All-Decade Team: Men's Wrestling

Williamsburg, KY – The UC Men’s Wrestling team had arguably the strongest second half of the decade of any team at the University of the Cumberlands with four straight top-ten finish, four straight Mid-South Conference regular-season titles, and a pair of MSC Conference Tournament wins. The Patriots have become a force within the MSC and at the national levels with three NAIA national champions, 24 NAIA All-Americans, four Mid-South Conference Wrestlers of the Year, and four MSC Freshman of the year honorees.  The Patriots' success has come in part of having a plethora of talented wrestlers that have achieved success at the conference and national levels.  With all of these accomplishments, the one wrestler that represents the men’s wrestling team on UC’S All-Decade Team is Tres Leon.

Leon is one of the most decorated wrestlers in program history as he is one of only seven wrestlers in program history and just the second in the last decade to be a four-time NAIA All-American.  In addition to his four All-American accolades, Leon was the 2020 NAIA National Champion at the 149 lbs. weight class, the only three-time Mid-South Conference Wrestler of the Year in conference history, and was the MSC Freshman of the Year for the 2016-17 season.  Leon finished his career with a 107-11 record, including 44 falls, which ranks third in program history. 

Leon made an impact from the second he stepped on campus going 23-3 with eight falls and five top-four finishes at tournaments.  He opened his Patriot career by winning the first tournaments, the Patriot Open and the Dan Gable Open.  Leon’s performance at those two tournaments propelled him into the top-ten of the NAIA individual rankings, where he eventually was ranked as high as third. Leon’s performance helped Cumberlands capture their first Mid-South Conference regular-season title in program history, while Leon went 3-0 en route to winning the 141 lbs. weight class of the MSC Tournament.  The MSC Freshman of the Year capped off his debut season with a 4-2 record at the NAIA National Tournament, where he placed fourth.

In his sophomore season, Leon jumped to the 149 lbs. weight class but his intensity and determination continued to propel him towards the top.  The Kaukauna, WI native, posted a 23-2 record, including a perfect 17-0 mark in the regular season, with seven falls.  Leon won the Dan Gable Open to open his sophomore campaign and cruised to a 16-0 record before he knocked off top-ranked Cam Tessari of Lindsey Wilson to help the Patriots captured their second straight MSC title.  UC went on to win their first MSC Tournament title as Leon was named the MSC Wrestler of the Year and was a second-team selection. Leon posted a 3-0 record to advance to the finals of the NAIA National Tournament before finishing as the national runner-up. His performance at nationals helped led UC to a runner-up finish, the best finish in program history. 

Leon followed up his runner-up finish with a 28-3 record, including a perfect 7-0 against the MSC.  The junior record 12 falls, eight tech falls, and two major decisions on the season, including notching a 3-2 record against NCAA DI opponents at the Midland Classics.  Leon notch back-to-back tech falls to win the 149 lbs. conference title and become the first wrestler in conference history to be named the MSC Wrestler of the Year twice. Leon capped off his season with a 5-1 record at the NAIA National Championship to earn his third All-American accolade and place third.

Determined to cap off his Patriot career in winning fashion, Leon racked up a 33-3 record with only one loss to an NAIA opponent. Leon notched 17 falls on the season, which is the second most in program history, and the seventh most wins (33) by a Patriot wrestler in a season. The senior opened the season at 157 lbs. winning the Patriot Open and the Dan Gable Open with a combined 8-0 record. Leon recorded a 3-2 record at the Midland Classic with a pair of falls against NCAA DI opponents.  The three-time MSC Wrestler of the Year posted a 4-0 mark at the conference championship en route to capturing the third conference title of his career while helping UC to its second MSC Tournament title in program history. Leon capped off his remarkable career by going 5-0 and capturing the 149 lbs. NAIA national title. His performance helped the Patriots finished fourth overall. 

Leon graduated from Cumberlands in May 2020 with a degree in Exercise Sports Science with a minor in Public Health. 

The UC All-Decade Team was determined based on stats, awards & honors received, and significance to the program in addition to input for members of the UC Athletic Department. It will include one representative from every sport and be comprised of 29 student-athletes. The all-decade team looked at everything from the 2010-2011 season through the 2019-2020 season.