MANHEIM, Pa. – With the start of 2023-24 women's wrestling season nearing, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released their NCAA Women's Wrestling Preseason Coaches' Poll. Defending national champion North Central College sits atop top poll with 14 individuals ranked while six schools have individuals ranked for the first time.
For the second straight year, North Central is ranked atop the poll in the preseason rankings with 128 points. The Cardinals finished won the 2023 National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Coalition (NCWWC) National Championships and have 13 individuals ranked, including seven ranked No. 1.
They are followed by 2022 runner-up and NWCA National Duals champion King University who has 67 points. These two programs are the only two that have at least 10 individuals ranked as the Tornado have 10 ranked individuals.
McKendree University is ranked third with 60 points and nine ranked individuals while Colorado Mesa University has eight ranked individuals and checks in at fourth with 51 points. Sacred Heart University is fifth with 29 points with four individuals ranked while Gannon University has four individuals ranked and is ranked sixth.
East Stroudsburg checks in at seventh with 25 points and three individuals ranked before Lock Haven University and the University of Iowa are tied for eighth with 22 points. Each have two ranked individuals. Adrian College rounds out the top 10 with 16 points and three ranked individuals.
New schools to the rankings this year are Emory & Henry College, Elmira College, Ursinus College and Simpson College who all have one individual ranked for the first time and the University of Mount Olive and the University of Iowa who each have two individuals ranked. In all, 26 schools have at least one individual in the rankings.
Three individuals return after winning national titles a season ago, North Central's Maddie Avila and Jaslynn Gallegos at 101 pounds and 116, respectively. Cameron Guerin of McKendree won the national title 130 pounds a season ago. Each are ranked atop those weight classes to start the year.
Back again this year, will be the NWCA wrestlers of the month, both regional and national. The regional wrestlers of the month will be released during the first week of each month with the national winner to be selected from those six.
Top-Ranked Individuals | INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
101 Maddie Avila, North Central
109 Sydney Petzinger, North Central
116 Jaslynn gallegos, North Central
123 Amani Jones, North Central
130 Cameron Guerin, McKendree
136 Yele Aycock, North Central
143 London Houston, North Central
155 Dalia Garibay, Colorado Mesa
170 Chey Bowman, King
191 Traeh Haynes, North Central
