JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Delaware Valley 2026-2027

 

I tell you what. You hope season after season that everyone has highlights & positives to look back on.  You don't want anyone to suffer negatives or bad luck, but that' just not the way life works. Sometimes that's the hand we're dealt. The wrestling world is very caught up in how the transfer portal effects things at the NCAA DI level, but trust me, if you're paying attention, you can see how it effects things down at the NCAA DIII level too.  The Aggies started off '25-'26 minus some of their biggest stars gone, due to the transfer portal.  On top of it, the two biggest stars they did have, both having disappointing endings to their careers. 

Ethan Liptzin an NCAA D3 qualifier in 2025, ended up having to medical forfeit out of Regional III.  26-4 on the year & a Middle Atlantic Conference runner-up, a second qualification was looking very plausible up until injury. 

Luke Moore put together 32 wins last season, unfortunately things didn't go the way they should've for him at Regionals. 


Delaware Valley has a rich & proud wrestling history, and I know within time the program is going to be built back up.  This is a school that has produced 11 NCAA D3 champions & 72 All-Americans.  '25-'26 was simply a down year, that's all. We'll see the Aggies back on top again. Mark my word. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Cornell (Iowa) 2026-2027

 

Cornell put eight on the award stand at Regional VI last year & return five of those eight for competition in 2026-2027.  Should be a good year for the Rams as they have some upperclassmen, as well as a sophomore with a lot of potential to really shine this season. 

We say goodbye to...

Jase Van Pelt, a four-time Regional VI place-winner and a guy I'd easy call one of the best in recent times to never make the NCAA D3 championships. I was having a discussion with someone about where you draw the line in speaking about college careers worth talking about. I don't know if I'm important enough of a person to get to make that call, but I will tell you that I do think Jase Van Pelt was a career worth talking about.  7th-6th-7th-5th in Regional VI is no easy accomplishment.  Placing 5th & 4th in the prestigious Pete Willson Invitational is something worth hanging your hat on. I do know that. 

Eli Sneed is another guy I'd say had a good solid career worth celebrating despite having never made the NCAA D3 tournament.  Back-to-back Regional VI 6th place showings, plus 7th at Pete Willson. 

I know for a fact Jackson Brinker is.  5th-7th-4th at Regional VI & 4th at Pete Willson. 

Austin Wilkins, 4th at Regional VI & 6th at Pete Willson. 

Maybe these guys weren't All-Americans or even qualifiers, but we as a fan base & as a media conglomerate could stand to take our heads out of the damn clouds & realize that in a 6-month season there's so much more to a wrestler's year/career than the last two days of it.  In other words, I know how bad these guys wanted Q & AA next to their names, and I also know that all four of them DID have successful collegiate careers even though that didn't happen.

149
Owen Adelfinger

Among some outstanding upperclassmen, Owen Adelfinger is a sophomore with a bright future.  23 wins on the year as a freshman, the Wilton native was 8th at both Pete Willson & Regional VI. 

157
Andrew Parrish

The funny thing about it is, I've been following this guy's career for quite some time, I'm not 100% sure what he goes by.  Whether it's Andrew, Drew, or A.J., what I can tell you is that Mr. Parrish heads into '26-'27 one of the best wrestlers at 157 lbs yet to make the D3 national tournament. 4th & 5th the past two Regional VI's, he was 3rd at the Millikin Open & 5th at Pete Willson. 

165 
Brian Petry

Cornell has made good use of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the years & picked up some really good talent in Omaha, Nebraska.  A two-time NCAA D3 qualifier for the Rams, with back-to-back Regional VI 3rd place showings, Brian Petry will be the leader among the Rams this season. 29 wins on the year, he won Cliff Keen Mike Duroe, finished 2nd at the Coe Invitational & he heads into '26-'27 with Pete Willson finishes of 2nd & 3rd. 

174
Nolan Howell

23 wins on the year for the former Clipper of Clear Creek Amana.  7th at Pete Willson, Nolan Howell was the runner-up at the Coe Invitational, placing 7th at Regional VI & finishing one match shy of a top 8 showing at Pete Willson. 

133
Jayson Stevens

Stepping in to the 133 lbs spot for the now graduated Eli Sneed, Jayson Stevens looks to do some good things for the Rams this season.  14 wins in 2026, he was the Under Armor Invite runner-up. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Concordia (Minnesota) 2026-2027

 

Should be an interesting season for Coach Quincy Osborne's Concordia (Minnesota) Cobbers.  Six Regional VII place-winners last year, three return for action in 2026-2027. 

