Chestnut Ridge grad looks to close career on a high note

Jared McGill knows the end is near.

One day this week, the Chestnut Ridge graduate likely will step on a wrestling mat in a competitive match for the final time.

“It kind of sucks,” said McGill, who is considering a career in sales or possibly construction management. “It’s been my identity my whole life. I’m going to have to close that chapter and move on. It’s definitely bittersweet. My body’s hurting, and I’m glad to be done in that sense, but I’ll always have that competitive fire in me that I want to compete or do something at a high level.”

He has one more major event this week – the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, where the Edinboro graduate student is the No. 19 seed at 184 pounds. He’ll face Virginia Tech’s Jaden Bullock, the 14th seed, in the first round Thursday.

“The mindset I’m going in with is the same mindset I’ve had my whole life: Go there, have fun, compete hard and try to win the tournament,” the 25-year-old said. “No point in changing up what’s worked my whole life. I’m going to have fun with it. I’m really grateful that I get to wrestle at all. I probably should be working.”

McGill went 1-2 at 2025’s NCAA tournament in Philadelphia while wrestling with a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery two days after the conclusion of the tournament. He and Fighting Scots coach Matt Hill made a decision to limit his exposure this year. For the most part, it’s worked.

“He’s had a few bumps and bruises,” Hill said. “He’s pretty good. I’m happy where he’s at.”

McGill is 16-3 this season.

“I thought the season went well,” McGill said. “I didn’t wrestle a lot of tournaments this year, just kind of protecting the body, keeping me to a pitch count. I really only had one bad loss (a sudden-victory setback to Southern Illionis-Edwardsville’s Deron Pulliam).

McGill beat Rutgers’ Shane Cartagena-Walsh, who is the No. 12 seed in the bracket, at November’s Keystone Classic.

That kind of result gives Hill confidence that McGill can make a run at a spot on the podium.

“I expect him to pour it all out there and leave it all out there on the mat,” the coach said. “I think he can be a top-eight guy if he throws his full effort into it.”

McGill, who won a PIAA title for Chestnut Ridge and spent a season at Pitt before transferring to Edinboro, wants to end his career on a high note.

“I just want to wrestle my best,” he said. “No expectations other than that. Obviously, I’m going to try to win – just having fun and competing my hardest.”