CLEVELAND, OH – Tyler Klinsky has been named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Year following a historic season that capped his six-year career with the Rider Wrestling team, the conference announced this afternoon. 

Klinsky closed out his final campaign with a 30-6 overall record, including a perfect 18-0 mark in dual meets. He captured the 125-pound title at the MAC Championships, bonus-pointing his way through the bracket while earning the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler honors.

At the NCAA Championships, Klinsky went 4-3, battling through a loaded consolation bracket to secure All-American status. His run featured bonus-point victories over No. 22 Davis Motyka (Penn), No. 21 Conrad Hendriksen (Oklahoma), a pin of No. 3 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State), and a decisive win over No. 8 Dean Peterson (Iowa) in the blood round to clinch an eighth-place finish, the first All-American honor of his career. He also became Rider's 22nd All-American and the 11th in the last 12 seasons.

Klinsky becomes just the third Bronc to earn the conference's top individual honor and marks the second consecutive season a Rider wrestler has received the award, joining Sammy Alvarez.

He finishes his career with a 74-46 record, a two-time NCAA qualifier, 2026 MAC Champion, and 2026 NCAA All-American,  solidifying his place among the program's all-time greats.