2026 REGIONAL THREE Preview for NCAA DIII (Fri Feb 27th & Sat Feb 28th)

 

125

Five ranked wrestlers here at 125 lbs, three of them in the top five and only three of them will be heading to the NCAA DIII wrestling tournament. We often like to talk about "tough" and while it can be subjective, I think it's pretty objective when evaluating just how difficult it is to call yourself an NCAA D3 qualifier. 

22-0 on the year, Alex Diaz is having an outstanding sophomore season for the Violets. A New York States champ, he scored a vital 8-6 victory over Matt Griffin earlier this year. 

Malik Asfour, looking to make history in the Eagles first appearance at Regionals, returns an NCAA D3 qualifier from last year having placed 3rd at Regionals.  He has four wins in total against Matt Griffin, some rather decisive & he also owns a major over Ethan Liptzen.  On the Year he won the Middle Atlantic Conference & John Summa, placing 3rd at the New Standard.  22-4 record. 

Griffin is a three-time NCAA D3 qualifier looking to become a rare four-timer.  Thus far his Regional finishes include two bronzes & a silver.  Owns a 12-7 decision over Asfour among those four losses mentioned & a 2:35 fall over Liptzen. 

Liptzen a qualifier from 2024, was the Middle Atlantic Conference runner-up & owns a 10-7 decision over Griffin.  Horvath was 6th at last year's Regional, champion of the Centennial Collegiate Conference. 

133

Garrett Totten returns to defend the Regional title he won a year ago.  6th in the D3 nation last season, '25-'26 is currently standing on a 24-4 record with an 8-2 win over Jacob Blair & both a 19-4 tech & 2:47 fall over Jake Venezia.  Runner-up of the New Standard. 

Jacob Blair, a three-time NCAA D3 qualifier for Delaware Valley, looks to become a rare four-time qualifier & make history by becoming Arcadia's first ever D3 qualifier.  Thus far he has been 2nd-2nd-3rd at the Regional.  Carrying a 24-2 record, he won Messiah, while placing 6th at Pete Willson.  Does have a 4-1 win over Totten, and very recently nearly tech'd Venezia 16-2. 

24-5 on the year, Venezia looks to be our bronze medalist this season, although I wouldn't put it past him to pull off an upset.  I mean he did last year, sticking Blair at the 5:00 mark.  Doesn't seem real likely, considering Blair did beat him 16-2, but this is collegiate wrestling. Stranger things have happened.  Venezia was the Regional runner-up last year. 

#5
Vinnie Santaniello
TCNJ
141

Vinnie Santaniello is another example of a DI wrestler now in D3 wrestling, that if still in D1, would be a top 33 wrestler.  As I've said about other D1 to D3 guys, some are those that couldn't cut the mustard up at the D1 level. Some however, could have & Santaniello is one of them. Nic Bouzakis, Tyler Ferrera, Tony Madrigal, Gable Strickland...recognize any of those names? Yeah, they're all wrestlers that Santaniello has beaten.  I point this out so that wrestling fans have a clear understanding of how deep the talent can be at the D3 level.  Ignorance says things like, "he's just a D3 guy."  Paying attention knows how stupid of a comment that can be to make. 

Santaniello is 17-1 on the year & pretty much a shoe-in for the gold this weekend.  The rest of the weight class is a pure mess of parity.  Could pretty much throw in about any name among the bracket, and over half are eligible for silver and/or bronze. 

149

*NOTE* - We all know that teams in D3 can only send one wrestler per weight to the Regional.  However, I'm not sold that the one guy Messiah sends is Levi Snyder.  Very well could be, but it also wouldn't surprise me if it is Dalton Monger.  Either way, Messiah has someone contending for NCAA D3 qualification.  Monger, 5th at last year's Regional, won the Racich Rumble & he is a three-time Pete Willson place-winner with finishes of 6th-3rd-5th.  Not to mention, he owns three wins over Mikey Williams, two of which are first period pins!  For whatever it is worth, in the many matches he has had with Snyder, an 8-2 victory.  


Onward to the rest of the weight....

35-0 on the season, Thomas Monn has had one hell of a career & has certainly been the highlight of McDaniel wrestling in recent years.  35-0 on the year, he's already accomplished an assortment of credentials.  Three-time Messiah champ, three-time Centennial Collegiate conference champ, two-time Blue Jay Classic Champ & he also won the Wilkes Invite.  1st-4th-1st at Regionals, he's a two-time All-American with 6th & 5th place finishes. 

23-6 on the year, Mikey Williams has impressed by turning a series of very ugly losses into wins.  Including an 8-4 decision over Levi Snyder & a 4-2 decision over Chance Babb. 6th in the Regional last year, he was recently 2nd at the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC). 

Two-time NCAA D3 qualifier Chance Babb is 21-5 on the year.  12-3 & 13-2 majors over Williams, he owns a 7-4 decision over Caden Frost.  A Racich Rumble runner-up, he was 3rd at Petrofes. 

Snyder, 3rd at the MAC, owns both a 4-2 decision over Williams & a 6-5 tiebreaker over J.J. Giordano. Giordano has 18 wins on the year. 


Am I completely bananas for including unranked Caden Frost in a group that already has five ranked wrestlers? No.  It took a while to adjust to the 149 lbs weight class having moved up from 133 lbs, but let's keep in mind that Frost was an NCAA D3 qualifier last season. 21-9 on the season, he gave Babb a very good 7-4 match as mentioned earlier & he has majored Williams before.  His name belongs in the list of potential NCAA D3 qualifiers, and that's why I included it. 

