GREENVILLE, S.C. - Lander University has been picked atop the 2025-26 Conference Carolinas Men's Wrestling Preseason Poll the league announced on Thursday, October 23. The Bearcats won the final two South Atlantic Conference Carolinas crowns before taking the Conference Carolinas West Division and tournament titles in each of the last two years, the first two years men’s wrestling was Conference Carolinas soley sponsored sport.

The Bearcats received 13-of-15 first-place votes (teams can’t vote for themselves) and 195 total points to claim the top spot while the University of Mount Olive was picked to finish second with 172 points and one first place vote. UNC Pembroke and King University were picked third and fourth with 160 and 154 points respectively. Newberry College rounded out the top five with the final first place vote and 149 points.

Belmont Abbey College (134) was sixth in the preseason poll followed by the University of Montevallo (110), Coker University (96), Emmanuel University (84) and Bluefield State University (64) rounded out the top 10. The poll was rounded out by Ferrum College (63), Allen University (61), Shorter University ( 50), Lincoln Memorial University (44) and Emory & Henry University (39).

The preseason poll was voted on by the league’s head coaches.
 

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2025-26 Conference Carolinas
Men’s Wrestling Preseason Poll
 

	School	Total (First Place)
1	Lander	195 (13)
2	Mount Olive	172 (1)
3	UNC Pembroke	160
4	King	154
5	Newberry	149 (1)
6	Belmont Abbey	134
7	Montevallo	110
8	Coker	96
9	Emmanuel	84
10	Bluefield State	64
11	Ferrum	63
12	Allen	61
13	Shorter	50
14	Lincoln Memorial	44
15	Emory & Henry	39

 

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2025-26 Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling
Wrestlers to Watch
Allen

• Dharrin Smith, 149 pounds, Stone Mountain, Georgia
• Jerrel Baskins, Jr., 174 pounds, Atlanta, Georgia
• Quincy Gash, Sr., 157 pounds, Edgewood, Maryland

Belmont Abbey

• Luke Kunath, Sr., 141 pounds, Raleigh, North Carolina (8th place at 2025 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships, All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• Kyler Pickard, Sr., 184 pounds, Rockwell, North Carolina (2025 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships qualifer, Super Region II runner-up at 184 pounds)
• Caleb Moore, Sr., 197 pounds, Denver, North Carolina (2024-25 All-Conference Carolinas second team)

Bluefield State

• Larry "Ryder" Rhodes, So., 125 pounds, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Greg Dennard, Sr., 197/285 pounds, Fort Myers, Florida
• Enrique Sanchez, Sr., 149 pounds, Doral Academy, Florida (2024-25 Super Region third place)

Coker

• Stephen Spitko, Sr., 133 pounds , Douglassville, Pennsylvania
• Frank Bianco, So., 141 pounds, Rolesville, North Carolina
• Jorge Gonzalez, So., 149 pounds, Winter Park, Florida

Emmanuel

• Mike McCarthy, Sr., 174 pounds, Melbourne, Florida
• Christian Gordon, Sr., 149 pounds, East Coweta, Georgia
• Kobe Pablo, Gr., 285 pounds, Anaheim, California

Emory & Henry

• Evan Alger, So., 197 pounds, Pulaski, Virginia
• Levi Field, Gr., 157 pounds, Manassas, Virginia
• Sebastian Gaberrete, Jr., 165 pounds, Jeffersonton, Virginia

Ferrum

• Andres Cortes, So., 157 pounds, Woodbury, New Jersey
• Braeden Fluke, Sr., 285 pounds, Chesapeake, Virginia
• Joseph Olade, Sr., 141/149 pounds, Roselle, Illinois

King

• Brennan Watkins, Sr., 149 pou ds , Kingsport, Tennessee (2025 NCAA Division II All-American, finishing third at the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships)
• Clint Morrisette, Sr., 174 pounds, Kingsport, Tennessee (2025: NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships qualifier, NCAA Super Region II champion, All-Conference Carolinas third team, 2024: NCAA Super Region II Championships placer, fifth, 2023 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships qualifier, NCAA Super Region II Championships placer, third)
• David Bertrand, Sr., 197 pounds, Dunwoody, Georgia (2025: NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships qualifier, NCAA Super Region II Championships placer, third)

Lander

• David Hunsberger, Sr., 165 pounds, Duncan, South Carolina (2023 and 2024 165-lb NCAA National Champion, 2024 Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Year, 2024 NWCA Super Region II Wrestler of the Year, three-time NCAA All-American, three-time All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2022 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, 2022 NWCA Super Region II and National Freshman of the Year)
• James Joplin, Gr., 133 pounds, Greensboro, North Carolina (Two-time NCAA All-American, two-time All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2024 Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling Championship Most Outstanding Lower Weight Wrestler)
• Elijah Lusk, Gr., 141 pounds, Merritt Island, Florida (Two-time NCAA All-American, three-time All-Conference Carolinas, 2022 South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)

Lincoln Memorial

• Porter Finstad, Sr., Mascot, Tennessee
• Spencer Reep, So., Knoxville, Tennessee
• Jae T. Thaxton, Jr., Crawfordville, Florida

Montevallo

• Cole Hunt, So., 125 pounds, Sugar Hill, Georgia
• Carson Freeman, Jr., 157 pounds, Alabaster, Alabama
• Jake Chisolm, Jr., 165 pounds, Oxford, Alabama (2024-25 All-Conference Carolinas third team)

Mount Olive

• Tommy Nichols, Sr., 157 pounds, Bristol, Connecticut
• Brent Nicolosi, So., 165 pounds, So., Haverhill, Massachusetts
• Calan Staub, Sr., 184 pounds, Fayetteville, North Carolina

Newberry

• Matthew Hoelke, Sr., 157 pounds, Blackwood, New Jersey
• Andrew Reed, Jr., 184 pounds, Altoona, Iowa, (2025 Super Region II Champion, two-time NCAA Wrestling Championships qualifier)
• John Parker, Sr., 197 pounds, Yulee, Florida, (Two-time Super Region II Champion, two-time NCAA Wrestling Championships qualifier)

UNC Pembroke

• Caleb Grau, Gr.., 165 pounds, Belleville, Illinois (2023-24 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships qualifier)
• Keegan Roberson, Jr., 157 pounds, Chicago, Illinois (2024-25 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships qualifier, All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• Logan Robinson, Sr., 133 pounds, Chesapeake, Virginia (2024-25 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships qualifier)

Shorter

• Ethan Ross, So., Auburn, Georgia
• Riley Davis, So., Rome, Georgia
• Eli Kimball, So., Trenton, Georgia