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Wrestling

ODAC Announces Wrestling Preseason Rankings

Six ODAC Champions Including One National Title Holder Return to ODAC Mats

FOREST, Va. --- ODAC wrestling has quickly become a major player on the national scene in the Division III landscape, boasting a pair of national champions and several nationally-ranked teams and wrestlers over the first three years of the sport's conference rebirth.

There is a mix of familiar and new entering the 2025-26 campaign.

  • THE FAMILIAR
    • Roanoke tops the ODAC preseason poll with a full 36 points powered by six first place votes from the league's head coaches for the second straight season
    • A 141-pound national champion is back in the fold with RC's Mark Samuel matching former Greensboro standout Josh Wilson's profile from the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
    • Six champions from the 2025 ODAC Wrestling Championships, one All-American, and six national qualifiers are among opening day rosters.
    • A total of 15 All-ODAC wrestlers are back in the fold
  • THE NEW
    • While 15 All-ODAC wrestlers return, 15 spots remain open waiting for new athletes to earn all-league recognition.
    • The league membership is reduced to seven sponsoring members with Ferrum College leaving for Division II.
    • The ODAC will return to eight squads in 2026-27 with the University of Lynchburg building its program.
    • Averett University and Shenandoah University each feature a new head coach with former assistants – and Division III wrestling standouts – Sam Braswell and Alex Reeves taking the reins of the Cougars and Hornets outfits, respectively.

  
In the sections below, we take stock of the 2024-25 season and its impacts on the new campaign. Full ODAC top-three individual rankings determined by the ODAC's coaches are among the 2025-26 features that also includes the recently announced national and regional rankings published by the NWCA.

2025-26 ODAC MEN'S WRESTLING PRESEASON POLL
(#) denotes first place votes received

1. Roanoke College (6)36 pts.
2. Washington and Lee University (1)31 pts.
3. Averett University26 pts.
4. Shenandoah University19 pts.
5. Greensboro College15 pts.
6. Southern Virginia University13 pts.
7. Randolph College7 pts.
    • Three seasons of ODAC wrestling have seen three years with Roanoke at least sharing the top spot in the league table. The Maroons went 7-0 in conference dual matches, marking them 13-0 over the last two years and 18-1 since the restart. Washington and Lee (16-3) and Averett (14-5) have featured in the in the top-three with RC in each season, with the Generals going 6-1 and the Cougars posting a 5-2 record last year.
    • For the second straight year, four ODAC schools saw wrestlers win weight class titles at the ODAC Wrestling Championships hosted at Averett. Greensboro's Josh Wilson won the 141-pound title for a third straight season on his way to claiming a third consecutive MOP honor.
    • ODAC wrestlers shined at the Southeast Regional Championships with 14 standouts qualifying for the national championships at all but one weight class.
      • Click HERE to learn how those 14 qualifiers earned their spot at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island.
    • For the second straight season, history was made with Roanoke's Mark Samuel winning the national title at 141-pounds. Greensboro's Wilson donned the same crown in 2024.
    • Five wrestlers were recognized as All-Americans.
      • Averett: Mason Barrett finished 3rd at 125 pounds.
      • Ferrum: Zach Beckner finished 4th at 125 pounds, while Rayshawn Dixon placed 4th at 285 pounds.
      • Greensboro: Josh Wilson finished 5th at 141 pounds.
      • Roanoke: Mark Samuel won the national title at 141 pounds

  • ODAC coaches were permitted one nominee at each of the 10 collegiate competition weight classes. The coaches then ranked the nominees to determine a top-three “watch” list for the 2025-26 season.

