On February 28, the Centenary Men’s Wrestling Team attended the 2026 NCAA Regional Championships. After two days of competitive wrestling at Ithaca College, five Cyclone wrestlers won a medal, and two of them moved on to the 2026 NCAA Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

The ten Cyclones battled relentlessly at the Regional Tournament, with five reaching the podium. Of the five, seniors Danny Haws and Jack Thode achieved major milestones in each of their respective careers. Haws qualified for the fourth time in his career, becoming one of a few wrestlers to achieve this feat. 

Haws would enter the Regional Tournament underseeded, although being a returning champion. Facing this adversity, Haws would have no problem putting any of these doubts to bed. He would enter the finals at the 133 pound weight class and end up falling short in overtime, placing second. Although it was not what he came to the tournament to finish, he would qualify for the National tournament for the fourth time. 

Thode would make headlines by storming through the 125 pound bracket with ease. Thode entered the finals and dominated, winning the match 18-2. This would be his final attempt to make it to the NCAA Championships, and he did it in style for his senior year. 

For any college wrestler, making it to the NCAA Championships is always a big goal. It brings national attention to any program, and it is the final step towards becoming an NCAA All-American. For both Haws and Thode, it was not easy. Both athletes battled their whole careers to gain the skill and knowledge to achieve this goal.

Haws had an impressive high school career, finishing with 109 wins and 22 losses. He was a three time District Champion and finished eighth at the NJSIAA tournament his senior year, capping off an impressive career. 

Following high school Haws wrestled at the next level for the Centenary Cyclones. Haws finished college with a very strong record of 102-35. He was a four time qualifier for the NCAA Championships, and a Regional Tournament Champion. 

Haws was asked about what brought him here and what his favorite moments were of his career. 

“I would say what brought me to Centenary is how close it was to home,” said Haws. “I wasn’t really sure if I was going to wrestle in college, but once I met the coaches and the team, I knew that was what I wanted to do. The favorite parts of my wrestling career are probably just how much I got to see myself grow as not only a wrestler but as a person and the relationships I made with people that will last a lifetime.”

Thode also had quite an impressive career throughout high school and college. Thode finished his high school career with a record of 130 wins and 12 losses. He was a three time State Champion and a four time Conference Champion. In college, Jack finished his career with 52 wins and 23 losses. 

Thode was asked about why he came to Centenary and what moments stuck out to him over the past few years. 

“I came to Centenary because there was a sense of family here and that is rare to find a team that looks at each other as brothers,” said Thode. “The moments that have stuck with me through the years were when we had success as a team at events due to the fact of being that small school that’s trying to get their name out there. My personal favorite moment would be winning my regional title this year without giving up a takedown. This moment felt better than winning any state title for me.”

Following the NCAA Championships, Haws and Thode did not leave Iowa with what they came for. Despite falling short, they both left a legacy of wrestling excellence at Centenary University. Both athletes wrestled under Head Coach, John Garriques.

Coach Garriques was asked about the individual success Haws and Thode achieved, and what younger athletes could learn from them. 

“I am very proud of [Thode] and [Haws’] overall career success with both being NCAA Regional champions throughout their careers,” said Coach Garriques. “The two combined over 170 wins, 5 NCAA National appearances along with hitting many other milestones like hitting 100 wins, Academic All-American, and ranked top 4 in the country in their 4 years at Centenary.” 

“The lightweight duo will be impossible to replace. What younger wrestlers could learn as a lesson is that wrestling is a very hard sport and sometimes you don't end up on the top of that podium, but it's about what you learn throughout that journey that will help you down the road in your life that counts.”

Congratulations to both Jack and Danny on their incredible careers!