Two-time Regional VII place-winner Kie Anderson, 8th & 6th, is now done.  As are William Freking who was 7th & Mason Swanson who was 8th. 

125
Hunter Mars

It's amazing sometimes what a good stroke of luck can do for someone's confidence.  Hunter Mars did not have a great freshman season overall. Boubon with the bear facts, folks.  However, it ended on somewhat of a high note.  Between one wrestled injury defaulting & another medical forfeiting, Mars found himself in 8th place at Regional VII. I've seen these types of coincidences have profound effects on wrestlers before.  Could be the case with Mars.  Perhaps it'll boost his confidence & we'll see a major turnaround between freshman & sophomore year.  

141
Jack Major

18 wins on the year for Jack Major, who was 6th at Regional VII. 

157
Chris Acuna

23 wins on the season, Chris Acuna took 5th place honors at Regional VII & 7th place at the Pete Willson Invitational. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Coe 2026-2027

 

With an assortment of sophomores, juniors & seniors, plus any tough freshmen coming in, '26-'27 ought to be one of the best seasons the Kohawks have ever had. I'm talking about an extremely tough team here.   Coe put everyone on the Regional VI award stand last year, sending 5 to the national tournament & having two come home with All-American honors.  All but two return for action. 

Gone are the Montez brothers, Zach & Tony, who both placed 6th at Regional VI. 

Back are....

125
Brayden Parke

A 2027 NCAA D3 champion contender, Brayden Parke had a phenomenal sophomore season last year.  24-6, he earned his second All-American honor (5th in 2025) by making the D3 national finals.  1st & 2nd thus far in Regional VI, he won a title at the Coe Invite & finished 3rd at North Central. 

Brody Neighbor
133

Fred Rogers' favorite wrestler won 19 matches last year in route to a 5th place showing at Regional VI.  Titles collected at the Luther Open & the Coe Invite, he was the North Central runner-up. 

141 
Dresden Grimm

After coming close to NCAA DIII qualification as a freshman & a sophomore with Regional VI finishes of 6th & 4th, Dresden Grimm punched through with a 2nd place finish last season.  Also 3rd at North Central, he will look for his second D3 qualification & his first D3 All-American honor. 

149
Ty Koedam

An NCAA D3 qualifier in 2024, Ty Koedam has been 7th & 5th in the past two Regional VI championships. 21-7 on the year, this will be his final season to recapture qualification. 

165
Bo Koedam

32-8 on the season last year as a freshman, Bo Koedam earned 7th place D3 All-American honors, winning both the Regional VI & Coe Invitational titles. 

184
Justin Wirtz

17 wins on the year for Justin Wirtz who was 5th at Regional VI. 

197
Jean Ngoma

It's not easy to keep up with everything there is to keep up with in college wrestling.  So, I don't know for sure, but I believe Jean Ngoma wrestled the first half of last season for Ellsworth Community College.  He then transferred to Coe & began competing for the Kohawks at the national duals.  I say this because same season transfers isn't something we see much of. 

Overall Ngmoa was 24-7 on the year, earning a runner-up finish at Regional VI. 

HWT
Wyatt Smith

28 wins on the year for Wyatt Smith.  3rd at Regional VI, he was one match shy of being an NCAA D3 All-American.  Champion at the Coe Invite, he was 3rd at North Central. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At United States Coast Guard Academy 2026-2027

 

Think about it for a moment.  In order to be admitted to the United States Coast Guard Academy, you are going to have to average at least a 3.7 GPA.  At least a 24 on your ACT or an 1120 on your SAT.  Then once there, you have all of the military requirements on top of your schoolwork & wrestling practice.  

Even with these extremely rigorous requirements, the USCGA still placed 9 at Regional I! Sent 5 to the NCAA DIII national tournament & placed three top 8 in the D3 nation!  

Five return for action this year, plus another that didn't place at Regionals last year, but should this season. 


Gone are....

Three-time Regional I place-winner (7th-4th-3rd) & 2026 NCAA D3 qualifier Nikko Beato. 

Nate Fitt, who must have listened to Steve Winwood a handful of times because he found himself Back in the High Life Again.  A Regional I champion in 2024; he was 5th in 2025 but came back strong to win another Regional I title in 2026.  Not only that but he earned D3 All American honors with a 6th place finish. 