    • 125 POUNDS
      1. Mac Cafurello | Roanoke – 2024 All-American
      2. Adrian Samano | Averett
      3. Anakin Burks | Shenandoah
    • 133 POUNDS
      1. Vincent Zicciardi | Washington and Lee – National Qualifier, All-ODAC 2nd Team
      2. Jude Robson | Roanoke
      3. AJ Orlando III | Averett – All-ODAC 3rd Team
    • 141 POUNDS
      1. Mark Samuel | Roanoke – 2025 national champ, All-ODAC 2nd Team
      2. Skyler Hickman | Washington and Lee – All-ODAC 3rd Team
      3. Sean Rinebolt | Shenandoah
    • 149 POUNDS
      1. Taylor Smith | Roanoke
      2. Evan Lindner | Washington and Lee – National Qualifier, All-ODAC 1st Team
      3. Landon Neal | Averett
    • 157 POUNDS
      1. Casey Smith | Roanoke
      2. Colin Bridges | Washington and Lee
      3. Carter Shuper | Averett
        Hunter Ballantine | Shenandoah
    • 165 POUNDS
      1. Mark Troni | Washington and Lee – National Qualifier, All-ODAC 1st Team
      2. Xavier Swanson | Averett – All-ODAC 2nd Team
      3. Kyle Lee | Roanoke
    • 174 POUNDS
      1. Xavier Preston | Roanoke – National Qualifier, All-ODAC 1st Team
      2. Jacob Wright | Washington and Lee – All-ODAC 2nd Team
      3. Michael Gabbard | Averett
        Ethan Kring | Greensboro
    • 184 POUNDS
      1. Vincenzo Corvetto | Roanoke – National Qualifier, All-ODAC 1st Team
      2. Nolan Gerwitz | Averett – All-ODAC Third Team
      3. Harrison Hoopes | Southern Virginia
    • 197 POUNDS
      1. John Santowski | Washington and Lee – All-ODAC 1st Team
      2. Hunter Moore | Roanoke
      3. Jacob Jimenez | Averett – All-ODAC 2nd Team
    • 285 POUNDS
      1. Carter Stack | Washington and Lee – All-ODAC 1st Team
      2. Nick Cook | Roanoke
      3. Carter Erickson | Averett

  • The NWCA released its annual preseason rankings on Monday with the ODAC well represented in the NWCA Team Tournament Top-25 as well as its individual national and regional rankings.

    NWC Links: Division III Preseason Rankings

    • ODAC IN THE NWCA TEAM TOURNAMENT TOP-25 POLL
      • Roanoke: 3rd (41.5 pts.)
      • Washington and Lee: 24th (11.5 pts.)
    • ODAC IN THE NWCA INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RANKINGS
      • 125: Mac Cafurello, RC (4th)
      • 133: Vincent Zicciardi, WLU (7th)
      • 141: Mark Samuel, RC (1st); Skyler Hickman, WLU (13th)
      • 149: Evan Lindner, WLU (7th); Taylor Smith, RC (8th)
      • 157: Casey Smith, RC (10th)
      • 165: Mark Troni, WLU (9th)
      • 174: Xavier Preston, RC (3rd); Khalil Mitchell, AU (10th)
      • 184: Vincenzo Corvetto, RC (9th)
      • 197: John Santowski, WLU (10th); Hunter Moore, RC (13)
      • 285: None
    • ODAC IN NWCA INDIVIDUAL REGION 4 RANKINGS
      • 125: Mac Cafurello, RC (1st); Justin Porter, RAND (3rd); Adrian Samano, AU (4th)
      • 133: Vincent Zicciardi, WLU (1st); AJ Orlando III, AU (AU); Jude Robson, RC (4th)
      • 141: Mark Samuel, RC (1st); Skyler Hickman, WLU (2nd); Sean Rinebolt, SU (4th); Aidan Overstreet, RAND (5th)
      • 149: Evan Lindner, WLU (1st); Taylor Smith, WLU (2nd)
      • 157: Casey Smith, RC (2nd); Colin Bridges, WLU (3rd); Cannon Long, SU (6th)
      • 165: Mark Troni, WLU (2nd); Xavier Swanson, AU (3rd); Ethan King, GBRO (5th)
      • 174: Xavier Preston, RC (1st); Khalil Mitchell, AU (2nd); Jacob Wright, WLU (4th)
      • 184: Vincent Corvetto, RC (1st); Nolan Gerwitz, AU (6th)
      • 197: John Santowski, WLU (2nd); Hunter Moore, RC (3rd); Jacob Jimenez, AU (4th); Britton Sorenson, SVU (6th)
      • 285: Carter Stack, WLU (3rd); Nick Cook, RC (4th)
    • ODAC schools will again compete in a robust schedule of dual and invitational events.
    • Each league school will face each other in an official ODAC dual match, which will determine the basis of the ODAC regular season champion.
    • The ODAC Wrestling Championships will be hosted by Shenandoah University on Saturday, February 14 at the Hornets' James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics and Events Center in Winchester, Va.
    • The NCAA Southeast Regional Championships are set for Friday and Saturday, February 27-28 at a venue to be determined.
    • The NCAA Division III Championships will be hosted by the American Rivers Conference (ARC) at Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.