LEXINGTON, Va. –The Washington and Lee wrestling team is set for another big year, opening the 2025–26 season ranked No. 24 nationally in the NWCA Preseason Tournament Power Index. The Generals return five nationally ranked wrestlers and seven top-five regional performers after one of the best seasons in program history. W&L was picked second in the ODAC preseason coaches’ poll with 31 points and one first-place vote.

Last season, the Generals brought home multiple ODAC individual titles, placed fourth at the NCAA Region IV Championships, and qualified four wrestlers for the NCAA Championships — the most for W&L since 1978.

Under Head Coach Nathan Shearer, the Generals have become one of Division III’s most consistent contenders, combining high-level performance with strong academics. With five nationally ranked returners and proven champions in the lineup, W&L looks ready to chase another ODAC title and make noise on the national stage.

2025-26 ODAC Coaches' Preseason Poll - Regular Season Duals
 

Third-ranked nationally, Roanoke College enters the 2025–26 season as the defending ODAC Duals Champion, earning 36 points and six first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll. Washington and Lee University follows closely in second with 31 points and one first-place vote, marking the Generals’ continued status as a perennial title contender after capturing the last two of the last three ODAC Individual Championships team titles. Averett University ranks third with 26 points, while Shenandoah (19), Greensboro (15), Southern Virginia (13), and Randolph (7) round out the conference standings.
 

1. Roanoke College (6) 36 pts.
2. Washington and Lee University (1) 31 pts.
3. Averett University 26 pts.
4. Shenandoah University 19 pts.
5. Greensboro College 15 pts.
6. Southern Virginia University 13 pts.
7. Randolph College 7 pts.

2025-26 Schedule Preview

Washington and Lee’s upcoming schedule features a balanced slate of invitational tournaments and dual meets, highlighted by home events at Doremus and Holekamp Gyms during the winter semester, and key tests at York’s New Standard Invitational and the Budd Whitehill Duals.

Duals

• Nov. 15 – Marymount Duals | Arlington, Va. | 9 a.m.
• Nov. 21 – Baldwin Wallace | Berea, Ohio | 7:30 p.m.
• Jan. 2 – McDaniel College | Lexington, Va. | 3 p.m.
• Jan. 9–10 – Budd Whitehill Duals | Williamsport, Pa. | 9 a.m.
• Jan. 22 – Southern Virginia | Lexington, Va. | 6 p.m. (ODAC)
• Jan. 24 – Averett University | Lexington, Va. | 6 p.m. (ODAC)
• Jan. 29 – Shenandoah University | Winchester, Va. | 7 p.m. (ODAC)
• Jan. 31 – Randolph College | Lynchburg, Va. | 5 p.m. (ODAC)
• Feb. 5 – Greensboro College | Lexington, Va. | 6 p.m. (ODAC)
• Feb. 6 – Roanoke College | Salem, Va. | 7 p.m. (ODAC)

Tournaments

• Nov. 1 – Messiah Invitational | Grantham, Pa. | 9 a.m.
• Nov. 9 – Cougar Open (Averett University) | Danville, Va. | 9 a.m.
• Nov. 16 – Shenandoah Invitational | Winchester, Va. | 9 a.m.
• Nov. 22 – Baldwin Wallace Invitational | Berea, Ohio | 10 a.m.
• Dec. 5–6 – New Standard Invitational (York College) | York, Pa. | Fri 2:30 p.m. / Sat 10 a.m.
• Jan. 3 – Jim Crytzer Invitational (Washington and Lee University) | Lexington, Va. | 9 a.m.
• Jan. 17 – Will Abele Invitational (Ursinus College) | Collegeville, Pa. | 10 a.m.

Postseason

• Feb. 14 – ODAC Individual Championships Tournament (Shenandoah University) | Winchester, Va.
• Feb. 27–28 – NCAA Region IV Championships (Ohio Northern University) | Ada, Ohio 
• Mar. 13–14 – NCAA Division III Championships | Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

Key Returners and Preseason Rankings

With five nationally ranked wrestlers and seven among the top five regionally, Washington and Lee’s 2025–26 roster blends proven veterans with emerging regional contenders.

