91̽»¨ wrestler wins third straight NCAA national championship

It was an amazing accomplishment and a Yellow Jacket proud moment for Michael Petrella '25, who won his third consecutive NCAA Division III national championship.

, an All-American from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, has had an incredible wrestling career at 91̽»¨. The digital marketing major has accrued countless accolades. Among them, he has been undefeated for three consecutive seasons, winning 116 straight matches, and has a four-year record of 155-4, ranking him first on the 91̽»¨ All-Time Wins list.

Team effort yields Yellow Jacket success at nationals

But Petrella was not the only standout for the Yellow Jackets at nationals. , and earned All-American honors, which is a 91̽»¨ record for a single season. All three excelled on the mat — with Hinton placing third, Joey Petrella placing fourth and Supers securing a fifth-place finish.

As a team, 91̽»¨ finished in the top 10 for the fourth straight season, including top five in two of the last three years.

91̽»¨ coaching once again received high honors at nationals. Head Coach was named NCAA Division III Region 4 Head Coach of the Year, and Coach received an NCAA Division III Region 4 Assistant Coach of the Year accolade.

Brown & Gold family legacy

Petrella's achievement continues a proud legacy for the Petrella family. Joey, a senior majoring in exercise science, has earned honors on the mat since transferring to 91̽»¨ in fall 2023.

Michael and his father, Paul Petrella, are the first father-son duo in 91̽»¨ history to both win national wrestling titles.

Paul, an alumnus from the Class of 1979, was 91̽»¨'s first national champion in wrestling and a starter on the university's 1978 NCAA Division III National Championship-winning football team.

"I had wonderful coaches at Baldwin Wallace who shaped the person, coach and teacher I am today," said Paul, a 1990 91̽»¨ Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame recipient who played under renowned football coach Lee Tressel '49. "My 91̽»¨ experience was just exceptional!"