Messiah College Men's Wrestling

Bryan Brunk enters his 23rd season at the helm of Messiah wrestling in 2025-26, serving as the program’s fifth head coach in their 40-plus year history. Prior to coming to Messiah in 2003, Brunk was an assistant coach for the University of Southern Maine from 1998-2003. He served at Southern Maine under long-time mentor Ted Reese — a Maine Amateur Wrestling Association Hall of Fame Coach and National High School Coach of the Year. NOTABLE MESSIAH ACCOLADES 279-161 overall dual record at Messiah Coached Four NCAA Division III Wrestling National Champions Kaleb Loht (141 lbs., 2014), Lucas Malmberg (125 lbs., 2016 and 2017), Ben Swarr (174 lbs., 2016) Coached 35 All-Americans 21 seasons with NCAA Tournament Qualifiers Five Top-10 Team Finishes at Nationals 2016 National Runner-Up Finish as a team Five Conference Championships 2013 (Empire), 2014 (MAC), 2016 (MAC), 2017 (MAC), 2018 (MAC) Six Regional Championships 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Two-time National Coach of the Year 2014, 2016 2004 NWCA NCAA Division III Rookie Coach of the Year 2005 NWCA Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award Bestowed to “an outstanding coach who epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes” Seven-time Conference Coach of the Year 2005 (MAC), 2012 (EMPIRE), 2014 (MAC), 2016 (MAC), 2017 (MAC), 2018 (MAC), 2019 (MAC) Coached one MAC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year Ben Swarr (2018) Coached four Conference Wrestlers of the Year Kaleb Loht (2014), Lucas Malmberg (2016, 2017), Ben Swarr (2018) Coached four Conference Rookies of the Year Lucas Malmberg (2014), Stephen Maloney (2017), Kevin Edwards (2018), Josiah Gehr (2019) COACHING BIO Since being appointed the Falcons’ leader prior to the 2003-04 season, it has been easy to see the strong influence Brunk has had on the program. He was named the 2004 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) NCAA Division III Rookie Coach of the Year, and has since been honored as NWCA National Coach of the Year in both 2014 and 2016. Perhaps most importantly, however, Brunk has orchestrated a program that has become known for excellence both on and off the mat. Messiah boasted the highest team GPA among all of NCAA Division III in 2006. They also finished second in both 2004 and 2007. “We want to provide the best overall wrestling experience in the country,” Brunk said. “Team unity, academic excellence, spiritual growth and competitive wrestling ... those facets are equally important here. I think that’s what makes us unique. It’s common to find places where one or two of those things are important, but we pride ourselves on valuing the entire package.” Brunk’s holistic approach has yielded incredible results, as Messiah has boasted an NCAA National Championships qualifier in all but one of Brunk’s years as head coach. “We strive to win, but it’s not our overriding purpose,” Brunk said. “Make no mistake, winning is a clear goal. But it is not our purpose.” As a prep, Brunk wrestled for Reese at Bonny Eagle High School, and delivered outstanding results: Splitting time between the 130- and 145-weight classes, Brunk compiled a 112-8 record, winning three Maine State Championships. He was named Honorable Mention All-American by Wrestling USA magazine and was named Academic All-American by Amateur Wrestling News. Brunk began his collegiate career at Wheaton College (Ill.), serving the Crusaders as a two-year starter at 150 pounds. He placed fourth and second in the NCAA Division III West Regional, and was named the first alternate to the NCAA National Championships as a sophomore. While at Wheaton, Brunk finished second and first in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships. Brunk then transferred closer to home in 1996, attending Western New England College for his final two years of athletic eligibility. He won New England Conference Championships at the conclusion of each season, qualifying for the NCAA Championships as both a junior and a senior. During his final year of collegiate wrestling, Brunk was named an NWCA Academic All-American. Brunk graduated from Western New England in 1998, earning a bachelor of arts degree in history. He received a master’s degree in teaching and learning from the University of Southern Maine in 2004. Brunk has been married to his wife, Bethany, since 1999. The couple has five children: Asa, Reese, Abel, Kylen, and Maya. The family resides in Grantham. COACHING BY SEASON MESSIAH WRESTLING Season Overall Record Conference Record Conference Finish Regional Finish NCAA Finish 2003-04 11-7 MAC (4-4) 4th --- t-47th 2004-05 12-10 MAC (6-2) 3rd --- --- 2005-06 7-10 MAC (3-3) 5th --- --- 2006-07 5-16 MIDWEST 9th --- --- 2007-08 10-12 EMPIRE 6th --- t-43rd 2008-09 11-12 EMPIRE 3rd --- t-36th 2009-10 10-9 EMPIRE 7th --- --- 2010-11 12-8 EMPIRE 3rd --- --- 2011-12 16-6 EMPIRE 4th --- 19th 2012-13 13-7 EMPIRE Champion t-5th t-13th 2013-14 21-2 MAC Champion Champion 3rd 2014-15 20-1 MAC 2nd Champion 6th 2015-16 18-2 MAC Champion Champion 2nd 2016-17 18-3 MAC Champion Champion 5th 2017-18 16-5 MAC Champion Champion 8th 2018-19 16-6 MAC --- Champion t-44th 2019-20 17-5 MAC 2nd 3rd -- No Champions -- 2020-21 5-3 MAC --- --- -- No Champions -- 2021-22 8-8 MAC 2nd 9th t-41st 2022-23 9-13 MAC 3rd 11th t-49th 2023-24 11-11 MAC 4th 7th t-25th 2024-25 13-5 MAC 2nd 3rd 54th Seasons: 21 279-161 5 Championships 6 Championships 5 Top-10 Finishes .634 winning % Last updated: 06/18/25

