Brett Kaliner of the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., recently capped an undefeated season by winning the 149-pound title at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A graduate of West Chester Rustin High School, Kaliner, a graduate student who took advantage of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted student-athletes due to the pandemic, is the first national champion in Stevens Tech’s history with the sport.

Kaliner, a five-time All-American, was ranked No. 1 in his weight class throughout the 2021-22 season. His historic victory, a 4-2 decision over Michael Petrella of Baldwin Wallace University in the championship match, brought his record to 29-0.

Kaliner scored the first points of the match with a takedown in the opening minute and built up more than a minute of riding time before Petrella escaped to get on the scoreboard.

Taking a 2-1 lead into the second period, Petrella was in the down position, and Kaliner pushed his riding time to nearly two minutes. However, Kaliner cut him loose with a little more than a minute left in the frame, and Petrella earned the escape point to even the match at two.

Kaliner started down to begin the third and final period and quickly earned the escape point. He held onto a single leg into the final minute of action, and with the riding time already locked in, Kaliner was able to fight off Petrella’s shot attempts to secure the championship.

“I started wrestling when I was eight years old, and I never could have known what it would do for my life,” Kaliner wrote on Twitter. “The wrestling community is one of the closest communities in the world, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”