On Friday, Jan. 23, the Case Western Reserve University wrestling team celebrated its eight graduating fourth-years: E.J. Alizio, John Conover, Aidan Gassel, Jacob Gregg, Marty Landes, Art Martinez, Justin Sweeney and Thomas Wagner.
The Spartans capped off Senior Night with a commanding 50-0 victory over Washington & Jefferson College, a fitting tribute to the dedication and hard work of the team.
When the Class of 2026 arrived at CWRU, they were a group of 20 athletes, each told they were the key to rebuilding a struggling program that many at CWRU didn’t even know existed. Over the years, the class shrank, presenting challenges and moments of adversity. Yet these eight remaining fourth-years have transformed the team, taking it from an undervalued, losing program to a nationally ranked force in collegiate wrestling. Their leadership, resilience and commitment have left a lasting legacy on CWRU wrestling.
Art Martinez
Fourth-year Art Martinez stands as one of the most accomplished wrestlers in CWRU history. Over the past three seasons, he has earned NWCA Scholar All-American honors each year, led the team in wins since his first season and now has his sights set on a national championship.
Although Martinez drew interest from several wrestling programs, he ultimately chose CWRU for its strong academic reputation and ideal location.
“It was a really cool experience talking to different coaches across the country and visiting their schools,” Martinez said. “The two things I wanted in a university was for it to be strong academically and in a city. A lot of other DIII schools only have one of those two things but CWRU had both and when I took my visit I committed on the spot in Presti’s.”
As a political science major, Martinez has earned UAA All-Academic honors each of the past two years and was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team last season. After graduation, he hopes to return home to Atlanta or relocate to Chicago to pursue a career with a law firm.
“Politics has always interested me, so I wanted to learn more about them and actually do a major which I enjoy,” Martinez said.
Martinez is proud of what the team has accomplished during his time at CWRU and how it has established itself as a competitive program.
“It has been really amazing seeing our bond grow closer and seeing the team become more successful,” Martinez said. “When we first got to CWRU people thought the wrestling team was a club sport, so going from that to being ranked nationally this year has been a great experience.”
Despite the team’s success, Martinez still has personal goals he hopes to achieve, including bringing home a national championship.
“I’m hoping that this year I can achieve some of the goals I’ve failed to in the last three years,” Martinez said. “Honestly, I think I can win a national championship this year so going out on top is my main goal. Firstly though I have to qualify for nationals which is another goal of mine.”
While grateful for his time at CWRU, Martinez is ready to take a step back from wrestling and turn his attention to other aspects of his life.
“It’s odd but I am definitely ready,” Martinez said. “Wrestling has taken up a lot of my time so it will be nice to get that time for myself and not cut weight anymore. On the other hand though, I will miss competition a lot and I will definitely need to find a hobby.”
Thomas Wagner
Fourth-year Thomas Wagner has put together an impressive career at CWRU. Over his four years, he has been named a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American, a two-time UAA All-Academic honoree and a two-time NCAA regional placer in 2024 and 2025.
Wagner has been wrestling for the past 11 years and ultimately chose CWRU for its competitive academics and athletics, as well as the opportunity to help rebuild the program.
“I was excited about the opportunity to be part of something being built from the ground up,” Wagner said. “Case stood out because it allowed me to compete at a high level while also pursuing an education at an elite institution.”
Wagner is thankful for his time at CWRU and the lasting relationships he has formed along the way.
“Coming in with a class of 20 was very exciting. Over the years, guys dropped off for different reasons, which was tough to experience,” Wagner said. “By junior year, the remaining eight of us had really bonded through everything we’d been through together. Those relationships and shared experiences are something I’ll carry with me long after wrestling ends.”
As he enters his final season as a Spartan, Wagner’s goals are driven yet simple: to compete to the best of his abilities and leave everything on the mat.
“My hope is that I finish the season injury free and wrestle to the best of my abilities,” Wagner said. “I’d love to be traveling to Iowa with multiple guys for the national championship. I will continue to put in full effort and stay locked in, whatever happens at the end, I will have no regrets knowing I gave it my all.”
