ITHACA, N.Y. -- Mack Lewnes '11 waited for the referee to raise his hand.  After winning the first period against Tyrel Todd at the Men's Freestyle Olympic Trials Qualifier in Las Vegas on December 3, the score at the end of the second was 2-2. “I was pretty sure I had scored last, which meant I won the period and the match, but I was waiting for it to be official. A wave of relief came over me.”

That victory clinched a spot in the finals of the tournament and, more importantly, qualified the Maryland native for the 2012 Olympic Trials at 84 kg. “I was very happy when I made the finals,” he said. “It was a huge weight off my shoulders.”

Lewnes began the tournament with a quick pin of Kamaren Gill in the first round in a match that lasted a mere seven seconds. In his next bout, Lewnes faced former Rider All-American Doug Umberhauer, who had beaten him 1-0, 1-0 in the third place match at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) Holiday International Open a few weeks ago. “I felt really good and was able to create some offense this time,” Lewnes said of the 4-0, 1-0 decision.  

He then defeated Todd before dropping the finals match to Jon Reader in two periods.  

Lewnes became the all-time leader in Cornell history in both victories and pins during his Big Red career while wrestling at 165 and 174 pounds. However, he is comfortable wrestling at 84 kg (185 pounds) in his post collegiate action.

“I feel great at this weight,” he said. “I lifted hard for a couple of months and ate well and correctly. I still feel fast and strong. At first, I was concerned about the height advantage my opponents have but then I realized that being short and stout can be an advantage too. It's harder for guys to get to my legs. You have to take advantage of what you have and adjust.”

Lewnes has made a number of adjustments from college folkstyle wrestling to freestyle.  “I've had to change a lot of things,” he said. “I think I've done pretty well with mat awareness to avoid pushouts and I think I'm adjusting to avoid back exposure on scrambles. But I know I still need to work on par terre, especially on bottom. I feel like I can go toe to toe with anyone on my feet, but there's a different feel to the bottom and I'm not there yet.”

With a qualifying spot in his pocket, Lewnes will get back to work. He plans to wrestle in some events overseas to get some additional experience and “learn some new tricks.” He also will get plenty of training in Ithaca where he often practices with Clint Wattenberg  '03, a former member of the US Freestyle National Team and Cornell coaches Rob Koll and Damion Hahn. On occasion, he drills with current Big Red grapplers Kyle Dake, Steve Bosak and Cam Simaz.

The winningest wrestler in Cornell history is doing more than just preparing for his Olympic dream. He is also molding future wrestlers in the Ithaca area in his job as a coach at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club. He teaches youth and high school wrestlers at clinics held at several high schools and at the Friedman Wrestling Center on the Cornell campus. Lewnes also works extensively with a number of grapplers who graduated high school this past spring and are competing in open tournaments before entering college in the fall of 2012.

“I love the coaching,” Lewnes said. “I work closely with Corey Manson '11 and we have a group of studs. I had great coaches to learn from. I'd like to think that I show good technique in the practice room and keep workouts tough without driving guys into the ground. Wrestling is hard, so I try to be approachable and bring some fun.”

Fun is something Lewnes is having plenty of as he spends time on the East Hill without schoolwork. “I can't explain how thankful I am to have a year like this,” he said. “I'm getting paid to do what I love. I train, I wrestle, and I help coach talented young guys.” And what will happen next, after this year? “To be honest, it's really up in the air,” he said. “I am lucky to be able to live in the present so happily.”

When the time comes for him to step off the mat, however, Lewnes feels confident in his future. “Going to Cornell was the best decision I ever made,” he said. “It's not just because of wrestling. It's because of the contacts I made professionally, the people I met, the relationships I developed. I gained so much more than wrestling. Cornell has given me the chance to look forward to every step of my life. I think I have a lot to look forward to career-wise.”

The graduate of the School of Hotel Administration is known for his culinary skills, especially his pulled pork and chicken pot pie. He plans to eventually work in the hospitality industry, most likely focusing on the restaurant business. “My family owns a restaurant and I've always liked the atmosphere and the mentality behind great service,” he said. “I am in close contact with a great restaurant group through Cornell. I really respect the group's values and mission and ideally I'll work with them.”

But he emphasized that he's not ready to think about that yet. For now, his focus is on April 21-22 in Carver Hawkeye Arena. He knows the 84 kg bracket will be a difficult one, with Reader, former World Silver Medalist Jake Herbert and 2004 Olympic Champion Cael Sanderson, among others. He remains excited by the challenge.

“I've never had a chance to wrestle Cael in freestyle but it will be fun,” he said. “You have to want to wrestle the best guys. If you start thinking about what your chances are, you won't succeed. My goal is to take it one match at a time. I am thinking about trying to win every position and every match. That's what I train for. My goal is to win everything.”