Mack LewnesNow Mack Lewnes is putting that experience to work for the Big Red. The 165-pound freshman starter is currently ranked eleventh in RevWrestling.com's rankings, and, as of this writing, is fresh off winning the title at the 2007 Reno Tournament of Champions.
Prep success in Maryland
Before Colorado Springs and Cornell, Mack Lewnes spent his entire life in Annapolis, the state capitol of Maryland, and home to the United States Naval Academy. He took up wrestling at age six, enrolled in the Maryland Junior League.
For the Lewnes, wrestling was very much a family affair. "My dad (Charlie) wrestled at the University of Oklahoma," Mack discloses. "I followed my older brother Sam (now an Oklahoma State Cowboy) into the Naval Academy (wrestling) program. I really looked up to him." This program was also the start of Mack's exposure to high-quality, name-brand coaching talent. The Navy Junior Wrestling program was coached by Division I All-Americans Wayne Hicks and Kelly Ward.
Mack Lewnes attended high school at Mt. St. Joseph in Baltimore, where he compiled an outstanding 187-13 mat career record, and was a four-time Maryland state champ. "My coaches Dan Youngblood and Jay Braunstein took me to the next level," says Mack.
When asked about what he considered to be the high points of his prep wrestling career beyond winning the private school state title each of his four years, Mack immediately mentioned his first big tournament, the Beast of the East, where he was crowned champion as a sophomore. He was also a two-time Powerade champion, claimed a title at the Walsh Ironman, and won championships at the Dapper Dan Classic and Dream Team events. "I really wanted to test myself against guys from Pennsylvania and Ohio because they are among the best in the country," says the Mt. St. Joseph wrestling alum.
Mack's considerable high school successes weren't limited to the wrestling mat. He ranked in the top fifteen percent in his class, and graduated with a perfect grade point average.
Rocky Mountain highs
While in high school, Mack Lewnes committed to the wrestling program at Cornell University. However, before taking a single class at the Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York, Mack was able to spend a year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs, thanks to the efforts of Cornell coach Rob Koll.
Mack Lewnes spent time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs (Photo/Lindsey Mechalik & Patrick Shanahan)"Working with the other wrestlers and coaches Terry Brands and Kevin Jackson really helped me with technique. I'm so lucky to have been coached by these guys."
"I'd like to think I helped the other wrestlers, too, in our workouts. I'm a real scrapper."
While in Colorado, Mack didn't spend all his time in the wrestling practice room at the OTC. He also took classes at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
"The experience really helped me develop my time-management skills," according to the Cornell freshman.
"The Olympic Training Center offers a tremendous experience," according to coach Koll. "Being out there is very humbling. But the transition from high school to college is usually humbling for wrestlers … Mack came in here ready to contribute and compete."
Wrestling for the Big Red
As a first-year starter at Cornell, Mack Lewnes is already making positive contributions to the Big Red wrestling program. In the first dual meet of the season hosting the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Mack pinned the Badgers' Jake Donar at 4:37, contributing six points to the team score.
At the Body Bar Invitational held at Cornell, Mack dominated the 165-pound weight class. He secured falls against Drexel's Dave Woodall and Maryland's Mike McGill to find himself in the finals against familiar foe Jake Donar. This time, Mack got a 17-5 major decision over the Wisconsin wrestler.
Cornell coach Rob Koll calls Mack Lewnes' lone loss this season "a blip in the road" (Photo/Lindsey Mechalik & Patrick Shanahan)"It was a blip in the road," is how coach Koll describes what happened to Mack Lewnes at Penn State tournament. "It was a wake-up call -- that he needs to be a bit more aggressive all the time out there."
Koll quickly follows up, "(Mack's) a coach's dream come true. You don't have to motivate him. He loves practice … He's always got a smile on his face. His positive attitude helps motivate the entire room."
Mack Lewnes returns the compliment. "I'm lucky to have Coach Koll, Cory Cooperman, Tyler Baier and volunteer assistant coach Damion Hahn. I'm surrounded by awesome coaches and wrestlers. Every day I get to work out with guys like Jordan Leen and Steve Anceravage."
Mack apparently gained from what happened at the Nittany Lion Open. More recently, at the 2007 Reno Tournament of Champions in mid-December, the Annapolis native brought home the 165-pound title. Seeded third, Mack pinned Trevor Adkisson of Oklahoma City University in the first round … followed up by two major decisions (10-1 over Liberty's Chad Porter, and 17-4 over Oregon's Zack Frasier). In the semifinals, Mack got an 8-3 decision over Oklahoma City University's second-seeded Jake Dieffenback. Mack won the title with a 5-2 victory over the fourth seed, Trevor Stewart of Central Michigan.
Most accommodating
Mack Lewnes' winning smile and competitive spirit will serve him well in his chosen career, the hospitality industry. Mack is enrolled in Cornell's College of Hotel Administration, which coach Koll describes as being "the world's best. It attracts the top students, and is incredibly competitive."
"It's a very time-consuming program," Rob Koll adds.
"Hotel school is very tough," Mack concurs. "All my classes are in the hotel school … There are four-hour culinary classes. My Financial Accounting class has five hours of homework, but it's all relevant, very realistic… "
"There are practicum courses where you have hands-on experience in working in a restaurant or a hotel," says the Cornell wrestler who grew up in the hospitality industry. (His family has been in the restaurant business in Annapolis since 1928, currently owning what Mack describes as an "upscale, white-tablecloth steakhouse.") "Perhaps the toughest for me was working housekeeping in a hotel."
Checking into the future
Ask Mack Lewnes about his goals and he responds, "I take things one at a time, and wrestle each match the best I can, mentally and physically. I plan to wrestle my best, as hard as I can."
Mack Lewnes recently won the Reno Tournament of Champions (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)As someone who has been blessed with top-flight coaches his entire wrestling career -- and appreciates their contributions in terms of instruction and motivation -- Mack Lewnes may seem like a natural to someday be a coach himself. "Coaching? I haven't really thought about it," says Mack. "I want to stay focused on my wrestling and academics right now."
In the meantime, wrestling fans seeking exciting action in the 165-pound weight class will find Cornell's Mack Lewnes most accommodating.
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