Wagner will graduate in the spring with a degree in finance and hopes to find a job either in his hometown of New York or remain in Cleveland. While he is sad to see his collegiate career come to an end, he is excited for what lies ahead.
“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Wagner said. “I’ll miss competing, but what I’ll miss most are the guys, the road trips, and the memories made during competition weekends. I try to remind myself, ‘Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy that it happened.’ Right now, my focus is on making the most of every remaining opportunity and enjoying the journey.”
Marty Landes
Fourth-year wrestler Marty Landes has been on the mat since he was six years old, building an impressive athletic resume over the past 15 years. Just last season, Landes placed third at the UAA Championships and finished second at the RIT Invitational, continuing a trend of consistent success in competition.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Landes has also developed an equally impressive academic resume. A pre-med major aspiring to enter the medical field, he balances a demanding course load while competing at a high level in collegiate wrestling, showcasing his discipline and commitment both in the classroom and on the mat.
“I found that prioritizing time management was incredibly important,” Landes said. “I learned that to be successful in academics, wrestling, and extracurricular activities, I had to prioritize sleep, nutrition, and mental clarity to bring my best self into everything I do.”
Initially unfamiliar with CWRU, Landes learned more about the university during the recruiting process. After researching the school and the opportunities it offered, committing became an easy decision.
“I learned that the pre-medical opportunities here were exceptional and the university was in the city,” Landes said. “When making my final decisions for where I would go to college, I chose CWRU because I knew it would challenge me the most and completing four years at CWRU would make me the most complete version of myself.”
Off the mat, Landes is involved in a wide range of extracurricular activities. He is a member of Greek Life and actively participates in lab and research work across campus. In the Crown Lab at CWRU, Landes works under his assistant coach, Joseph Terry, studying the structure of the synaptonemal complex in Drosophila using super-resolution microscopy. He is also currently contributing to a research project at MetroHealth that investigates ultrasound detection sensitivity of congenital cardiac malformations.
Landes has long aspired to pursue a career in medicine, with the goal of becoming a physician.
“During my interactions with physicians in different settings in West Michigan, I saw the roles that physicians play and how they impacted others,” Landes said. “These interactions inspired me to become a physician. I have been exposed to clinical experiences, research, and health within the collegiate wrestling environment, which have further shaped my decision to become a physician.”
After graduation, Landes plans to take a gap year while applying to medical school. He also hopes to remain involved in wrestling, with aspirations of coaching young athletes, and perhaps even his own son one day.
“I know I will miss the sport when I am done, but I feel I have given the sport everything I have to give,” Landes said. “I will likely take a long break before I get on the mat, but I do plan to coach the sport. The last thing I want from the sport is to coach my future son throughout his hopeful wrestling career.”
E.J Alizio
From the age of four, E.J. Alizio has been on the mat. After stepping away from the sport for several years, he rediscovered his love for wrestling in high school and later learned about CWRU through his longtime friend and teammate, Thomas Wagner.
During his time at CWRU, Alizio has pursued a degree in civil engineering with a concentration in construction management. Inspired by his father’s business, he developed a strong passion for engineering and the building industry.
“My dad runs a business to help manage affordable housing so I grew up going around New York to visit various buildings,” Alizio said. “I also took an interest in the community outreach aspect of construction and decided I wanted to work in project management once I graduated from college.”
Like many of his teammates, Alizio balances demanding athletic and academic schedules, relying on discipline to succeed in both areas.
“I embrace the ‘face it till you make it’ mindset,” Alizio said. “I know exactly what I hope to gain out of every class and I make sure that I am prioritizing my school work. So if I know I have a busier week of training I use all of my time spent out of class or not in the wrestling room trying to get ahead on work.”
While it was difficult for Alizio to lose so many members of his original class, he values the close bonds he has built with the eight teammates who remain and the friendships he has kept with those who left the team.
