New London — Senior Nate Giorgio already cemented his place as one of Coast Guard Academy's all-time wrestling giants well before stepping on the mat this season.

Yet Giorgio, a two-time All-American, continues to raise his already elite level, ranking No. 1 in Division III at the 133-pound weight class. He's a perfect 34-0.

The program also is on an upward swing, posting a winning dual-meet record for the first time since the 2000-01 season.

The improvement of Giorgio and the Bears can be traced to Kevin Bratland, a first-year coach with an impressive resume and passion for the sport that runs as deep as his Midwestern roots.

Bratland changed the team's approach, improved conditioning and convinced them to adopt a different mindset.

"We've always had the guys and we've always had the potential," Giorgio said. "We just never had the structure to the program to actually be able to wrestle to our full potential. ... He was able to get us focused and get us to compete as hard as we could."

For Bratland, his primary focus is not winning.

It's all about preparation and effort.

"I don't even tell somebody, in order for me to be satisfied with a performance that they had to have won the match," Bratland said. "We're evaluating 'how did you wrestle? What effort did you give? What type of fight did you have?' "

The Bears are buying into Bratland's coaching philosophy. It helps to have Giorgio as an example.

Giorgio became the first Coast Guard wrestler to capture a title at the All-Academy Championships last weekend. He beat Anthony McHugh of Air Force Academy, 5-2, in the 133 final and earned the Most Outstanding Wrestler honor. He's the only Division III wrestler to ever win in that weight class

"It was awesome," Bratland said. "It was exciting to watch him win. ... The whole team is excited for him. He's setting an example of what a Coast Guard wrestler can do."

Giorgio took as much pride in his performance as he did his teammates' effort. Freshman Chris Sullivan placed fourth at 157.

"I love making an impact at the academy," said Giorgio, who leads all NCAA divisions with 12 tech falls this season. "Nationally, that's a big thing to get Coast Guard's name out there since we're Division III. It's awesome to beat those Division I guys and be competitive with them."

Giorgio and the Bears turned in another impressive performance on Wednesday, beating rival Merchant Marine (23-12) for the first time since 2007. Giorgio pinned his opponent in 30 seconds.

Good health has been a big factor in Giorgio's success this season. Nagging injuries disrupted him in previous years.

Credit Bratland.

Bratland, who graduated from Wartburg College (Iowa) with a degree in fitness management and earned a master's degree in exercise science at Northern Iowa, implemented a strength and conditioning program. The Bears lift weights during the season, something that they've haven't done before.

"That's important to having a good team, just staying healthy," said Bratland, who spent the last eight seasons coaching a successful program at North Central College in Naperville, Ill. "Keeping the guys on the mat gives you a better chance of being successful. That's kind of been a struggle in the past."

Bratland and assistant Omi Acosta also take an active role during practice.

Don't mess with them.

Bratland was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American and Acosta an NAIA champion at Grand View University.

"Both our coaches are very intense," Giorgio said. "If you ever see them on mat side, they're going crazy. They're working out with us in the room and wrestling live with us."

The Bears are happy that Bratland made the difficult decision to uproot his family - wife, Lindsi, and their two boys.

Bratland is feeling at home in new job.

"I've always enjoyed the military, the values, honor and duty and the things that it brings to people," Bratland said. "That's always fits my character. ... It was a huge move but an opportunity that I didn't want to pass up."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe