AIC is dropping their Division II wrestling program at end of season

In 2021, then-AIC head coach Rich Hasenfus, left, and All-American Jo Jo Gonzalez at the NCAA Division II championship meet. (Photo courtesy Rich Hasenfus)

American International College in Springfield will be dropping their wrestling program at the end of this season, the school confirmed on Wednesday.

AIC, currently 1-2, is cutting wrestling and women’s tennis and is moving their men’s hockey program down from the Division I level to Division II.

The move is part of the school’s “Pathway to Progress” initiative, which outlines an expansive organizational business plan to guide AIC over the next several years.

The school is dropping wrestling and women’s tennis to better meet industry demand and provide additional resources to AIC’s remaining varsity sports, the school on their website.

The wrestling program was told earlier this week of the decision. All scholarships will be honored during the transition, the school said.

“It’s tough to let go of something we’ve worked so hard for, something that has mean so much to each of us,” said second-year coach Darby McLaughlin in a message posted on Facebook. “But I want you to know this, the bond we’ve built, the battles we fought together and the lessons we learned, those don’t end with the season.”

McLaughlin coached high school wrestling at Springfield Central for 20 years, winning seven Division I championships and finishing second six times.

“Wrestling is more than a sport. It is a reflection of who we are,” McLaughlin said. “It is about strength, determination and never backing down, no matter how hard the road gets. And though this chapter may be closing, the spirit of our team lives on in each of us.”

AIC competes at the Division II level and has had their share of Connecticut athletes over the years.

There are currently five Connecticut wrestlers on the Yellowjacket roster including three seniors, a graduate student and a sophomore.

Branford’s Justin Osler (197), Bristol Eastern’s Tommy Nichols (149) and Aaron Morocho (125) are on the AIC squad along with Berlin’s Luke Mangiafico (141) and Suffield’s Joshua Nieroda (165).

Willimantic’s Jo Jo Gonzalez, who wrestled at Ellis Tech in Danielson, was a two-time All-American with AIC in 2021 and 2022, when he finished second at 157 pounds at the NCAA Division II national championship meet.

Windham’s Rafael Calixto coached Gonzalez at Ellis Tech. Calixto earned All-American honors at AIC in 1997 by finishing sixth at 126 pounds at the NCAA Division II nationals.

Gonzalez and Calixto are two of six wrestlers to earn All-American honors at AIC, according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s champions database.

The program began in 1991. AIC is the only current Division II program in New England.

“We will keep fighting,” McLaughlin said. “We’ll keep striving and we’ll keep supporting each other no matter where go.”

“In an era of unprecedented disruption across the higher education industry, it is more important than ever that we do all we can to ensure AIC is able to adapt and evolve to best serve our students – those we serve today, and in the future,” said AIC’s interim President Nicolle Cestero. “Through this “Pathway to Progress,” we have developed a data-driven roadmap that will only strengthen this institution that has existed for more than 130 years.”