“We were always such a close group and we are still close with all of our teammates who left the team,” Alizio said. “I can personally say that every year one of my classmates has lifted me up and kept me on track by making sure to remind me that I have gotten so much better from the day I started at Case. We have been holding each other accountable since Discovery Week and have talked about creating a positive team culture that I believe ultimately resulted into what we have now. I couldn’t be more proud of each of my classmates and the amount of work each one put in shows. Every single one of us improved in ways that wouldn’t be possible without the support we gave each other.”
While Alizio is sad to leave wrestling behind, he is satisfied with how his career has unfolded and grateful for the experiences he has gained.
“At first it feels like added pressure to accomplish all of your goals, but slowly as we build towards the post season I have gotten more and more confident that if my career ended at any point I would be just fine,” Alizio said. “The fact of the matter is that my friends on the team would love me the same and I would still have left the sport knowing that I gave it everything I could.”
After graduating this spring, Alizio plans to travel with his family before seeking employment back home in New York. He also hopes to remain involved in wrestling through coaching.
John Conover
Fourth-year wrestler John Conover has been on the mat since third grade. Hailing from Aurora, Illinois, Conover has had a standout career as a Spartan, both athletically and academically. Like many CWRU athletes, he was initially drawn to the school for its strong academic programs, with the added bonus of being able to continue competing in the sport he loves at the collegiate level.
“It’s definitely not easy, but I’ve found that working ahead in my classes and getting help from some of my friends and teammates has definitely been helpful,” Conover said.
Outside of wrestling, Conover has long been interested in the medical field and joined the CWRU Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team. This student-run organization provides emergency medical assistance to members of the CWRU community, including students, faculty, staff and visitors.
“I joined CWRU EMS because of the great opportunities it has given me to both serve my community and gain some experience working in the medical field,” Conover said. “I currently hold the role of a crew chief which means I oversee the crew on calls and help guide some of our newer members.”
Conover is grateful to have been a part of CWRU wrestling and to have shared the past four years with his class.
“It’s been an amazing experience. I feel so blessed to be graduating with such an amazing group of guys,” Conover said. “Getting to grow with each other for the past 4 years has made us all family.”
After graduation, Conover plans to take a gap year before attending medical school, for which he will begin applying this semester. He is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in chemistry.
“It’s still hard to believe that it’s almost over,” Conover said. “I’m just cherishing these last few weeks of this season with the guys.”
Jacob Gregg
For fourth-year Jacob Gregg, the appeal of joining CWRU wrestling was the opportunity to help rebuild the program alongside the 19 other wrestlers in his class. Now, four years later, Gregg is one of just eight remaining from that group and part of a nationally ranked program.
“We have built this program from the ground up and it’s been a very fun and rewarding experience to see what we all built up together and taking CWRU from a joking matter of a team before and when we first arrived to the Nationally Ranked and respected program it is currently,” Gregg said.
While at CWRU, Gregg has pursued a degree in materials science and engineering. Off the mat, he has been actively involved in research and is one of the longest-standing members of the National Science Foundation Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing, Moving from Evolution to Revolution Engineering Research Center (NSF HAMMER-ERC) group at CWRU, where he conducts research in additive manufacturing.
“Time management has been the biggest thing for me,” Gregg said. “When I’m not in class throughout the day I try to get classwork and studying. In that way I am able to practice in the evening then finish up school work and get a good night’s rest.”
Despite an impressive athletic and academic career, Gregg says he will miss the team and the bond they share the most.
“The guys [are] everything to me, we are super close and I’d argue closer then most sports teammates just because we have all been on this ride together,” Gregg said. “They will always be my ride or die brothers and I know if I ever needed anything almost all of them would drop everything to come help me out.”
Set to graduate in the spring, Gregg has accepted a role in operations management development and hopes to stay connected to wrestling, giving back to the sport that has given him so much.
“It’s definitely surreal, it seems like just yesterday I was a freshman,” Gregg said. “Wrestling and competing has been a huge part of my life so it will be different to move away from that, although I think my body is ready to stop getting beat up. I doubt I will be leaving the sport for long and I’m sure I will end up helping or coaching somewhere very soon.”
