Now this is a STACKED weight class. We are talking 6 of the 8 All Americans, ALL returning. This includes TWO national champions & two runner-ups! Two will be going for their fourth NAIA All American honor. Add in an All American from 2022 & we have ourselves one extremely competitive weight!
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| Rysan Leong Menlo |
One of the best NAIA wrestlers to ever come out of Hawaii, Rysan Leong won both a NAIA title as well as a Missouri Valley Invitational last season. He will have a huge target on his back as he looks to defend both titles this season.
One of the challengers to Leong's throne will be Corban's David Rubio. A two time NAIA All American (5th in '22) he was runner-up to Leong, but had defeated him 7-2 in the semi-finals of the Cascade Conference tournament. Altogether he will also be going for his fourth Cascade Conference title this season.
An NAIA national champion in 2022, Cole Smith has collected NAIA bronze in both 2021 & 2023. He'll contend with both Leong & Rubio for NAIA gold this season.
Matt Jenkins was 5th in the NAIA championships last season, but it was teammate Wyatt Higgins who finished 2nd to his 3rd at the Appalachian Conference Championships. Jenkins won the Pembroke Open among NCAA Division II competition, with Higgins finishing in 5th place.
Bass will be going for his fourth All American honor this season having going 5th-2nd-6th the past three seasons. Count him among the title contenders as he only slipped to 6th place after being injured earlier in the championships.
Only a sophomore, Shad Slone made his mark in the NAIA last season with 7th place finishes at both the NAIA championships & the Missouri Valley Invitational. He also won the Life Open.
Another tough freshman from last season, Bridger Hall was 8th in the NAIA, taking 3rd place honors at the Spokane Open.
2nd at the Spokane Open, Devin Crawford finished one match shy of NAIA All American honors last year.
A two time GPAC runner-up, Kaleb Bigelow will contend for the conference title as well as NAIA All American honors this season.
I said last season that I thought when the Fighting Bees crowned their first All American it'd be Jayden Terronez, & I'm gonna stick by that statement. The two time Heart of American Conference runner-up, was also quite impressive amongst Division III competition last season when he took runner-up honors at the Coe Invitational.
A two time NAIA qualifier, Joey Hancock was 3rd at last year's Heart of America. He also took 5th place at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Had it not been for injury, Keller Rock may have very well been an All American himself last season. One match shy of a top 8 finish in 2022, he's thus far been 3rd & 2nd in his first two showings at the Cascade Conference tournament. Last season he won both the Falcon Invitational as well as the Mile High invite.
4th in the Mid-South Conference, Justin Bartee won a Central Baptist Invitational with a 4-2 s.v. over Braeden Baller.
Now here's a really cool story within NAIA wrestling. Both Dayton Hill & Braden Anderson were teammates at the same high school. Both won KCAC titles in 2022 & Hill defeated Anderson for the KCAC title this past season. How cool would it be if both of these guys were to earn All American honors?
Another tough sophomore who returns to NAIA competition this season at 165 lbs is Zander Ernst who was 3rd in the GPAC last season.
The Hungarian was 4th in the GPAC last season placing 5th at the Doane Open, with runner-up finishes at both the Mile High Open & the Falcon Invitational.
Pretty good rookie season for the Ram last season. This included a conference title, with a runner-up finish at the Central Baptist invite & a 4th place finish at the Falcon Invite.
The two-time WHAC champion was 6th in the NAIA nation back in 2022, but missed out on All American honors this past season. Where he didn't miss out, was at the Missouri Valley Invitational where he took runner-up honors. He will contend for his third conference title, & his second medals in both the Mo Valley Invite & the NAIA championships.
An NAIA qualifier this past season, Adam El Damir was 8th at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
Avila, a York Open champion last season will contend for NAIA qualification this season.
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| David Rubio Corban |
One of the challengers to Leong's throne will be Corban's David Rubio. A two time NAIA All American (5th in '22) he was runner-up to Leong, but had defeated him 7-2 in the semi-finals of the Cascade Conference tournament. Altogether he will also be going for his fourth Cascade Conference title this season.
