"We are more experienced and our athletes have a better idea of what is expected and what it takes," said Schwab. "The room is better as well, which obviously raises everyone up. But the biggest thing is guys believing that they can compete and win."
Other people are starting to believe Buena Vista can win as well. The Beavers will enter the season ranked 11th in the Adidas-Brute National NCAA Division III Preseason Poll. Buena Vista is the third-highest ranked Iowa Conference school behind perennial powers Wartburg College and Luther College.
"We still have some things we need to work on," Schwab stated. "We need more leadership on the team. Some guys need to understand the level of commitment necessary to be a part of a winning program and that this is not some come-and-go operation or intramural club. The attitude cannot be ‘kind of' or ‘maybe'. I expect all or nothing."
Two-time All-American junior Jestin Hulegaard headlines the list of returnees. He took third place at the national meet in the 133 pound weight class. Hulegaard concluded the year with a record of 27-7.
Senior Ben Standberg is beginning his first full season at Buena Vista. He transferred in midway through last season from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Standberg placed third at the Iowa Conference Championship and went on to qualify for the national meet at 197.
Sophomore Kyle Forness will be moving up to 157 after qualifying for nationals last year at 149. He finished the year with a record of 24-16 even though he was forced to forfeit six victories at the beginning of the season for cutting weight too quickly.
These three national qualifiers combined to go 14-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals to lead Buena Vista to a school-record fifth place finish. The Beavers then dropped five of eight dual matches, four of which were to nationally elite teams, before having a disappointing seventh place finish at the Iowa Conference Championship.
"We never seemed to recover after the tournament one week after the National Duals. Our guys had a hard time getting up consistently from then on. Our season is very long, but you have to be able to handle the grind and you have to compete in spite of adversity," explained Schwab. "Now our guys have a better idea of what to expect and hopefully we can avoid that late-season lull because they know they have to be able to get back up and compete week after week."
Wade Hammen, who had an impressive showing at last year's conference meet, will join the team for his senior year once the football season concludes. At heavyweight last year, he recorded a team-high 13 pins.
At the other end of the spectrum, Ryan Pratt returns at 125. He saw most of the varsity action last year as a freshman.
Besides Forness at 149, Buena Vista struggled at times in the middle weight classes a year ago. The good news is, all of those wrestlers return and have a year of experience underneath their belts.
Dana Vote will drop down to 149 after wrestling at 157 for much of his sophomore year. He was 17-14 overall with 11 falls a year ago.
Sophomores Kody Koster and Tyler Winkleman will continue to battle for the varsity spot at 165. Junior Josh Murray is the most experienced returnee at 174. Sophomore Brian Stueve, who went 26-20 last year, returns at 184.
Other returning letter winners include Julian Gunnels (sophomore, 125), Aaron Cook (sophomore, 157), and Austin Hayes (sophomore, 184).
"There are a few weights that are crystal clear, but lots can change during the course of the season," Schwab commented. "I am not a big tryout guy. I want to see what guys do in competition, so we will need to see who steps up and competes hard. The team will sort itself out for the most part through the season."
Schwab has also brought in 15 new faces to join the mix of talented returnees. Nearly every weight class has a newcomer competing for the varsity spot.
"This recruiting class has a lot of past success and future potential," Schwab said. "If they are able to prioritize, set goals, back it with behavior and belief, then they could set a very high bar."
Buena Vista begins action on November 10 by traveling to Ames to face Iowa State University. The Beavers' home opener is on November 29 versus Morningside College
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