A new sports season brings a new face as Coach Jackson Punzel takes the lead of Benet’s first wrestling team. Originally an alum of Naperville Central, Coach Punzel has always been involved in the wrestling world.
Coach Punzel attended Wheaton College and competed at the collegiate NCAA Division III level for six years. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, Coach Punzel was given more years of eligibility, allowing him to compete as a graduate student. His athletic career was heavily impacted by coach Jim Gruenwald, a two-time Olympic wrestler who has led Wheaton’s program since 2009. After finishing his collegiate career in 2025, Coach Punzel transitioned to coaching, and he was hired at Benet as a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Head Wrestling Coach.
Some of Coach Punzel’s notable finishes during his career include a 7th place finish in the NCAA Division III Championships against Ben Kawczynski from Wisconsin-La Crosse. Additionally, in the 2025 Division III Region V Tournament, Coach Punzel competed against Charles Baczek from Wabash in the Championship Match. His top finish led him to be named an All-American athlete for wrestling.
When asked what he was most excited about for his new start as the head wrestling coach at Benet, Coach Punzel said that “The thing I’m most excited for is to start a brand new wrestling program at such a great school. Not many coaches get the opportunity to do something as unique as this and Benet has the support and community to build an amazing program.” Coach Punzel made his excitement about his new role clear: “The alumni network resembles that of a college, and the kids at the school are awesome. The staff has been very welcoming and encouraging.” Coach Punzel explained that he was drawn to Benet because of “the opportunity to build a program with Jesus Christ at the center and because of the amazing potential. We are going to develop a strong culture of hard work and I expect the guys that go out for wrestling this year to work and have fun.” Additionally, he mentioned that the most memorable thing he learned from both his high school and collegiate experiences was exemplified in the verse Colossians 3:23, which states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.” For Coach Punzel, this is the team’s motto and verse at Benet. According to him, “The first half of the verse focuses on effort: giving 100% in everything you do, whether that be work, play, relationships, recovery, school etc. The second part of the verse focuses on attitude: Why we do what we do. Those are the only two things we can control in our lives, our effort and our attitude.” As Benet enters a new era of wrestling and a new conference, Coach Punzel hopes to lead his squad to a commanding start to the program and establish Benet’s place in the sport of wrestling.
