Breaking the records

“It’s been kind of a tough year,” Warthan said. “Hopefully, we can get guys healthy and hit this last part of the home stretch hard.”

Coming into this year, Warthan— himself a former Academic AllAmerican—had shepherded 105 Scholar All-American honorees, as well as three NWCA Academic Championship teams, according to UIndy Athletics. Banners for those National Championships hang along the north wall of the Velez/Wetherald Wrestling room.

Engineering major Derek Blubaugh is one such Scholar All-American. Last month, UIndy Athletics reported that Derek Blubaugh won a rematch of the 2022 final by overcoming the Central Oklahoma wrestler at National Duals.

“Especially as I’ve grown, I meet people again and again that want to come up to me and share stories…,” Derek Blubaugh said. “It’s definitely [been] heartwarming stuff to hear.”

As he takes inspiration from that history, Derek Blubaugh said that he is continually motivated by his teammates.

“I am extremely grateful for everyone on the team. I count them as brothers. Guys like Phoenix Rodgers, like Cale Gray, that I wrestle a lot in the room, obviously, have a great impact on successes that I have, and I hope that I have the same effect on them,” Blubaugh said. “We definitely try to just build off of each other, not only in the room but also outside the room—going back to that friendship, camaraderie aspect of it. We’re definitely a tight knit group.”