157

Here's something you don't see every day.  Over 100 wins & a national qualifier in his NCAA Division II career, Trent Mahoney has decided to spend his final season of collegiate eligibility in the world of D3.  So far, so good. 28-1 on the season we're talking titles at Wilkes, the Blue Jay Classic & the Middle Atlantic Conference.  It's very likely he's our gold medalist. 

Silver & bronze?  Those are more up for grabs, and perhaps more than just the names I have mentioned.  16-2 on the year, Gavin Pascoe was an NCAA D3 qualifier last year with a Regional finish of 3rd.  A Petrofes runner-up, he defeated Clay Gainer 4-1 s.v. 

Kmak has wrestled very well this season, having already racked up 35 victories, among only 6 losses. 

One of those losses to Clay Gainer, the Racich Rumble champ.  Now Gainer has lost some ugly matches this year, but the thing about it is, he usually shows up and wrestles pretty tough come Regionals.  Thus far the Falcon has been 6th & 5th the past two seasons. 

165

41-1 on the year, Keegan DeMarest has racked up a series of majors, techs & pins into a very dominant season.  Titles won at Messiah, the Racich Rumble, & the Middle Atlantic Conference, he was 2nd at the Pete Willson.  Hard to believe he was one match shy of qualification a year ago. 

While positive DeMarest is gold, I believe silver & bronze are more open.  Ethan Composto is 17-3 on the year whereas Justice Hockenberry-Folk carries a 31-5 record, champion at the Blue Jay Classic. He was 6th here a year ago. 

Still, two unranked wrestlers stick out as plausible NCAA D3 qualifiers for 2026.  Viviano Gutierrez 15-6 on the year, took Composto into sudden victory.  Nick DeLorenzo wrestled Folk to a one takedown match. The MAC runner-up, he stands 23-9. 

174

This almost seems unfair.  With talent like Hunter Mays & Ty Finn in the bracket, it doesn't leave much room for anyone else.  19-0 on the year, Hunter Mays was the Regional champion last year & 5th in the D3 Nation.  Against the competition owns a 12-1 major over Tony Cerulli & a 9-4 decision over Zach Needles. 

Ty Finn makes yet another D1 to D3 transfer, with notable DI credentials.  Placed at both Keystone & the Southern Scuffle while competing for Virginia Tech.  22-0 on the year, with a 16-0 tech over Cerulli & an 11-0 major over Needles.  Does own a 5-2 decision over Mays. 

So baring the biggest upset of Regional 3 should the highly unlikely happen, gold & silver are spoken for. 

Bronze I see being a war between Needles and Cerulli.  A Centennial Conference champ, Cerulli took runner-up honors at Messiah, Racich Rumble & New Standard.  Needles, an NCAA D3 qualifier in 2023, 18-5 on the year.  A Messiah champion & 7th at the prestigious Pete Willson.  The two have met twice, with Needles securing two pins, 4:30 & 4:23. 

184

Gold? We'll talk about gold. 

Ganon Smith, a three-time NCAA D3 qualifier, with a 2025 4th place All-American honor is currently standing at 32-0 on the year.  Titles won at Wikes & the Blue Jay Classic, I can't see anyone stopping him in a quest for Regional gold this weekend. 

Silver & Bronze? We're looking at a war between four talents.  

Hayden McLellan 8th at last year's Regional has shown tremendous stride.  37-4 on the year owns a 5-2 decision over Justin Mayes & a 21-5 tech over Abdoul Akala. 

Akala, a very talented freshman stands at 25-4. 

Mayes, a former Cornell Big Red, stands at 24-2, a New York States champion.  

Austin Brass an NCAA D3 qualifier last season, is 23-5 with a title won at the Racich Rumble. 

197

It should be illegal for this much talent to be in one Regional.  I mean seriously.  There is a ton of talent at this weight class. Far more than I have listed here. It's simply that my job in this preview is to provide you who I think will contend for NCAA D3 qualification.  Yet I left a lot of names out, of some very good wrestlers.  James Lledo, 6th at Pete Willson.  Tucker Seidel who won the Racich Rumble & placed 8th at Pete Willson.  Sean Cowan, runner-up at both Racich Rumble & New Standard.  You place top 8 at 197 in Regional 3, you have my respect. 


Which is why I think Josh Stahl's story is so inspirational.  A two-time Pennsylvania state qualifier in high school, he never placed.  Then he was a backup his first two seasons at York (PA).  Had a good year last year at 174, but he's just been something else this year at 197.  It's clear that he spent a lot of long, hard hours in the weight room & the 23 lbs he put on was all muscle.  28-0 on the year, 16 techs, 7 falls & 4 major decisions.  He'll have super tough competition this weekend though. 

D.J. Henry is currently 21-3 on the year, a Regional champion last season & one match shy of D3 All-American honors. 

Iranian Mo Talebi, whose first year of American folkstyle was a season of CCCAA at Mt. San Antonio, has only wrestled 6 matches this year, but that's all he's needed to establish himself as the #4 wrestler in the D3 nation. 

Tyler Withers is the returning Regional champion & he was 6th in the D3 nation last season.  He hasn't wrestled all that much this year either, currently standing at 10-1, a Centennial Conference champion. 

