A newcomer on the UW-Eau Claire wrestling team wasted no time making his mark this season.

First-year athlete Wyatt Unser was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Newcomer of the Year after finishing the season 30-12 with 12 bonus-point victories. Additionally, Unser earned All-American honors, becoming the second Blugold first-year wrestler to do so since 2013.

“I felt like I earned it not just from the outcome, but the amount of work that I put into it,” Unser said. 

Unser said his success was part of a larger team achievement. The Blugolds captured the WIAC men’s wrestling championship this season under the direction of Head Coach Tim Fader, who has led the program for a decade. 

Fader said Unser made an immediate impact.

“He came in and set a really fast pace,” Fader said. “He has high goals and expects a lot. That was similar to what he did in high school, but at this level, you’re going to face adversity.”

Unser said his wrestling journey began early. He started the sport at just 3 or 4 years old and grew up in a well-immersed wrestling community in Glenwood City, Wisconsin, a town of about 1,200 people. 

“We had about 40 kids on the team,” Unser said. “For a small town, that’s a big number. Wrestling was a big thing there. We were one of the most winning programs in school, and we had a really good culture.” 

Unser said it wasn’t until he got older that he started to see consistent success.

“I didn’t really win a lot as a kid,” Unser said. “Probably around seventh grade [was] when I started to jump levels. That’s when I realized I could be something good.”

By the time he graduated high school, Unser became a state champion and a driven athlete. Still, he said because of his expectations entering college, his reality was not quite what he expected. 

“I really thought I was just going to walk through tournaments,” Unser said. “Then I didn’t place how I wanted to, and I realized it was going to be pretty hard.”

In January, at a competition in Pennsylvania, Unser was pinned during a match he was winning. 

Fader said that moment was critical to Unser’s development. 

“You could tell it was very upsetting for him,” Fader said. “But those losses gave him more willpower to improve.”

Just weeks later, he delivered an impressive performance at a tournament in Chicago, defeating the nation’s top-ranked wrestler in his weight class. Fader said the confidence from that win carried through the remainder of the season. 

“He was on fire at the end of the year,” Fader said. 

At the end of the season, Unser was able to dominate his matches at the WIAC championship hosted in Eau Claire. Unser won all of his matches with bonus points — either pins or technical falls. During finals, Unser won via technical fall against Wyatt Magolski from UW-La Crosse. 

Unser’s performance during the championship solidified his spot for Newcomer of the Year. 

For Unser, however, individual accolades were only part of the experience. He said the team environment was important in his transition to college wrestling. 

“In high school, it feels like you’re a part of a team,” Unser said. “In college, it’s like a job. You’re thinking about wrestling 24/7. But our team is super tight-knit. We do everything together.” 

That sense of camaraderie is something Fader said he prioritizes in the program. 

“It’s a really hard sport that requires a lot of discipline and sacrifice,” Fader said. “But the relationships you build are what make it special.”

Unser said everyone who supported him —whether it be his family or his girlfriend— was important to his success. He also said how his teammates were always pushing him to be better and that they have become some of his best friends. 

“It’s not surprising that one of the wrestlers would say that he was motivated by his teammates and that they supported him, because you could see it,” Fader said. 

After some trial-and-error when first arriving at college, Unser said he was finally able to figure out a balanced routine between school, athletics and a personal life. 

“The first month was pretty rough,” Unser said. “Classes five days a week, practice every day, lifting — it was hard to find the right schedule. But once I figured it out, it became a lot easier.”

Unser is currently studying exercise science on a pre-physician assistant track. 

Fader said that Unser’s discipline and focus helped him manage his demands effectively. 

“He’s very serious about getting better,” Fader said. “His effort level stands out. He goes out there and puts everything on the mat.”

Despite being a freshman, Fader said Unser was recently named a team leader, which is rarely granted to a first-year athlete. 

“He’s earned that respect,” Fader said. “That says a lot about who he is.”

Still, Unser said he knows that his work is not yet finished. While he acknowledges success from his freshman season, he remains focused on long-term goals, including a national championship.

“I have high goals for myself,” Unser said. “Even though I had a good season, I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to. There’s still a lot to improve.”

With a strong foundation already in place, Fader said he believes Unser’s career is just beginning. 

“Guys who win Newcomer of the Year usually go on to have really strong careers,” Fader said. 

After a season defined by setbacks, mindset changes and breakthroughs, Unser has proved that he understands what it takes to succeed.  

Gerlach can be reached at [email protected].