Lander picked to repeat as Conference Carolinas men's wrestling champions

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Lander University has been picked atop the 2024-25 Conference Carolinas Men's Wrestling Preseason Poll the league announced on Thursday, October 24. The Bearcats won the final two South Atlantic Conference Carolinas crowns before taking the Conference Carolinas West Division and tournament titles last year in the first year Conference Carolinas soley sponsored sport.

The Bearcats received 12-of-14 first-place votes (teams can’t vote for themselves) and 194 total points to claim the top spot while Newberry was a close second with 186 points and the remaining two first-place votes. UNC Pembroke wasn't far behind, picked third with 180 points before King (142) and Mount Olive (131) rounded out the top five.

Wrestlers to Watch (High School wrestlers with ties to the SE are bolded):

Allen

  • Drevon Wallace, Sr., 149 pounds, Palatka, Florida (2023 NCWA All-American)

  • Mikade Harvey, So., 141 pounds, Palatka, Florida

  • Anthony Yancey, So., 285 pounds, Camden, Georgia

Belmont Abbey

  • John Carayiannis, r-Sr., 149 pounds, Gainesville, Virginia (2023-24 second team All-Conference Carolinas (141), three-time NCAA National Championship qualifier, two-time NCAA Division II All-American)

  • Maxwell Kiel, Jr., 174 pounds, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (2023-24 second team All-Conference Carolinas (157), two-time Super Region II Regional champion, two-time NCAA National Championship qualifier)

  • Luke Kunath, Jr., 141 pounds, Raleigh, North Carolina

Bluefield State

  • Greg Dennard, r-Jr, 197 pounds, Fort Myers, Florida (2023 Super Region 3 placer)

  • Enrique Sanchez, Jr, 149 pounds, Miramar, Florida

  • Sayfore Sieh, RS So, Silver Springs, Maryland

Coker

  • Stephen Spitko, Jr., 133 pounds, Douglassville, Pennsylvania

  • Corey Gallivan, Sr., 125, Culter Bay, Florida 

Emmanuel

  • Christian Gordon, r-So., 149 pounds, East Coweta, Georgia

  • Gage Shetley, r-So., 165 pounds, Tuttle, Oklahoma

  • Michael McCarthy, r-So., 174 pounds, Melbourne, Florida

Emory & Henry

  • Evan Alger, r-Fr., 197 pounds, Pulaski, Virginia

  • Sebastian Gaberrete, So., 174 pounds, Jeffersonton, Virginia (2024 NCWA Mid-Atlantic Conference runner-up & NCWA National qualifier)

  • Levi Field, Jr., 157, Manassas, Virginia -(2022 NCWA All-American & Mid-Atlantic Conference Third Place, 2023 NCWA National qualifier & NCWA Mid-Atlantic Conference fourth place)

King

  • Ashtan Hendricks, So., 141 pounds, Jamestown, Ohio

  • Trent Mahoney, r-Sr., 157 pounds, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Three-time All-Conference Carolinas selection, 2023 NCAA All-American,)

  • Ethan Lopez, Jr., 165 pounds, Oviedo, Florida (2024 NCAA Division II national qualifier)

Lander

  • David Hunsberger, Jr., 165 pounds, Duncan, South Carolina (2023 national champion at 165 pounds, 2023 super region II champion, two-time first team All-Conference Carolinas)

  • Isham Peace, r-Jr., 141/149 pounds, Okatie, South Carolina (2023 super region II champion at 141 pounds, 2023 national qualifier, 2023 first team All-Conference Carolinas)

  • Anthony Giampeitro, Gr., 184 pounds, Columbus, New Jersey (Two-time national qualifier, two-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference)

Limestone

  • Trey Finnearty, Sr., 125 pounds, The Plains, Ohio

  • Brandon Seawright, Sr., 149, Birmingham, Alabama 

Lincoln Memorial

  • Kade Millsaps - Robbinsville, North Carolina

Montevallo

  • Colt Brown, So., 125 pounds, Lakeland, Florida (2024 Super Region II placer)

  • Jake Chisolm, So., 165, Oxford, Alabama

  • Carson Freeman, So., 157, Alabaster, Alabama

Mount Olive

  • Jake Nicolosi, Sr., 157 pounds, Haverhill, Massachusetts (2022 NCAA Division II national qualifier, All-Conference Carolinas second team)

  • Calan Staub, Jr., 174, Fayetteville, North Carolina (2023 NCAA Division II national qualifier, NCAA Super Region II Champion, NWCA Scholar All-American)

  • Colby Teague, r-Sr., 184, Newton, North Carolina (2024 NWCA Scholar All-American, 2021 NCAA Division II national qualifier, 2021 NWCA Scholar All-American)

Newberry

  • Dennis Virelli, r-Fr., 157 pounds, West Berlin, New Jersey

  • John Parker, r-Jr., 197 pounds, Yulee, Florida, (2024 Super Region II Champion, 2024 NCAA Division II national qualifier)

  • Andrew Reed, r-So., 184 pounds, Altoona, Iowa, (2024 Super Region II third Place, 2024 NCAA Division II national qualifier)

UNC Pembroke

  • Jake Piccirilli, Sr., 149 pounds, Woodstock, Georgia (2024 second team All-Conference Carolinas, NCAA Division II national qualifier)

  • Keegan Roberson, r- So., 157 pounds, Chicago, Illinois, (2024 first team All-Conference Carolinas, NCAA Division II All-American, 6th place at 157 pounds)

  • Oggie Atwood, Gr., 285 pounds, Kittanning, Pennsylvania

Shorter

  • Brayden Gibson, Fr., 141 pounds, Marietta, Georgia

  • Ethan Ross, Fr., 149 pounds, Auburn, Georgia

  • Riley Davis, Fr., 184 pounds, Rome, Georgia

Jason Fulmore