Will Davis, yet another returning NCAA D3 qualifier, 2nd in the Regional last year.  29-3 on the year, he won the Blue Jay Classic & finished 2nd at the Wilkes Invitational. 

I asked Ron Simmons what he thought of that talent in Regional 3, 197 lbs.  He replied, "Damn!!" 

HWT

Along with Jacob Blair & Caden Frost, I'm sure that Logan Flynn is excited about the opportunity to be a first on many levels for Arcadia.  A first qualifier, a first Regional champion.  3rd in the Regional last year, standing at 27-0, that looks like a very real possibility.  Winning the prestigious Pete Willson Invitational, Flynn has defeated likely finals opponent Mo Abdelatty twice by scores of 7-3 & 9-2.  He's also defeated my pick for bronze, Matt Coon 8-1, 7-3 & via fall 4:00.   

Abdelatty is currently 23-1 this season & he's pinned Coon at the 4:13 mark. 

2026 REGIONAL TWO Preview for NCAA DIII (Fri Feb 27th & Sat Feb 28th)

 

125

No ranked wrestlers here at 125 lbs, but don't let that deter you.  There is still some solid talent here in Regional 2.  Three spots available for qualification and in my opinion it'll come down to three of the four I have listed above.  Tomah Gummow was an NCAA D3 qualifier last year as a freshman with a 3rd place Regional finish.  10-4 on the season, he won an Ithaca Invitational title & he nearly tech'd Dominic Terracciano 16-2.  Evan Whiteside is 14-3 on the year, a AMCC champion. Terracciano was 6th the Regional a year ago.  Jack Thode, 4th in the Regional last year has wrestled Gumow to both 6-5 & 4-2 decisions, while teching Terracciano 19-1 earlier this season. 

133

This is the kind of thing that rubs you wrong as a wrestling fan.  Four guys all ranked in the top 20.  Four guys who have earned it all season. Doesn't matter.  Only three of these guys are headed to nationals & one of them is staying home.  There's more than something about that, that isn't right. Matter of fact, there's nothing right about it at all.  Nonetheless, it is the way it is. 

Ironically enough, none of these guys have met this season.  So, it'll be a first for all.  Lucas Torres was a match shy of qualification last year.  Trevor Cortright a former Utica Pioneer, finished one match shy of NCAA DIII qualification the last two years in a row.  Now competing for SUNY-Oneonta, he is 15-2 on the year, now a two-time SUNY-Athletic Conference champion. 

More irony? Sure.  Both Jay McDonnell & Bobby Gardner are former NCAA DI athletes.  McDonnell a former Binghamton Bearcat with a current record of 24-2.  Gardner, 13-0 on the year, a former Clarion Golden Eagle. 

141

Go back and read the first paragraph I wrote concerning 133 lbs.  Now take that by about 1,000.  That's 141 lbs, Regional 2.   SIX ranked wrestlers in the top 20!  SIX! And three of them are staying home this year!  Insane! 

An NCAA D3 qualifier in 2023, Nico Diaz at 22-1 on the year looks to be our *1 seed.  Titles won at both the Middle Atlantic Conference & the MSOE Invite, he has a total of four wins over Isaias Torres, albeit all of them have been very close.  He also owns a very close 4-3 victory over Avery Leonard & he owns a 9-2 decision over Dean Costantino. 

Isaias Torres is a three-time NCAA DIII qualifier with Regional finishes of 1st-2nd-1st, R12-7th-R12 at the NCAA D3 Championships.  Despite four closes losses to Diaz, he did get him once in a 5-2 decision.  He also owns both a 3-1 & 7-2 decision over Danny Haws, defeating Kaden Ware in two close 4-1 & 4-2 decisions, one of them a tiebreaker.  A 13-4 major over Leonard. 

Leonard, one match shy of qualification last year, is 25-4 on the year.  Champion at Wilkes & the New York States, he is a two time SUNY-Athletic Conference runner-up.  Owns a 6-4 decision over Diaz. 

Haws? Another three-time NCAA D3 qualifier.  3rd-3rd-1st the past three Regionals.  23-10 on the year, a 4-1 decision over Costantino.  The past three seasons I called him easily one of the best wrestlers yet to All-American at the D3 level.  Now he's in a situation where now isn't the time to concern yourself with being top 8.  The focus at the moment is top 21. 

 Ware & Costantino 11-1 & 18-8 respectively on the season. 

149

Former Cornell Big Red, Cole Handlovic is currently 19-0 on the year.  I know when I mention some former DI wrestlers now competing D3, fans sometimes think guys that rode the bench occasionally taking beatings here and there.  NOT the case with Handlovic.  We're talking a series of wins over multiple NCAA DI qualifiers including Jason Miranda, Max Brignola, Cesar Alvan & Ty Whalen.  This isn't just some third stringer who could never make the line up.  This is a guy, if he were still in DI, would easily be in the top 33.  I think that's an important distinction to make when discussing the Middle Atlantic Conference champion. 

Here to challenge him for a title will be last year's Regional champ, as well as D3 runner-up, Angelo Centrone.  12-1 on the year, looking to defend his Regional gold. 

As to bronze? I predict a consolation final between Trevor Bishop & Jackson Maby.  I am aware that when these two met a year ago, Maby took it to Bishop in an 11-0 major.  However, it is very clear at 20-2 on the year, Bishop is a much improved wrestler.  Regardless of the outcome, I see it being a much closer contested match. 

