Wilkes Wrestling ColonelCast - Episode 6: Ally Sleiman '96

In this episode of the Wilkes Wrestling ColonelCast is proud to feature alumnus Ally Sleiman ’96, whose journey from Wilkes to a national level Greco-Roman wrestler, to decorated U.S. Army Officer and now in public service as a nationally recognized emergency management and homeland security leader embodies the enduring spirit of Wilkes Wrestling. Sleiman serves as an alumni mentor for the Colonels as well.

During the episode, Sleiman reflects on his time at Wilkes competing at the Division 1 level under legendary Coach John Reese, his success in the classroom as a student-athlete, and his continued academic achievements at some of the nation’s top institutions. He also discusses his accomplishments as a post-collegiate Greco-Roman wrestler, competing at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2000 and 2004.

Beyond athletics and academics, Sleiman shares insights from his military career in Special Operations units and his current role as the Emergency Management Director for the City of Quincy, Massachusetts.

The conversation also highlights the Sleiman Award, a program honor presented annually to a Colonel wrestler who demonstrates qualities like competitive spirit, leadership, academic excellence, and service beyond self.

The episode reinforces the message that Wilkes Wrestling produces not just champions on the mat, but leaders who carry their values into every aspect of life

Host, Associate Head Men's Wrestling Coach, Pankil Chander digs into Sleiman's career, discussing his growth as an athlete, his dedication to his craft as a military officer.

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Wilkes Wrestling ColonelCast – Episode 5: NCAA Finalist Cam Butka '25

In this episode of the Wilkes Wrestling ColonelCast, we feature Cam Butka '25, a two-time NCAA Division III All-American at 197lbs and the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships finalist. Butka recently graduated from Wilkes with a Bachelor's in Biochemistry and will be pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh this fall.

With a career that has rewritten Wilkes University wrestling history, Cam is now the program’s all-time leader in career wins (137) and single-season wins (42), setting new benchmarks for excellence.

Cam opens up about his journey from a promising wrestler to one of the top athletes in Division III wrestling, sharing insights on his incredible career, which included becoming a 3x Wilkes Male Athlete of the Year and securing a Pete Willson Invitational Championship, 4x Blue Jay Classic Championship, and 2x NCAA Regional Champion. Along the way, he also earned recognition as a 4x NWCA Scholar All-American and was named to the 2025 CSC At-Large Academic All-America Third Team, making him one of only 16 Wilkes student-athletes in history to earn such an honor.

Host, Associate Head Men's Wrestling Coach, Pankil Chander digs into Cam's impressive career, discussing his growth as an athlete, his dedication to academics, and how he's set the bar for future generations of Wilkes wrestlers.

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2015 NCAA DIII Champion at 133lbs and 2018 Wilkes Alumnus, Matthew Grossmann joins the ColonelCast to discuss his wrestling journey, path to a national championship, coaching on staff with the Colonels post-grad, and more!

Grossmann became the 11th Individual National Champion in Wilkes program history and first since 1975 as a freshman in 2015 when he captured the 133-pound weight class title to earn All-American honors. He was also named the 2015 d3wrestle.com Freshman of the Year and to the Amateur Wrestling News Rookie of the Year Team along with being named the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Rookie and Wrestler of the Year.
He finished his four-year career with a 99-18 record. He was the MAC 141-pound champion his junior season and a runner-up at the MAC Championships his freshman and senior years. Grossmann also captured titles at the Will Abele Open and NCAA East Regional as a freshman, the Monarch Invitational as a sophomore and the Messiah Petrofes and Will Abele Open as a junior.
Grossmann was named to the 2018 Winter Academic All-MAC Team and graduated this past spring with a degree in business management and will be taking graduate classes at Wilkes as we works toward his MBA.
While at Manheim Township High School, Grossmann was a two-time state medalist with second and fifth place finishes and completed his high school career with a 136-31 record.

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Rick Mahonski '77 joins the ColonelCast to discuss his journey through wrestling that led to him being named into the 2025 class of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Service to Wrestling honor.

He earned a 112-pound PIAA state title for Williamsport High School before going on to wrestle for Wilkes University from 1974-77, securing an NCAA runner-up finish at 118 pounds while helping the Colonels earn the 1974 NCAA Division III team championship.

As a junior in 1976, Mahonski and the Colonels became the first and only program in Wilkes history to compete at the Division I level where the squad took home first place at the Binghamton Open and second place at the Wilkes Open. Mahonski again shined where he captured second place at the EIWA Tournament at 126-pounds.

As a senior in 1977, Mahonski led the Colonels in their second season at the DI ranks serving as a quad-captain while placing fifth at the EIWA Tournament.

A member of the District 4 Hall of Fame as well as the West Branch Wrestling Hall of Fame, Mahonski served as an art teacher within Hughesville School District for 35 years and is now a successful business owner and goldsmith.

In April of 2024, Mahonski, at the age of 69, ended a 47-year hiatus and returned to the mats at the US Open in Las Vegas, winning a championship in the Masters Division in Greco-Roman and finishing runner-up in freestyle.

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Anthony Dattolo joins the ColonelCast to discuss his transformational journey through wrestling to the national stage, the positive impact of the Wilkes Wrestling culture and system, transitioning to coaching at NYU, and more!

Dattolo was inducted into the Wilkes Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024. The 2012 graduate of Wilkes was a two-time NCAA DIII All-American and 2012 national finalist.

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The kickoff episode of the Wilkes Wrestling ColonelCast features two alumni and two of just six head coaches in the storied history of Wilkes University Wrestling in Coach Alan Zellner and current Director of Wrestling, Jon Laudenslager!

Alan Zellner sits down with his former wrestler and Assistant Coach, and now current Director of Wrestling, Jon Laudenslager to chat about their journey's through wrestling, the legacy of the late John Reese, the different eras and transitions of Colonel Wrestling, and how the future remains bright for the program.

Breakdown of the conversation below:

2:50: Al Zellner's journey through wrestling and to Wilkes

9:42: Jon Laudenslager journey through wrestling and to Wilkes

16:25: How did the wrestling nickname "The Snake" get coined for Alan Zellner?

22:30: The legacy of wrestling and coaching with the late, John Reese

35:00: Zellner succeeding John Reese as Head Coach and the how the college athletics landscape evolved to transition from Wilkes Wrestling's tenure in Division I to Division III

45:00: Breakdown of timeline of Wilkes Wrestling

50:50: The Laudenslager era

58:25: Helping guys accomplish their goals at the NCAA Championships

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