On March 9, John Boyle put his name in the history books.
Boyle took home a Division III National Championship to Western New England University: the first National Championship of any sport in athletic history.
Last year, he took fourth place in the NCAA National Championship in addition to being named All-American. This year, however, he was hungry for more.
After Boyle placed second at the Northeast Regional National Qualifier, he traveled to Roanoke, Virginia to compete on the national stage two weekends later. One could’ve only hoped to come out on top against 18 other accomplished wrestlers from around the country; yet for the two-time All-American ranked second in the nation, he strode through his competitors with four victories and a national title.
Being in the 184-pound weight class, Boyle went head-to-head with wrestlers from Heidelberg College in Ohio, Washington & Lee University in Virginia, Coe College in Iowa, and Ithaca College in New York. The runner-up, defeated by Boyle on Saturday evening, was a student from Ithaca College named Jake Ashcraft.
His victories at the national tournament tacked on to his overall season record, finishing with a record of 33-6. He is also the ninth All-American in the history of Western New England University Men’s Wrestling.
This is no surprise, however, to Head Wrestling Coach Mike Sugarmeyer. He had nothing but positive things to note about the junior electrical engineering major: “He is incredibly intelligent, both on and off the mat and has the ability to make adjustments and adapt better than anyone that I have ever coached,” he shares. He also states that the national champion has “an extremely high work ethic” and “is always looking to learn and get better” on the mat, and in life.
Boyle also accredits much of his success to the coaching staff of the wrestling team. “All my coaches deserve a lot of credit for not only helping me, but giving the entire team the attention to get better and that's why I know there will be success in the future of this program,” he says.
Also, however, Boyle recognizes his family as a driving point behind his success. “My dad plays a huge role in my success for the fact that he's always believed in me, and because of the countless hours he has put in to make me the best I can be,” shares Boyle. “It was the constant support from him and my family that always reminded me how capable I was of becoming successful, and that is exactly what I needed.”
With all that he has accomplished in just the past few weeks alone, it is hard to believe that Boyle is only a junior.
Boyle began wrestling when he was in fifth grade in his hometown in Rowley, MA. He was led into the sport through previously practicing judo, a modern martial art, and found that his transition was fairly easy because of that background.
He has one season left as a wrestler for the Golden Bears, and next year, he will strive to become a two-time national championship. Yet, he has goals for his teammates, too. “My goal is not only to win another national championship, but to work with my team and hopefully bring some more of them out to nationals with me so that they too can experience how great it feels to win something you've worked so hard for,” reflects Boyle.
His legacy will sure carry him into the Downes Athletic Hall of Fame of Western New England University.
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