Lander Tops NWCA Division II Preseason Men’s Wrestling Poll, Five Others Ranked
MANHEIM, Pa. – The preseason edition of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) DII Coaches Poll was released on Monday, Oct. 30 and three Conference Carolinas institutions are ranked in the top-25, led by No. 1 Lander, while three others received votes.
The 2022-23 NCAA Division II national runner-up, Lander tops the preseason poll with 82 total points and a division-best eight ranked individuals. Newberry was ranked No. 17 with 27 points and five ranked individuals while Belmont Abbey tied for 18th with 26 points and two ranked student-athletes.
The three teams that received votes in the poll are Mount Olive (11), King (7) and UNC Pembroke (4).
In all, 37 individuals are ranked from the conference with at least one in each of the 10 weight classes. Four Conference Carolinas student-athletes ranked second in their respective weight classes. Three student-athletes from Lander, James Joplin (125), David Hunsberger (165) and Juan Edmond-Holmes (285), and one from Belmont Abbey, John Carayiannis (141), were ranked second. The other individual rankings can be found below.
The complete coaches poll is available here. The ranking is a tournament power index ranking in which points are awarded based on individual rankings.
125 pounds
2nd - James Joplin, Lander
6th - Zach Shupp, Newberry
11th - Logan Seliga, UNC Pembroke
133 pounds
6th - Elijah Lusk, Lander
11th - Logan Robinson, UNC Pembroke
141 pounds
2nd - John Carayiannis, Belmont Abbey
149 pounds
4th - Zeth Brower, Lander
6th - Devan Moore, Newberry
10th - Dallas Wilson, Mount Olive
157 pounds
5th - Max Kiel, Belmont Abbey
6th - Gage Bernall, Lander
10th - PJ Wunderlich, Newberry
12th - Jake Nicolosi, Mount Olive
165 pounds
2nd - David Hunsberger, Lander
7th - Trent Mahoney, King
174 pounds
7th - Calan Staub, Mount Olive
12th - Brandon Matthews, Lander
184 pounds
11th - ZeBrandon Gant, Newberry
197 pounds
10th - Anthony Yacovetti, Lander
285 pounds
2nd - Juan Edmond-Holmes, Lander
9th - Devon Rice, Newberry