Jason Bowers didn't come to Friends University expecting it to become a second home. But over four years with the Falcons' men's wrestling program, he found the kind of place that made him want to stay — a campus where relationships mattered, the weight room was a second classroom, and the people in his corner pushed him to be his best.

"Other than academic interests, there were a few things that made Friends special to me," Bowers said. "First being the university size. I could get around campus in a flash and I got to meet so many interesting and great people."

Those simple things became the foundation for a memorable college wrestling career — and a life he's excited to keep building after graduation.

Finding a Home on Campus

For Bowers, the appeal of Friends University started with the small-campus feel and grew into something much bigger. The connections he made — with classmates, teammates, and staff — helped him thrive both on the mat and in the classroom.

He credits the people behind the scenes for making his experience possible. "The university's strength and conditioning department… they always kept our health in mind and pushed us to break our ceilings," he said. "And our trainers — I feel like I don't give them enough credit for what they do. They give us PT pointers and, along with the strength and conditioning staff, they are a piece of the puzzle for keeping us healthy."

But above all, it was the team that kept him grounded. "My final reason for staying would be my team and coaches because I wouldn't be where I am today without them and I can't thank them enough," Bowers said.

Moments That Matter

Over four seasons, Bowers has collected plenty of memories — but the ones that stick out most aren't about individual wins or losses. They're about the energy of a packed gym and a campus rallying behind its wrestlers.

"I can think of a lot of experiences that I could label as my best experience here," he said, "but some of my all-time favorites were the team's final home duels from each year. We had members from almost every other sport here attend the duel and they'd bring speakers and we'd have the bleachers completely packed. And the atmosphere in the gym felt electric."

That support meant everything. "It felt mind-numbing and it was a good feeling to have that representation of our entire school attending our duels," he added. "I really wish we had that for all of our duels."

The People Who Changed Everything

Ask Bowers who made the biggest impact on his journey, and two names come to mind immediately: Coach Hall and Coach Mies.

"Coach Hall… he's just a stand-up guy. He's a great human being. He's been there for me when our previous head coach wasn't there. He's someone that I can 100% trust," Bowers said.

And then there's head coach Tyler Mies, whose leadership helped reshape the program's identity. "He's completely transformed this team and completely transformed this program into something that I could have never imagined," Bowers said. "We had such a bad reputation coming into my freshman year… and then these past couple of years, he's completely flipped the script for us."

Those relationships — built on trust, accountability, and belief — helped Bowers grow into a leader and a teammate others could rely on.

What Comes Next

With graduation on the horizon, Bowers is already looking ahead to the next chapter. "Following graduation, my future goals include continuing down my career path, so working in a zoo or even working in a hatchery of some sort," he said.

But wrestling will always be part of who he is — and he wants to pay it forward. "I'd also really like to give back to my community by coaching the next generation of future wrestlers in my hometown," he said.

After four years of hard work and growth, Bowers sums up his experience simply: "Overall, I'd have to say my experience as a student-athlete at Friends has been great. It's had its ups and downs, but if I'm being completely honest, the positives outweigh the negatives."

That perspective — steady, grateful, and grounded — is exactly what Friends University helped him build.

Bowers and the Falcons aren't quite done yet, as the team is currently preparing for the KCAC Tournament that is set to begin on Saturday (Feb. 21) at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, Okla.