It is the morning of March 15 in La Crosse, WI.

The stage is set for the DIII NCAA wrestling championships, with former national finalist Zack Beckner and returning national qualifier Rayshawn Dixon.

Beckner, junior, stepped back onto the championship mat after a seven-year break, returning to the same stage where he became the national runner up in 2016. The 133-pounder claimed that it was not the same competition he competed in the first time.

“It brought back memories,” he said. “It felt different; I was more present in the moment this time, enjoying the process. It was cool, fun to be back in that environment.”

Head Coach Logan Meister also felt the memories coming back, returning to the national scene but now coaching his former teammate in Beckner.

“It was a really cool experience–a cool moment for us to walk back into that arena,” Meister said. “Nationals in 2017 were in the La Crosse Center Arena, so a cool moment for us. It’s been a long journey to get him back on the mat.”

Meister went on to praise Beckner’s performance and ability to return from such a hiatus and remain at such a high level within the sport.

“It is not an easy feat to qualify for this tournament, and to do it when you’re 25 and have spent seven years off the mat just adds to that difficulty. People were impressed that he was out there,” explained Meister. “Beckner is a hard-headed guy and wants to win everything he goes to.  He’s hard on himself, but he should be really proud because the difficulty of that accomplishment is bar none.”

Beckner looks to make a return next season and reach greater heights than his season record of 22-7 with a national qualification.

“That’s the plan for next season: Get stronger, lifting creatine, protein, just being in the weight room more than anything. At that level, every match is a grind, and you got to be ready to rock n’ roll every match,” Beckner said.

Alongside Beckner’s return to the national stage, heavyweight Dixon, senior, earned his second qualification this year and achieved All-American status with a fifth-place finish.

Dixon compared this year to last year as having a very different feel and said he felt mentally more prepared. He also said he had a new attitude going into the tournament.

“This year was a little bit nicer,” he said. “(I) wasn’t as nervous as I was the first time around. I knew what to expect.”

Dixon battled in this tournament making it to the semi-finals round before falling in the blood rounds and having to claw his way back to the fifth-place finish.

“I was one point away in the semis from going to the national finals, and then I didn’t really wrestle my best. I was down on myself just having to battle back mentally to get ready for the fifth place match,” Dixon said. “It was nice to become an All-American. Once I realized that, even though I didn’t get what I wanted, there was still more to be done.”

Dixon intends to keep the grind going for his final season next year and hopes to be able to achieve his ultimate goal.

“The plan is to get back to work, can’t dwell on the past, can’t get down on myself–just got to get back to work,” he concluded.

Meister still remained strong in his confidence in Dixon’s position in the rankings and his ability to win.

“I still think we’re the best guy in the weight class,” Meiser said. “I’ll say it next year. And I said it this year–we’re the guy to beat. Just wasn’t our weekend.”

Dixon made it to the semi-finals where he lost in overtime on a penalty point, leading to another loss in the next round before shaking it off to claim victory in the fifth-place match.

“That loss hurt us really hurt Ray a lot,” Mesiter said. “He wrestled an almost perfect match–good offense–was getting at the legs almost had several takedowns. One small mistake where we just kind of panicked in overtime, (and it) lost him the match. and these kind of matches hurt more when you work as hard as Ray does.”

Hew said he thought it affected Dixon’s performance going into the next round.

“That wrestle-back round comes up quickly, and we did not get out of our head fast enough. “(We) had a conversation after that match to fix our mindset before we slid all the way to sixth place, and Ray did a good job of turning it around.’

Dixon is the first All-American during Meister’s tenure as a coach and the second-highest placer in the program’s history at the national level, behind Beckner’s second-place finish in 2017.

“We had two opportunities last year with Braden (Homsey, now assistant coach) and Ray qualifying,” Meistger said. “It’s rewarding getting over the hump and opening the doors, so that people can believe me when I say I can get them there.  Now I not only have done that but also lead someone to that point (All-American).”

Meister believes that next year could see some serious improvements and success for the Panther wrestling team, with a new recruiting class and several of his returning athletes holding some promise.

“I think were looking for a strong season next year with three guys who hit the rankings at some point,” Meister said. “Most of our starting line-up will return, and we are bringing in a talented crew out of high school–a bunch of guys coming back who are just about to turn the corner. I think we are gonna shock some people with what we do next year.”