dustin Bohren.

Bohren, an All-American in 2024, took full advantage of the offseason, adding strength and size to make the jump up a weight class.

"We also have an All-American from two years ago, Dustin Bohren, returning," Bahr said. "He's bumping up to 174 pounds and put together a good offseason hitting the weight room and getting bigger."

The Fiser brothers return to solidify the lower and middle weights after each broke through to the national stage last season. Together with Kinkaid and Bohren, they form a core of experience that'll guide a promising lineup filled with developing talent pushing for varsity spots.

For Bahr, however, the competitive edge comes from mindset as much as roster strength.

"I think we do a pretty good job at keeping things light and fun," Bahr said. "We try to take the seriousness out of it and allow our guys to wrestle with purpose instead of needing to prove to themselves and to others that they can win. When you wrestle with a purpose rather than feeling you have to prove yourself, you wrestle to your true ability."

With a preseason top ten ranking, an All-American leader in the middle of the lineup, and a head coach setting bold and clear expectations, the Duhawks are positioned once again to be a force in both the American Rivers Conference and nationally.