157

Silver & Bronze are yet to be determined but I'm pretty confident that gold is already spoken for.  Three-time Regional champion Ryan Smith will be going for his fourth regional title this weekend.  8th-6th-7th in the D3 nation, he has had one heck of a good career for the Ducks.  Also including 2nd-1st-1st-2nd finishes at the Middle Atlantic Conference championships.   He is 20-4 on the year, an 11-2 win over Jaryn Hartranft & 8-2 over Tyler Rossini. 

Hartranft is looking for his fourth Regional placing in his own right. An NCAA D3 qualifier in 2024, he's been 5th-2nd-4th at the regionals.  Already 40 matches under his belt this season, he stands at 33-5.  4th at Pete Willson & a Ned McGinley champion.  

Although unranked, both Tyler Rossini & Kobin Karper are not only threats for the bronze medal, but they're also threats to the silver as well.  Matter of fact, Rossini WAS a silver medalist at last year's Regional, R12 at D3's.  25-5 on the year, he was runner up at both Wilkes & the New York States, taking 3rd at Messiah.  Owns an 11-7 decision over Hartranft.  

Karper 14-3 on the year, owns a 4-0 decision over Rossini & he took Hartranft into sudden victory. 

165

As to 165 lbs Regional 2, I'm pretty sure this is going to be our final.  10-0 on the year, 3rd in the Regional last year, Kaiden Wagner is a clear favorite to be this year's champion.  Especially considering the fact that I feel that Carter Davis has established himself the second best wrestler in the Regional at 165.  Wagner nearly tech'd Davis 14-1 earlier this year.  

Despite that not so purdy loss, Davis has been wrestling very well this season. 23-3 on the year, he won titles at both the Ithaca Invitational & the AMCC.  He was one match shy of being a D3 qualifier last year. 

As to 3rd place?  It's the wild, wild west as far as I'm concerned. Truly anybody's for the taking.  Parity and result says so. 

174

Both Regional runner-ups last season, I believe between Konrad Parker & Nolen Zeigler one of these guys is gonna be a Regional champion this year.  Zeigler also D3 R12, is currently 24-2 on the season.  Parker is 33-4, with titles won at both the Ithaca Invitational & the SUNY-Athletic Conference. 

Short & sweet, that's my analysis at 174.  Like 184, I believe the rest of the field is going to duke it out for that third and final spot that secures a trip to the national tournament.  

184

Right back to where we were when talking 133 & 141.  Way more than three quality, qualifier material wrestlers & only three spots for them. 

3rd-2nd-1st in the Regional thus far, with D3 All-American finishes of 7th & 3rd, I'd be the farm on Jack Ryan being one of those three. 12-1 on the season, he has wins over Sean Malenfant, Eli Crum & Xavier Pommels.  All fairly well controlled. 

Malenfant has been rather admirable this season.  5th in the D3 nation back in 2024, he has been the heart and the soul of the Alfred State Pioneer wrestling program in '25-'26.  Taking on all comers & wrestling as much as he can, he's currently 38-4.  Titles at the New Standard & the AMCC, he was 2nd at the Williams Open & 3rd at the New York States.  He's actually beaten Ryan in the past, on two occasions & he owns a 1:44 pin over Pommels. 

Crum 20-3 on the year, was one match shy of qualification a year ago.  2nd at the RIT. 

MacIlroy is the newcomer to the group & a dangerous one at that.  The freshman owns a 20-4 record.

Lastly, don't for a minute let the U.R. next to his name fool you.  Again D3 wrestling is 126 (or more?) teams & we only rank the top 20.  Pommels IS qualifier material.  If placing 2nd here last year & 8th in the D3 nation doesn't prove it, maybe a 4:51 fall over Crum does.  2nd at New Standard, he more recently won the SUNY-Athletic Conference. 

197

An NCAA DIII qualifier in 2024, I would look for Ryan Galka to be the *1 seed this weekend, although I wouldn't necessarily consider him a shoe-in for the title.  Currently 19-4 on the year, he won the New York States. 

Here to give him a heaping helping of competition will be Carson LiCastri & Braydon Vandenberg.  LiCastri was an NCAA DIII qualifier himself last year, 3rd in the Regional.  Titles won at Wilkes, RIT & the SUNY-Athletic Conference, he was 3rd at the New York States.  24-6 on the year. 

Vandenberg, 18-4, has defeated LiCastri twice & he gave Galka a tight 4-2 match. 

#3
Josh Harkless
R.I.T. 
HWT

A mystery as to who's gonna finish 2nd and a mystery as to who's gonna finish 3rd.  Ain't not mystery as to who's gonna finish 1st.  8th and 3rd in the D3 nation so far & a Regional champion last year, Josh Harkless is 37-3 on the year.  Two of those losses to D1 opponents at the Midlands, where he placed 7th!! The other to a D2 opponent (who by the way was a two-time DI qualifier before transferring himself).   Titles won at Ned McGinley, New York States & R.I.T., look for Harkless to add some more gold to his collection.  