Justin Sweeney
Unlike his teammates, fourth-year Justin Sweeney has only been wrestling since high school. His recruiting process was made extra difficult by COVID, because he had only been wrestling for a short amount of time. But, ultimately, Sweeney found CWRU and never looked back.
While at CWRU, Sweeney earned UAA All-Academic honors last season, and UAA All-Academic recognition in the 2023-24 season. He has pursued a degree in economics, after gaining an interest in high school.
“[I focus] fully on wrestling when it’s time to train and when it’s time to study, [I focus] fully on studying,” Sweeney said. “Wrestling in many ways helps with academics as the time commitment to the sport forces you to stay on top of your schoolwork. I’m also fortunate to have very academically inclined teammates that keep me accountable.”
Sweeney also joined CWRU’s Journal of Economics last semester, co-writing a published paper and gaining experience doing empirical research.
Sweeney will graduate in the spring and will take some time off after graduation. He hopes to return home to Maryland and to continue to stay active in wrestling through coaching.
“I will miss the team for sure. But I will definitely keep in touch with the guys on the team and stay involved in the sport through coaching,” Sweeney said. “I view it as the end of a chapter, not the story. So I’m still very excited for the future.”
Sweeney is grateful for his time at CWRU and with his graduating class. He is proud of how his class and the program has developed over the past four years.
“It’s been an amazing blessing,” Sweeney said. “Myself and the other seniors have all improved dramatically at the sport of wrestling. The program has also come a long way. We fell short a few times over the years but it’s all been an opportunity for growth. It’s been very rewarding watching our hard work payoff in this final season. I’m very grateful for it all.”
Aidan Gassel
Like Sweeney, fourth-year Aidan Gassel did not begin wrestling until his second year of high school. Despite entering the sport later than most collegiate wrestlers, Gassel quickly developed a passion for the mat, eventually earning the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level. When the time came to choose a university, he was drawn to CWRU for its balance of high-level athletics and strong academics, as well as the supportive coaching staff that helped make the transition to college seamless.
Since arriving at CWRU, Gassel has steadily grown into a consistent contributor for the Spartans. During the 2024-25 season, he posted an impressive 11-2 record, earning six wins by pin and three by technical fall. He opened the season with six consecutive victories and captured first place at the Adrian Invite on Nov. 2, 2025, going 4-0 with two technical falls. His performances earned him UAA Athlete of the Week honors on Nov. 4, 2025. The previous season, Gassel finished 12-7, highlighted by winning the 197-pound bracket at the BW Invite and another UAA Athlete of the Week recognition.
Balancing the demands of a mechanical engineering major with the rigor of collegiate wrestling has required discipline and structure. Gassel credits campus resources and his teammates for helping him stay on track academically.
“[I’ve relied on] utilizing tools on campus like SI sessions and study groups with my teammates and classmates,” Gassel said.
While he is not involved in activities outside of wrestling, Gassel values the close-knit environment built within the program. Over the past four years, he has grown alongside his fellow seniors, forming relationships that extend beyond the mat.
“It’s been like a family,” Gassel said.
As his final season approaches its conclusion, the reality of stepping away from competitive wrestling brings mixed emotions.
“It’s bittersweet,” Gassel said. “I hope to place at the national tournament.”
Looking ahead, Gassel’s primary goal is to make a strong final push and place at the national tournament, capping off a career defined by steady growth, resilience and dedication. Regardless of the outcome, he reflects proudly on his journey and the development he has experienced both athletically and academically during his time at CWRU.
The Class of 2026
When this class first stepped onto campus, CWRU wrestling was coming off a last-place finish at the UAA Championships, a seventh-place showing in its best non-conference tournament and little national recognition. Now, four years later, the Spartans sit ranked in the top 25 for the first time in program history, have not placed below third in any tournament this season and carry an 11-2 record.
Through constant change, roster turnover and adversity, the eight remaining seniors helped redefine the identity of the program, building a culture rooted in grit, accountability and belief—a legacy that will continue long after their final match.