Wrestlers Easton Hull and Alexis Winecke earn All-American titles.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point wrestlers, Easton Hull and Alexis Winecke, both took seventh place at nationals and earned All-American titles. 

The UWSP men’s wrestling team finished the NCAA Regional VII Championships, sending four wrestlers, Hull, Riese Thornberry, Caleb Nobiling, and Dylan Cariveau, to the NCAA Championships. 

“The attitude that they brought to the regional tournament when the time came,” said Men’s Wrestling Head Coach Johnny Johnson. “There was no doubt they knew they were ready to compete.” 

Easton Hull, a 184-pound wrestler and a junior at UWSP, has been wrestling for over 17 years and has competed for three years at UWSP. This was his first year competing at nationals. He lost his first match, but continued forward and won his next three matches, and won by a 6-3 decision to take seventh and the All-American title. 

Hull said that this win meant a lot more to him after his high school coach died this past summer. His former coach’s brother, Joe Rens, also placed seventh and earned the All-American title in the 1996-97 NCAA tournament. 

“The only other alumni from Waupun happens to be my head coach’s brother, and he ended up placing the same,” said Hull. 

Continuing to next season, Hull said he isn’t driven by the outcome, “I just want to enjoy the moment, and be present in the moment.”

Hull said his involvement with Athletes in Action on campus has helped him stay motivated. “My faith and finding my way back kept me motivated.” 

Hull ended the season with a 25-8 record and is the first All-American since Matt Berlin in 2021-22. 

The UWSP women’s wrestling team finished the NCAA Region V Championships and sent two wrestlers, Alexis Winecke and Kara Kuge, to the first sanctioned NCAA women’s championships.

“This was the 1st year that we had an official NCAA women’s wrestling tournament. So for her to be able to place and then both be able to participate at the 1st ever NCAA women’s tournament is awesome,” said women’s wrestling Head Coach Jake Wozniak. 

Alexis Winecke, a 103-pound wrestler and a senior at UWSP, has been wrestling for 16 years. As a freshman, she won the NCWWC Northwest title. She advanced to the NCWWC regionals as a sophomore and qualified for nationals twice. As a junior, she set a program record with 29 wins in a single season, finishing with a 29-12 record.

In the seventh-place match, Winecke finished her UWSP career with an 11-9 decision win and is recorded as the first NCAA-sanctioned All-American Women’s Wrestler at UWSP. 

“Fixing those small things and making sure I’m ready to go mentally,” said Winecke. “Going in with a positive mindset and believing that no one can beat me and good things will happen.”

Finishing her senior season off with an All-American title, Winecke said, “Ending my career on a positive note, winning that seventh-place match in Indigo to win was big for me, and watching it all come together the last 16 years. Knowing that the hard work wasn’t for nothing.”

Winecke finished her senior season with a program-record 42 wins. She also became the first wrestler in program history to reach 100 career wins, finishing with 106. Winecke is the first to earn All-American honors since Ngao Shoua Whitethorn and Abby Nelson in 2024-25

Hull and Winecke’s seventh-place finishes capped the season for UWSP wrestling, highlighting the program’s growing national presence.

Abigail Holmes

News Reporter

Aholm452@uwsp.edu