Glenville State opens 2026-27 season atop Division II Men’s Coaches Association Rankings
MANHEIM, Pa. – Glenville State has taken the top spot in the first NWCA Division II Men’s Wrestling Coaches Association rankings of the season, released by the National Wrestling Coaches Association Thursday.
The Pioneers, who take the top spot for the first time in program history, totaled 70.0 points, edging 2026 National Champions Nebraska-Kearney, which sits second with 61.5. UW-Parkside follows in third with 58.0 points, while UMary (57.5) and Gannon (54.0) round out the top five.
The rankings also show several notable climbs compared with the teams’ 2026 NCAA Division II National Championship finishes. Minnesota State is sixth after placing 18th at the championships, and Tiffin ranks seventh after finishing 16th. Indianapolis is 10th, up from 24th place at Nationals, while Central Missouri is 11th after a 17th-place finish.
Both Minnesota State and UMary feature two top-ranked individuals. Colton Hush sits atop 141 and Dominic Ducato is #1 at 133 for the Mavericks, while UMary’s Jacob Strausbaugh bumps up to #1 at 149 after his 133-pound title last season and Lane Ewing is top-ranked at 165.
Otgonbayar Batsuuri of UNK is atop the 174 rankings after his title a season ago, while McKendree’s Darion Johnson is also back to defend his title at 184, where he is #1 to start the season. A trio of national runners-up from last season find themselves atop the rankings, with Tiffin’s Anthony Aniciete at 125, St. Cloud State’s Joel Jesuroga at 157, and Glenville State’s Nick Johnson at 197 pounds. Carter Blough of … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/10/22/ncaa-division-2-men-glenville-state-opens-2026-27-season-atop-division-ii-mens-coaches-association-rankings.aspx
Four Wrestlers Named Preseason All-SoCon from Favored Mountaineers
BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling had four accomplished returners named to the SoCon’s preseason all-conference team for 2026-27, the league announced Thursday.
Coaches also picked the Mountaineers to finish first in the league. Head coach JohnMark Bentley‘s roster includes three NCAA Championships qualifiers and the seven other wrestlers who were starters in the 10-man lineup for a 2025-26 team that earned a share of another SoCon regular-season title and won a fourth straight SoCon tournament title.
The three NCAA qualifiers from last season — Aldo Hernandez (141 pounds), Tomas Brooker (184 pounds) and Stephan Monchery — plus 2026 SoCon finalist Anthony Conetta (165 pounds) were named to the preseason All-SoCon team.
App State’s 2026-27 season is presented by Hungry Howie’s and Penn Station. The season officially begins Nov. 1 at the Southeast Open.
2026-27 SoCon Wrestling Preseason Coaches’ Poll (FIrst-place votes)
1. App State (8) – 64 points
2. Chattanooga (1) – 56 points
3. Bellarmine – 51 points
4. Gardner-Webb – 40 points … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2026/10/22/wrestling-four-wrestlers-named-preseason-all-socon-from-favored-mountaineers.aspx
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
