NAIA National Championships (2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
2002
The 2001-02 Lindenwood wrestling team won the program’s first national championship and helped build the foundation for what would become the top wrestling program in the NAIA for the first decade of the 2000s. Eleven of the team’s 12-member national squad earned All-American honors at the national meet and the Lions scored 180 points, winning the meet over the host school Montana State-Northern by 13 points. Three wrestlers earned individual national championships in Dustin Teeman, Brian Holt, and Dustin Zahursky. Brant Bruner, Chad Smith, Eric Brown and Wayne James finished third, while C.J. Campbell and Roger Miller had fifth-place showings. Jeff Carlson and Nathan James both finished eighth, and Josh Buchanan rounded out the squad. The national championship team was inducted into the Lindenwood Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
2005
The Lindenwood Lion wrestling program won a national championship in 2002 and were runner-ups in 2003. After a brief two-year hiatus from the top two spots the Lions were right back on top in 2005. The Lions started off the season the number one ranked team in the country and would end the season in the same spot. After a successful regular season, the Lions moved onto the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, Iowa for the NAIA national championship. The Lions would score 178.5 points; the total was 50 more points than the second place team, Missouri Valley. Three wrestlers earned individual national championships and the Lions had a total of five All-Americans. Andrew Bradbury won his second consecutive national championship in the 125-pound weight class. Roger Miller won the heavyweight national championship and Mike Rio took home the 149-pound title. Along with the national championships and All-Americans, head coach Joe Parisi won the NAIA coach of the year for the second time.
2007
The Lindenwood Lions wrestling program had won two national championships in 2002 and 2005, but in 2007 the Lions started another run of titles. The 2007 squad scored 177 points which was 67 points more than the second-place team Embry Riddle. Not only did the Lions win the national championship they crushed the field of the NAIA. The Lions had seven All-Americans and two individual national champions. Jake Dieffenbach won his second consecutive national championship at 165 pounds and John Salter won at 174 pounds. Head coach Joe Parisi awon his third NAIA Coach of the Year award.
2008
After winning their third national championship in six years, the Lindenwood Lion wrestling team was looking for its fourth overall and second consecutive in 2008. The Lions finished second in the regional championship but that was the last time they would finish second. At the NAIA national championship, the Lions would win their second national championship in a row after scoring 130 points, 21.5 in front of McKendree. The Lions had four wrestlers in the finals and that produced three individual national champions. Raymond Stephens won the 133-pound crown, Ryan Moyer was the champ at 149 pounds, and Matt Cauley was the top wrestler in the 174-pound weight class. To go along with the national champions, five wrestlers were All-Americans.
2009
Already one of the most successful wrestling programs in the country, the 2009 Lindenwood Lions team added to the growing dynasty on the mat. The Lions would win their fifth national championship and third in succession. The Lions scored 167 points, 41.5 points ahead of Southern Oregon. Three Lions won individual national titles starting with Matt Cauley at 177 pounds, who was also named wrestler of the year, Raymond Stephens in the 133-pound weight class, and Jeremy Powell at 157 pounds. To go along with the national titles the Lions placed eight grapplers on the All-American team.