2026 REGIONAL ONE Preview for NCAA DIII (Sat Feb 28 & Sun March 1st))

 

125

Three ranked wrestlers here at 125 lbs. Doesn't leave a whole heck of a lot of room for anyone else does it? 31-5 on the year Drew Marchese enters his final Regional One championships having posted back-to-back 5th place finishes.  A four time Ithaca Invitational place-winner with finishes of 5th-3rd-3rd-2nd, he won the Ted Reese Invite & finished 4th at the North Central Invitational.  As to the competition here, he owns both a 1-0 & 5-3 decision over Nico Rivera. 

Speaking of Rivera, filling the shoes of a legend like Joziah Fry is one of the toughest thing this man will do in his collegiate career, but so far, so good.  The rookie has been impressive going 27-4, winning titles at both the Roger Williams Open & the Auggie Invite.  3rd at the New Standard.  Tech'd Nikko Beato the first time they met 21-5 & more recently upended him again 4-1


Beato a senior, has been 7th & 4th in these championships, 3rd at both the Roger Williams Open & the Wildcat Open. 

If there is a thief among those that these three will face this weekend, I believe it will Chris Hong.  19-5 on the year, he upset Beato to make the Roger Williams finals & has wrestled him close on other occasions.  

133

Gold & Silver are already spoken for in what should prove to be an excellent final here at 133 lbs.   Three-time NCAA DIII qualifier Jake Craig has been 2nd-3rd-2nd at Regionals, with 4th & 6th place All-American finishes in the D3 nation.  Ellis himself a Regional One runner-up last season, one match shy of All-American honors.  This season Ellis carries an 18-2 record, one of those wins being a 2-1 decision over Craig.  Titles won at Roger Williams & the Auggie Invite, he was 3rd at the New Standard. 

Craig's only loss in 29 matches is to Ellis & that was in the finals of the Roger Williams Open.  He owns titles of his own at both Doug Parker & Ted Reese.  Not to mention a 7-4 decision over Ellis. 

Bronze?  That's another story.  Bronze is up for grabs.  If I have to wager a pick, my pick is going to be Marvin Armistead.  While he does have some losses, he's been pretty consistent at a 15-4 record.  A 17-0 tech loss to Craig, he gave him a much more respectable 8-4 match as well. 

141

4th & 3rd in the Regional thus far & one match from being an NCAA D3 All-American last season, Hayden Myers is the head & shoulders above the rest favorite to win a title this weekend.  19-1 on the year he has titles at from both Doug Parker & R.I.T.   Strong gut feelings say that silver is going to go to Kyle Moore, 18-3 on the season & 4th in the Regional a year ago.  Bronze a bit more up for grabs, but JT1Wrestle's guess is going to be Dom Moyer, 18 wins on the season, 5th in the Regional a year ago. 

149

The Rankings have this pretty cut & dry.  Much like 141 lbs, 149 lbs has a clear favorite for this weekend's title.  I believe the two-time NCAA DIII qualifier really surprised himself by not making the national tournament last year & I do NOT think that'll be a problem for Nathan Fitt in 2026. 23-1 on the year, he has completely dominated his in-region competition. 10-1 over Seyfried & 18-3 over Ryan Currier.  Titles this year from both Roger Williams & the Wildcat Open.  

Seyfried & Currier have yet to meet this year, but it is likely to be our semi-final.  Seyfried has came painfully close to qualification the past two seasons with 5th & 4th regional finishes.  19-4 on the year, he won the R.I.T. title.  Currier currently stands at 17-6. 

Is there a thief among the 149 lbs'ers in Regional 1?  If there is, I think that someone is Ike Guttentag.  6th at Regionals last year he can wrestle well when he wants to. He gave Seyfried a 9-6 match earlier this year & it's not stretching the imagination too much to think he could pull off an upset. 

157

Why all three of these guys aren't ranked is beyond me.  I suppose when you have 126 programs (or more?) and only the top 20 per weight get ranked this is bound to happen.  Nevertheless we're looking at three very good wrestlers here & these are likely to be our three NCAA D3 qualifiers. 

Peter Kane if he isn't already is destined to become the Ephs greatest wrestler ever.  3rd-2nd-1st in the Regional, he's earned All-American honors of 7th-2nd-5th.  This year alone he's 26-1 on the year, with gold medals collected at RIT & Williams.  Owns four wins over Nate Camiscioli & a 14-5 major over Jake Woodburn. 

Speaking of Camiscioli & those four losses.  Only one of them has been ugly, an 8-0 major decision.  The others have been very close. 4-1, 2-1 & as a matter of fact a very recent 7-6 loss.   The Spartan has been 3rd & 2nd in the Regional the past two seasons.  I think what has killed him in the rankings is a few bad losses this year in his 26-10 record.  Nevertheless, with a 5-0 win over Woodburn, I do believe he's a finalist & I do believe he can give Kane an adequate challenge. 

Woodburn bronze a year ago, I predict bronze again. 

165

Oh boy, here we go!  Hate to say it, but one of these outstanding talents will be staying home this year.  The thing about it, I'm not sure how this is going to be seeded.  You'd think with a ranking well over 10 spots ahead of everyone else, Jack Richardson would be the odds on favorite. Here's the thing about it though...23-2 on the year, his two losses....current losses...are to both Holmes & Kearns.   Holmes upended the Wildcat in a recent 2-1 match & Kearns got him in a 4-3 tiebreaker?  How does this effect seeding?  Richardson tech'd Kearns earlier this season and he defeated Holmes 7-3.  2nd in the Regional last year, Richardson was one match shy of All-American honors. 

