McLaughlin earned a third-place finish at 174 lbs. to help score 18 points for the Green and Gold at Messiah University to kick off the 2024-25 season. McLaughlin faced wrestlers from Johns Hopkins, Messiah, and McDaniel. He won his first three matches, two by major decision and one via technical fall before falling to the top-seeded wrestler by a tight score of 6-4 in the semifinals.