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| Cole Smith Cumberland |
An NAIA national champion in 2022, Cole Smith has collected NAIA bronze in both 2021 & 2023. He'll contend with both Leong & Rubio for NAIA gold this season.
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| Wyatt Higgins Matt Jenkins Reinhardt |
Matt Jenkins was 5th in the NAIA championships last season, but it was teammate Wyatt Higgins who finished 2nd to his 3rd at the Appalachian Conference Championships. Jenkins won the Pembroke Open among NCAA Division II competition, with Higgins finishing in 5th place.
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| Jack Bass Life |
Bass will be going for his fourth All American honor this season having going 5th-2nd-6th the past three seasons. Count him among the title contenders as he only slipped to 6th place after being injured earlier in the championships.
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| Shad Slone Campbellsville |
Only a sophomore, Shad Slone made his mark in the NAIA last season with 7th place finishes at both the NAIA championships & the Missouri Valley Invitational. He also won the Life Open.
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| Bridger Hall Providence |
Another tough freshman from last season, Bridger Hall was 8th in the NAIA, taking 3rd place honors at the Spokane Open.
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| Devin Crawford Montana State Northern |
2nd at the Spokane Open, Devin Crawford finished one match shy of NAIA All American honors last year.
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| Kaleb Bigelow Dakota Wesleyan |
A two time GPAC runner-up, Kaleb Bigelow will contend for the conference title as well as NAIA All American honors this season.
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| Jayden Terronez St Ambrose |
I said last season that I thought when the Fighting Bees crowned their first All American it'd be Jayden Terronez, & I'm gonna stick by that statement. The two time Heart of American Conference runner-up, was also quite impressive amongst Division III competition last season when he took runner-up honors at the Coe Invitational.
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| Joey Hancock Baker |
A two time NAIA qualifier, Joey Hancock was 3rd at last year's Heart of America. He also took 5th place at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
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| Keller Rock Embry Riddle |
Had it not been for injury, Keller Rock may have very well been an All American himself last season. One match shy of a top 8 finish in 2022, he's thus far been 3rd & 2nd in his first two showings at the Cascade Conference tournament. Last season he won both the Falcon Invitational as well as the Mile High invite.
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| Justin Bartee Rio Grande |
4th in the Mid-South Conference, Justin Bartee won a Central Baptist Invitational with a 4-2 s.v. over Braeden Baller.
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| Dayton Hill Braden Anderson Ottawa |
Now here's a really cool story within NAIA wrestling. Both Dayton Hill & Braden Anderson were teammates at the same high school. Both won KCAC titles in 2022 & Hill defeated Anderson for the KCAC title this past season. How cool would it be if both of these guys were to earn All American honors?
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| Zander Ernst Morningside |
Another tough sophomore who returns to NAIA competition this season at 165 lbs is Zander Ernst who was 3rd in the GPAC last season.
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| Ben Dobler Doane |
The Hungarian was 4th in the GPAC last season placing 5th at the Doane Open, with runner-up finishes at both the Mile High Open & the Falcon Invitational.
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| Braeden Baller Texas Wesleyan |
Pretty good rookie season for the Ram last season. This included a conference title, with a runner-up finish at the Central Baptist invite & a 4th place finish at the Falcon Invite.
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| Elliott Rodgers Marian |
The two-time WHAC champion was 6th in the NAIA nation back in 2022, but missed out on All American honors this past season. Where he didn't miss out, was at the Missouri Valley Invitational where he took runner-up honors. He will contend for his third conference title, & his second medals in both the Mo Valley Invite & the NAIA championships.
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| Adam El Damir Keiser |
An NAIA qualifier this past season, Adam El Damir was 8th at the Missouri Valley Invitational.
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| Jett Merlo Avila |
Avila, a York Open champion last season will contend for NAIA qualification this season.
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