Henry Forte, Holmes & Kearns in relation to one another? Forte owns a 10-6 decision over Holmes.  Holmes owns a 17-2 tech & a 7-1 decision over Kearns.  Kearns owns 7-1, 4-2 & 4-3 wins over Holmes.   Kearns 5th at Regionals last season, both Forte & Holmes have 7th place Regional finishes on their resumes. 

174

Injuries may have gotten the best of Jacob Deguire last year, but that is NOT the case in '25-'26! The Pride is 20-0 on the year, looking poised to win a Regional title! He'll have some good competition though.  He stuck Gage Wiggins in exactly a minute, but should the two meet again, I don't think it'll be that easy second go round.  He also had a close match with Shane Reitsma, 4-2. 

Wiggins, a true freshman for the Ephs is thus far having an outstanding year. Few blemishes in a 24-3 record.  Reitsma, who spent the bulk of his career at Rider, currently owns a 19-6 record. 

Darkhorse among these talents? You betcha.  All three of these guys better be on their toes if they draw Aiden Faria this weekend. The senior, former Kent State Golden Flash is currently 18-4 on the year.  He has back-to-back Pete Willson 4th place finishes & he'll have his sights set on qualification. 

184

*NOTE* - I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression here.  This is not the NAIA where teams can send more than one wrestler at a weight class.  Here in NCAA D3 it is only one wrestler per weight, per team.  I simply include Gabe Monroe because while I'm pretty sure USCGA wrestles Caden Stout here, I'm letting you know they'd still have a qualifier contender in Monroe.  Monroe 3rd at last year's Regional, won Ted Reese earlier this season & he has wins over Evarts (9-5), Miller (4-1) & McLaughlin (4-1).  Not to mention, he gave Myles Leonard a 5-4 match. 

Now to assess the weight....

Honestly, this is the kind of weight class that I find a lot of fun as a wrestling fan, that drives me nuts as a wrestling journalist. 12-0 on the year & a pinner, Leonard makes a strong case for the *1 seed.  Stuck Evarts at the 3:40 mark & stuck Miller at 3:53. 

Evarts is the returning Regional champion. 24-3 on the year, he's also called himself champion at R.I.T, Williams & the Wildcat Open. Nearly teching Miller 14-2, he nearly teched McLaughlin 15-3 & he stuck Stout in 2:27. 

Miller was 2nd to Stout's 3rd at the Wildcat Open, plus he owns a 22-4 tech over McLaughlin.  Stout owns a 15-0 tech over McLaughlin. 

So why even mention McLaughlin's name among the other four?  Because that's the kind of wrestler that he is.  You see results like these & you count the guy out. So what does he do? He turns around & goes into sudden victory with Leonard.  Or he majors Monroe 11-3.   An Ithaca Invitational champion, a Ted Reese runner-up & 3rd at the North Central Invite.  Crazy things are going to happen this weekend & that's right up McLaughlin's alley. 

197

You know upsets can happen & they already have, but I do think we're going to see a final here between Josh Negron & Nick Rogers.  The two have met three times already this season, with Negron winning 2-1 & 5-0 decisions, Vs a 9-6 s.v. for Rogers.  Overall Negron is 33-10 on the year, a Wildcat Open champ & a North Central Invite runner-up.  Rogers, an NCAA D3 qualifier last season, is 12-5 on the year. 

No guarantee that either make the finals though.  Rodriguez took Rogers into sudden victory earlier this year & even more noteworthy, Borzio recently upset Negron 2-1!  So we could very well see upsets & see one of these two or even maybe both in the finals! If not, I say Rodriguez & Borzio go to war for that 3rd and final spot on the ship that sails to nationals! 

HWT

I said earlier that Peter Kane was well on his way to establishing himself as the greatest wrestler to ever come out of Williams.  Can I say the same for Carl DiGiorgio? Well, it's gonna be hard to outdo two-time National champ Chase Randall, but my gawd give me anyone closer.  DiGiorgio 2nd-1st-1st in the Regional, has also been 7th-3rd-2nd in the D3 nation.  24-0 on the year, titles won at Roger Williams, Doug Parker, Ted Reese & The Wildcat Open. 

To shoot you straight, Adolfo Betancur hasn't had the year I thought he would. His 11-7 record really surprises me, but I don't think that'll matter much here.  As far as I'm concerned I believe that Ben Katz is the third best wrestler at HWT in this regional.  Betancur is 7-0 against him.  Back-to-back bronze medal showings in the Regional, Betancur was 6th in the D3 nation a year ago. 

Katz owns both 7th & 4th place Regional finishes in his career.  23-5 on the year & a Ithaca Invitational champion, he's my pick for bronze. 

*NOTE* - I'm writing this under the presumption that Evan Day will NOT be wrestling in these championships. Only 6 matches on the year, and no indication that he is injured, I'm taking it as a "year off" for the Spartan.  If for some reason he does wrestle this weekend, without a doubt qualifier material.  He was 2nd at last year's Regionals & he does own two victories over Betancur. 

2026 Appalachian Athletic Conference Preview (Feb 20th)

 

The last of my NAIA qualifier previews, the Appalachian Athletic Conference is one of my favorite conferences to write about.  Years ago when I was a kid, there was so little collegiate wrestling in the south.  Here we are all these years later and not only do we have a conference with teams from Georgia, Florida, & Kentucky, but it is one of the best wrestling conferences in NAIA wrestling.  #1 Life, #3 Southeastern & #20 Keiser, many All-Americans as well as national champions will come out of the AAC. 

