Mack Lewnes – Cornell – Class of 2011

Born into a wrestling family – his father wrestled at the University of Oklahoma and his older brother, Sam, competed for the Oklahoma State Cowboys – Mack Lewnes was an outstanding grappler thru high school at Mount St. Joseph in Baltimore. He won the Maryland state championships four times and the National Prep title twice. He attended the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for a year after his high school graduation before enrolling in the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in the fall of 2007.

Lewnes became a rare four-time EIWA champion during wrestling career at Cornell. He also was a three-time NCAA All-American. Lewnes’ collegiate record is 150 wins against just 12 losses. He pinned 55 of his opponents. As of the start of the current season, Lewnes holds the all-time Cornell career record for most wins and pins.

As a freshman, Lewnes won the EIWA tournament at 165 pounds, edging Shanaman of Pennsylvania in overtime in the finals. He finished fourth at the NCAAs in St. Louis, going 4-2 in the tournament. Lewnes won the EIWA tournament again as a sophomore, beating Rendos from Bucknell in the finals, 5-3. He entered the NCAAs undefeated for the year, but was upset in the first round and did not place.

During his junior year, Lewnes again won the Easterns. He advanced to the 174 pound NCAA finals, where he fell to Iowa’s Borschel, 6-2. During his senior season, he won his fourth EIWA title and led his Cornell team to their fifth consecutive team title. Two weeks later, he picked up his third  All-American honors by finishing fourth at 174 pounds in the NCAAs.

After graduation from Cornell Lewnes assisted with coaching the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club in Ithaca. Lewnes has since returned to live in his hometown of Annapolis, MD with his wife Kim (Cornell ’11). He works as a Regional Sales Manager for Milwaukee Tool.