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Hogan enters his fifth season as assistant coach in the 2016-17 season, his eighth-straight year with the Falcons. A native of Temperance, Michigan, Hogan was a four-year wrestler at Messiah and graduated in 2013.   Hogan has been alongside head coach Bryan Brunk for three of the most impressive seasons in program history, starting with a National Third Place finish in 2013-14. That season the Falcons earned five All-Americans highlighted by Kaleb Loht's National Championship at 141. In 2014-15 the Falcons finished sixth in Division III while earning three morning All-American honors and, last season, both Lucas Malmberg (125) and Ben Swarr (174) won National Championships to highlight six All-Americans and seven total NCAA Qualififers helping Messiah to a National Runner-Up finish.  Aside from coaching on the mat, Hogan focuses on developing the Falcons' wrestling strength and conditioning program.  

Plummer enters his second year as a graduate assistant with the Messiah College wrestling program in 2015-16. Plummer joins the staff after graduating from Messiah in 2014 with a degree in Sports Management.   Plummer was a four-year letter winner for Messiah at 165 and 174 pounds. He earned All-American honors his senior season at 174 pounds when he finished fifth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. He is also top-10 in all-time career wins with 117 victories.   In addition to coaching at Messiah, Plummer is pursuing his Masters Degree in Higher Education with a concentration in College Athletic Management.

Coach Brod has been working with AROMA since 2021. He is a ’13 graduate of Messiah University. He has a passion for athletics and spiritual development; a perfect match for AROMA. Coach Brod has been training athletes, individuals, and teams since 2017. In 2020, he founded Higher Level Performance with the vision of elevating physical development through evidence-based training.   He holds a graduate degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention, and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Coach Brod has successfully worked with athletes across all levels—from elementary school to collegiate competition—helping them achieve measurable growth in strength, speed, and performance.   Brod is a middle school health and physical education teacher. Brod resides in Mechanicsburg with his wife Taylor and two daughters, Ellie & Lexi.

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On Aug. 9, Rodrigo de Mendoza began his tenure as an AROMA Sports Ministry Coordinator. He comes to Grantham after serving as the assistant soccer coach for both the men's and women's programs at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minn.  Rodrigo graduated from North Central University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and then continued his education to earn a master’s degree in strategic leadership in 2022, also at North Central. As a Ram, de Mendoza was a five-year midfielder and center-back on the soccer field, earning Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) academic all-conference honors during each of those seasons. He formed part of two National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) North Region Championship teams (2018, 2021) and one NCCAA Division II National Championship team (2018). In 2021, he was also named to the NCCAA All-Tournament First Team and NCU’s male candidate for the UMAC Scholar-Athlete award.   Originally from Panama City, Panama, de Mendoza is excited to begin his first year with AROMA Sports Ministry at Messiah. He is fully aligned with AROMA’s heart for ministry and looks forward to continuing working for the Kingdom of God in this new role.

Christine has worked on the AROMA team on a part-time basis as a strength coach with an additional focus to female discipleship.  Christine, a 2003 Falcon alum, also teaches in Messiah’s Health and Human Performance Department, and brings a wealth of experience to support the mission of AROMA. Christine has always had a passion for sports and loves the dynamic environment that comes with competition and being a part of a team.  As a former athlete, coach, trainer and educator, she has a multi-layered perspective by which to mentor student-athletes. She is passionate about seeing student-athletes understand their identity in Christ and the freedom that brings in all areas of life, including athletics.   Prior to returning to Messiah, Christine taught Health and Physical Education in both public and private schools in North Carolina.  During this time, she also coached both soccer and volleyball.  She then pursued her Masters in Health Education from East Carolina University and completed her personal training certification, both of which she applied while employed at a YMCA. Since working at Messiah, she has furthered her certifications to include her NSCA-CSCS.   Her love for college athletes grew most during two years of leadership within a Summer academy program with Missionary Athletes International.  During these years Christine provided administrative support for the program, in addition to leading female discipleship and leadership training.  The academy program engaged college athletes in a myriad of sports ministry opportunities including an international trip to Brazil, inner-city and suburban camps in Greater Chicago and daily intentional one on one and team discipleship.  These experiences parallel the work and mission of AROMA in many ways.   Christine is the wife of AROMA Director Aaron Faro and the mother of two girls, Emma and Abby.