125

A transfer of Brewton-Parker, with both Greco-Roman & freestyle accolades, Kane Bryson looks to earn a AAC title for the Seahawks here at 125 lbs.  3rd at the Georgia Open, he was 8th at the prestigious Missouri Valley Invitational.  Here to challenge him will be Kane Bryson, a tough freshman out of North Carolina where he was a two-time runner-up at the high school ranks.  Bryson was one match shy of being a place-winner at Missouri Valley. 

133

Silver at last year's AAC & bronze at the NAIA national tournament, Aaron Lucio is poised to accept nothing by gold at either event this season.  I can't see anyone even remotely challenging him & if he doesn't easily bonus his way through the tournament, I'd be very surprised.  With that said the AAC is taking two here at 133 & I believe our runner-up will be Isaiah Rubio.  4th at the Lucha Open, he was the Battle in the Bluegrass runner-up. 

141

Thus far 7th & 6th in the NAIA nation, looking to end his career not only as a three-time All-American but also as a national champion, Andrew Voiles is our clear favorite for champion here at 141 lbs.  As to runner-up?  Now this will be a war.  Former North Carolina Tar Heel Caden McCrary is having a solid season.  As is Mauro Michel, an NJCAA All-American for Southwestern Oregon, who started off his NAIA career at Ottawa.  Thus far for the Runnin' Eagles he has won titles at both the Millikin Invitational & the Georgia Open, placing 3rd at the Grand View Open.  This weight class will also feature Drew Jones, 3rd in the AAC a year ago. 

149

Similar situation here at 149 lbs.  2nd at last year's AAC & 5th in the NAIA nation, Mario De La Torre has established himself as the clear favorite for a title this weekend.   Runner-up? Once again a battle between some talented wrestlers.  Boedi Kirkland was 5th earlier this season at the Missouri Valley Invitational.  Raymond Cavey has runner-up finishes at both the Georgia Open & the Pepsi Patriot Open.  Garrett Price was 3rd at the Pepsi Patriot Open. 

157

One of the most interesting, as well as one of the most competitive weight classes here at the AAC.  Thus far former Iowa Western NJCAA champion Fabian Padilla is having an outstanding career in the NAIA.  Last year he finished 2nd in the AAC & 7th in the NAIA nation.  This year he's thus far won titles at both the Millikin Invitational & the Cumberland Open.  Teammate Doug Terry is one of those that chose to find light at the end of a dark tunnel when Cleveland State decided to close their doors on him.  The former Viking is now having a great season for the Runnin' Eagles. Tony Federico, was last year's AAC champion & 6th in the NAIA nation.  Jovon Mitchell, a very interesting case.  I watched him for year's at Grand View, easily proving he was AA status in various tournaments & duals, yet never a starter for the Vikings come HOA time.  I wondered if he might spend his entire career as a reserve...furthermore one of the BEST reserves ever.  While I loved seeing him at GVU, I'm glad to see him now at Southeastern because I know he can be an AA this year. 

For the record, it doesn't escape my knowledge that if Life could send more wrestlers, Jaden New would be ranked somewhere in the top 12 or maybe even better.  Just goes to illustrate the depth of talent here in the NAIA.  New was a finalist at both the Georgia Open & the Lucha Open. 

165

When Alex Couto & Rocky Raby met in the finals of the Georgia Open, it was a double forfeit.  Wonder if that'll be the case here at the AAC, should the two once again meet in the finals.   Couto won a title at the Millikin Invitational, whereas Raby a transfer from St. Thomas won titles at both the Lucha Open & the Cumberland Open. 

174

7 qualify automatically here at 174 lbs.   A weight class so deep with talent, it'd be easier making the finals at some other conference qualifiers than what it'll be to take 7th here.   We could very well see another Runnin' Eagle Vs Runnin' Eagle final.  Reese Jones was 4th here a year ago, but 8th in the NAIA nation to give credence to how tough the bracket was in 2025.  Thus far in 2026, along with being a Lucha Open finalist, he was 3rd at the Grand View Open.  Teammate Konlin Weaver was the other Lucha Open finalist, also a champion at the Millikin Invitational.   The Fire has two tough wrestlers as well in Ty Rodriguez & Husam Mustafa.  Rodriguez placed 3rd at the Pepsi Patriot Open earlier this season.   The Pepsi Patriot Open runner-up was Nate Buckovich, who took 3rd at the Lucha Open.   We also have two Missouri Valley Invitational place-winners in this bracket, Ronald Butler who was 6th & Sean Houston who was 8th. 

184

Another Life Vs Life final?  Highly likely.  Thus far Kendall Norfleet has been 2nd in the AAC & 3rd in the NAIA nation.  Teammate Tre Morrisette has 2nd & 1st place finishes in the AAC, 5th in the NAIA last year.  As to '25-'26, the two double forfeited to one another at the Georgia Open & the Lucha Open.  Norfleet won the Grand View Open, with Morrisette taking 3rd & winning the Millikin Invitational.  

Look for Sam Libby, a Pepsi Patriot Open champion to take 3rd with a challenge from August Batson. 