Carl DiGiorgio, you have to rank him somewhere as one of the best USCGA wrestlers of all time.  96 career wins, and I believe the only four-time All-American in school history.  7th-3rd-2nd-5th in the D3 nation.  2nd-1st-1st-1st in Regional I.  The Bears have had two D3 national champions. So, depending on your perspective, standards & benchmarks, perhaps DiGiorgio is #1. 

133
Marvin Armistead

The sophomore went 20-6 last year, earning runner-up honors at Regional I. 

165
Landon Kearns

5th & 4th in Regional I, Landon Kearns heads into '26-'27 one of the best wrestlers yet to make the NCAA D3 championships. He went 25-6 last year. 

174
Mason Gourley

18 wins on the season for Mason Gourley, who was 8th at Regional I. 

184
Caden Stout

4th & 3rd thus far in Regional I, Caden Stout will look to become a Regional I champion & a two-time NCAA D3 qualifier this season. 

197
Gabe Monroe

Speaking of cementing yourself among the all time greats of USCGA wrestling, that's the plan of Gabe Monroe.  26 wins last year & 8th in the D3 nation.  Won titles at Regional I, Roger Williams & Don Parker. 

141
Dom Moyer

Dom Moyer did not place at last year's Regional I, but he had some notable victories among his 19 wins last year & should be top 8 Regional I in 2027. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Chicago 2026-2027

 

I remember how excited I was when I first found out that Matt Gentry was taking over as the head coach of the University of Chicago.  I knew from that day forward the Maroons were going to see levels of success far beyond the horizon & that I'd be writing about various accomplishments season after season.  Chicago put 6 on the award stand at Regional V & out of those 6, 5 were NCAA Division III qualifiers.  Out of those 5 qualifiers, two earned All-American status.  

We lose Sean Conway, who had an outstanding career for the Maroons.  103 wins, an NCAA D3 finalist in 2025 & a two-time Regional V finalist who won the title this year.  Not to mention a three-time Pete Willson Invitational place-winner with 5th-8th-3rd finishes. 

Gunnar Garriques, who I must admit I pronounced his name wrong for years up until I heard it pronounced correctly in Cedar Rapids.  Gare-icks, and here I always thought it was gar-ree-quez.  My apologies on that.  He also closes out his stellar career.  5th-3rd-1st at Regional V, he earned All-American status of 4th, also making the finals of Pete Willson. 

Back?   Three sophomores looking to perhaps cement their history as some of the greatest Chicago Maroons of all time, a junior with something to prove & a senior looking for redemption after an injury plagued year. 

125
Matt Barlay

3rd in Regional V & 6th at Pete Willson, Matt Barlay finished off the season one match shy of being an NCAA Division III All-American. 

149
M²

The name is Maksim Mukhamedaliyev & I better learn to pronounced it, because we could be looking at the greatest Chicago wrestler ever in the making.  He won 45 matches last year as a freshman.  45 matches as a freshman! There are wrestlers who won't earn 45 wins in their entire career!  4th in the D3 nation, he won titles at Trine, Concordia-Wisconsin, Al Hanke & Regional V.  He was 3rd at Pete Willson. 

165
Nick Cheshier

8th & 5th in Regional V thus far, Nick Cheshier heads into '26-'27 looking to earn his first trip to the NCAA D3 championships.  He was an Al Hanke champion. 

Jackson Davis
184

The Tennessee native had a great rookie season last year, that ended with a Regional V title.  32 wins in all, he was the runner-up at both Trine & Pete Willson, taking 3rd at Concordia-Wisconsin. 

133
Jackson Rustad

6th & 7th in Regional V as a freshman & sophomore, injury kept Jackson Rustad from becoming a three-time place-winner & possible NCAA D3 qualifier last year.  To give indication of what he's capable of, an 8-6 win over two-time D3 qualifier Conner Fiser. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Concordia-Wisconsin 2026-2027

 

133
Anastacio Martinez

Anastacio Martinez looks to be the leader of the Falcons this season as we head into '26-'27.  He was the sole Regional VII place-winner last year, earning 8th place.  Had 17 victories. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Chatham 2026-2027

 

Of the 14 colleges in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, we had another that will now have a college wrestling team. Don't know a lot about head Coach Bryan Pflanz & I haven't heard anything concerning recruits or possible transfers.  Excited for the new program though. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Central 2026-2027

 

A lot of good things continue to happen in Pella, Iowa as the Dutch continue to be much in both the ultra competitive Regional VI & overall NCAA Division III.  Central put 9 out of 10 wrestlers on the award stand at Regional VI last year & sent three of them to the national tournament, with two bringing home some hardware...including some gold! 