197

We're going to see some good wrestling here at 197 in the semis, in the finals & in the consolation finals.  Gio Jackson, a former NJCAA All-American for Harper leads the way, a Georgia Open champion earlier this year.  Gentry Smith was 2nd here a year ago, 6th in the NAIA nation.  Kasten Grape, a former Doane wrestler, 3rd in the NAIA nation last season.  He met Jackson in the Georgia Open Finals.  Then we also have Efren Arizmendez, 2nd at the Millikin Invitational & 3rd at the Cumberland Open.  Jett McCauley, 4th at the Georgia Open, one match shy of a top 8 finish at Missouri Valley. 

HWT

What an interesting story Gabriel Jacobs has had during his collegiate career.  3rd in the NAIA nation back in 2023, he's pulled a Houdini & now he's back, looking like he's going to take an AAC title this weekend & contend for an NAIA national title.  Keiser has two tough HWT's in Jordan Sommers a former Northern Illinois Husky & Daguy Massillon.  Sommers was 5th at the Missouri Valley Invitational.  Also look for good performances out of Gage Cook & Caleb Pruitt.  Pruitt was one match shy of a top 8 finish at Missouri Valley.  

2026 GPAC Preview (Feb 20th & Feb 21st)

 

Hosted by the Red Raiders of Northwestern College, the GPAC looks to be well represented this season with some tough wrestlers in each weight class. 

125

As he has most of the season, I expect former Cal State Bakersfield Road-Runner RayRay Harris to completely dominate the GPAC this weekend.  Thus far in '25-'26, he has won the Friends Falcon Invitational, while taking 2nd at the Mile High Open.  I expect teammate Isaac Gibbs, a former NJCAA standout for Indian Hills to be his opponent in the finals. 

133

In one of the deepest weight classes in the GPAC, look for Doane to once again illustrate their talents in the lower weight classes.  Matt Terrence, a GPAC champion last year has looked very good this year at various times.  3rd at the Mile High, he was 4th at Oppenheim.   Looking to knock him off will be Paul Ruff, a Central Missouri NCAA DII transfer, who won the Hastings Open earlier this year.  The War for bronze looks to be a triple threat between Kipp Cordes, Dante Rigal & Jarrod Gilliam.  Rigal has back-to-back 3rd place GPAC showings already, as both he & Gilliam decided not to wrestle one another when they met in the 7th place match at the Missouri Valley Invitational. 

141

Is host NWC going to get a GPAC champion this year?  I know I'd sure like to see it.  I'm not even sure why I'm worried about it.  Noah Parmelee, 3rd at last year's GPAC championships is looking like an All-American this year.  Making the finals of a very tough Oppenheim Open.  My only concern here is Steve Barnes of Concordia.  A guy that has a few tricks up his sleeve, 3rd at the Hastings Open. 

#10
Caden Eggleton
Morningside
149

GPAC only sending one here at 149 and I'd be shocked if it was anyone other than Caden Eggleston of Morningside.  

157

I speak a lot to the best yet to make All-American status & without a doubt, Ben Miller is within the top 5 of the NAIA.  He has the opportunity this weekend to become a three-time GPAC champion & the only thing standing in his way would be last year's GPAC runner-up Hagen Heistand.  Thus far this year Miller has won the Oppenheim Open (which he also won last year) & he finished 3rd at the Mile High Open. 

I don't see these plans being spoiled. I think things will happen on the mat as they will on paper.  However, I do not want to overlook the talent of Jordan Tobias.  You don't just walk into a 4th place finish at the Missouri Valley Invitational.  You have to earn it. 

165

3rd & 2nd in previous GPAC finishes, Zander Ernst a 2024 NAIA All-American returns looking to add a gold medal to his collection of bronze and silver.  Here to challenge him will be Cole Price, a former NJCAA All-American for Iowa Central, who has won the Hastings Open & placed 3rd at Oppenheim so far this season.  A tough Jackson Remmers will also be in the bracket. 

174

Jagger Tyler & Teagan Foreman opted not to wrestle one another when they met in the consolation finals at the Missouri Valley Invitational.  Should they meet in the finals of the GPAC championships, I wonder if it'll again be a double forfeit. Not guarantee of such a final as Jake Prudek could pull off an upset.  Prudek was 3rd at the Mile High earlier this season. 

184

One of the most interesting careers in collegiate wrestling, two-time NAIA runner-up Tyson Beauperthuy has the opportunity to become a three-time GPAC champion this weekend.  I can't see anyone stopping him from achieving that goal. Barrett Brandt, 4th at last year's GPAC championships & a running up at Hastings, looks to be his finals opponent.  Not sure if Nate McDonald will wrestle here or not, but if so, he was 6th at Missouri Valley & a champion at the Service Salute. 

197

Champion of the Friends Falcon Invite & the Oppenheim Open earlier this season, look for Jaren Jackson to pick up another gold medal here at the GPAC championships.  Torrance Keehn, 3rd at the Hastings Open, should be our runner-up. 

HWT

R12 at last year's NAIA championships & 3rd in the GPAC, Zeph Sivels looks to win a GPAC title this weekend & earn that All-American honor that narrowly escaped him last season.  Duking it out in a probable semi-final will likely be Gabe Kant a former NJCAA standout for Labette & Koen Mattern of Hastings.  Kant 3rd at the Dakota Wesleyan Open earlier this season & Mattern champion at the Friends Falcon Invitational.