6 or 7 of the 9 return & as now I'm treating it like 7.  The eligibility of one wrestler, I am not sure of at the moment this was written. 


100 career wins, three trips to the NCAA DIII tournament & back-to-back All-American honors, we say goodbye to Pierre Baldwin.  Representing the red & white, he earned 6th & 3rd place D3 finishes, going 2nd-1st-3rd in Regional VI. 

Sam West also had a great career for the Dutch.  6th-4th-3rd at Regional VI, he ended his career an NCAA D3 national qualifier. 

125
Carter West

One of the things I love about Central wrestling is that they get the job done with a lot of local talent.  I competed against West Burlington Notre Dame a handful of times back in my day, and how cool it is to see their wrestlers succeeding at a higher level.  West was one match shy of being an NCAA D3 qualifier last year, 4th at Regional VI. 

133
C.J. Davis

Another rep of WBND, CJ Davis won 17 matches this past season, placing 7th at Regional VI. 

149
Cade Siebrecht

I know for an absolute fact that the Dutch want Cade Siebrecht back this season, but I'm not 100% positive if he has any eligibility left of not.  Pretty confusing.  He went 29-1 last year, his only loss in the Auggie Invite finals.  Other than that, this dude collected a lot of gold. Including a Regional VI title & an NCAA D3 title! 

157
Christian Stanek

The Cedar Rapids Xavier standout finished one match shy of NCAA DIII qualification last year, 4th at Regional VI. 

165
Shane Hanford

Another Iowa boy, this one from West Marshall. Shane Hanford finished 7th at Regional VI. 

184
Cole Martin 

Cole Martin finished 7th at Regional VI. 

HWT
Jamal Neeway

Jamal Neeway won 14 matches last season in route to a 6th place showing at Regional VI. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look At Centenary 2026-2027

 

I suppose the first thing I want to say about Centenary wrestling is that I'm sure going to miss seeing Danny Haws in action.  3rd-3rd-1st-2nd at Regional II, the four-time NCAA Division III qualifier has to rank pretty high among the best to never All-American.  I believe his 96 career victories places him third overall on career wins among the Cyclones. 

Centenary also loses Jack Thode, who I was so happy to see break through in his final season & become an NCAA D3 qualifier.  He finished that dreaded 4th at Regional II as a junior in 2025.  To see him come in and absolutely dominate his way to a title this past year was very rewarding. 


The Cyclones return three Regional II place-winners for '26-'27, plus another from last season who should also earn top 8 status as well. 

141
Joey Innamorato

A Bob Quade champ last season, Joey Innamorato finished 6th at Regional II. 

165
Hunter Cleaver

Hunter Cleaver finished 5th last year at Regional II. 

Reese Smith
174

Reese Smith was also 5th at Regional II last year. 

HWT
Jonathan Martinez

Although Jonathan Martinez did not have a good Regional II last season, he did look good at other points in the season.  4th at Shorty Hitchcock. 

JT1Wrestle Takes A Look at Case Western Reserve 2026-2027

 

In more than one way, I would call '25-'26 a very rewarding season for Case Western Reserve Wrestling. For one, 8 Regional V place-winners. Coach David Shapiro returns 4 for 2026-2027. 

Seeing Art Martinez finally punch through & earn NCAA D3 qualification was a very rewarding moment to me as a wrestling fan. 5th-4th-4th at Regional V, I just knew he had to make it through this final season & he finally won that do or die match to take 3rd.  Taking 6th place All-American honors was icing on the cake. 

Also rewarding to see Tom Wagner make it to the dance this year.  4th in 2025, he took punched through to take 3rd at this year's Regional V. 

Also graduated are Marty Landes 8th at Regional V & Aiden Gassell who took 6th. 

141
Hunter Keane

Art Martinez showed Coach Shapiro that Georgia boys know how to scrap, so he went out & found him another good talent from the southeast.  Hunter Keane placed 7th as a freshman last year at Regional V. 

174
Chase Crutchley

Chase Curtchley will look for NCAA D3 qualification this season, after finishing a match short of it last season. 

184
Matt Gummere

An NCAA D3 qualifier for the Spartans last season, Matt Gummere was 3rd at Regional V last year.  A talented musician, I'd be curious to know if he is familiar with the band Canned Heat.  Before his time? Hell, they were BEFORE my time!  Nonetheless, love the song Going Up The Country and I'd be curious if he knows how to play it. 

HWT
Alex Goldman

Also a talented tennis & soccer player, Alex Goldman took 7th at Regional V.