• 133 | Sr. Vincent Ziccardi — No. 1 Region, No. 7 National

A two-time national qualifier, Ziccardi opens the season No. 1 in Region 4 and No. 7 nationally. The senior captain returns after a strong postseason run that included a third-place regional finish and a win at the NCAA Championships.

• 141 | Jr. Skyler Hickman — No. 2 Region, No. 13 National

Hickman, a 2024 Third Team All-ODAC honoree, enters the year No. 2 in Region 4 and 13th nationally. His aggressive pace makes him one of the region’s rising stars in a stacked weight class. 

• 149 | Sr. Evan Lindner — No. 1 Region, No. 7 National

Lindner returns as a two-time national qualifier and reigning ODAC Champion, ranked first in Region 4 and seventh nationally. He recorded a 2–2 mark at the 2025 NCAA Championships and leads the team with veteran championship experience.

• 157 | Sr. Colin Bridges — No. 3 Region

A consistent dual performer and 2024 fifth-place regional finisher, Bridges enters No. 3 in Region 4 and provides steady production in the middle of the lineup.

• 165 | Sr. Mark Troni — No. 2 Region, No. 9 National

A 2024 ODAC Champion and NCAA qualifier, Troni opens the year No. 2 regionally and No. 9 nationally. His veteran composure and clutch wins at last year’s Regionals highlight his postseason potential for his final season with the Blue and White.

• 174 | Jr. Jacob Wright — No. 4 Region

Wright, a 2024 Second Team All-ODAC performer, begins the season No. 4 in Region 4 following a sixth-place regional finish. He will be a key contributor in the upper-middleweights.

• 197 | Sr. John Santowski — No. 2 Region, No. 10 National

A two-time ODAC Champion and ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Santowski ranks No. 2 regionally and No. 10 nationally after placing fourth at Regionals as a junior. 

• 285 | So. Carter Stack — No. 3 Region

The defending ODAC Heavyweight Champion enters his sophomore campaign ranked third in Region 4. Stack’s first-year success, capped by a 13–3 major decision to finish fifth regionally, positions him as one of Division III’s most promising young heavyweights.

National and Regional Rankings Overview

The NWCA Preseason Coaches Poll places Washington and Lee at No. 24 nationally with 11.5 team points, marking the Generals’ fourth straight year inside the Top 25.

Augsburg, TCNJ, Roanoke, Wartburg, and UW–La Crosse hold the top five positions in the preseason rankings, while W&L joins Roanoke (No. 3), Baldwin Wallace (No. 20), and Adrian (No. 23) as Region 4 representatives in the national poll.

Region 4 includes the following schools:

• Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC): Averett University, Greensboro College, Randolph College, Roanoke College, Shenandoah University, and Southern Virginia University
• Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC): Baldwin Wallace University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, Muskingum University, Ohio Northern University, Otterbein University, Mount Union, and Wilmington College
• President’s Athletic Conference (PAC): Saint Vincent College, Thiel College, Washington & Jefferson College, and Waynesburg University

2024-25 Season Recap

Washington and Lee compiled a 15–3 overall record and a 6–1 mark in ODAC duals, dominating the ODAC Individual Championships with 156 team points and edging Roanoke (134.5) and Averett (133.5) for the postseason tournament title - Roanoke completed a perfect 7-0 mark in ODAC Duals to claim the leagues' championship crown. 

The Generals produced four individual champions — Evan Lindner (149 lbs.), Mark Troni (165 lbs.), John Santowski (197 lbs.), and Carter Stack (285 lbs.) — and placed all nine wrestlers in the top-three of their respective weight classes. Lindner, Troni, Santowski, and Stack each claimed First Team All-ODAC honors with the win in the first-place bouts. 

At the NCAA Region IV Championships, W&L finished fourth overall with 139.0 points, trailing only Baldwin Wallace, Roanoke, and Ohio Northern. All 10 Generals placed, and four — Ziccardi (133), Lindner (149), Troni (165), and McCusker (184) — qualified for nationals by winning third-place bouts. It marked just the third time in program history that W&L sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships (previously 1976–77 and 1977–78).

At Nationals:

• Evan Lindner (149) finished 2–2, reaching the fourth round of consolations with wins over Chance Babb (Alvernia) and Daniel Uribe (Wabash).
• Vincent Ziccardi (133) posted a 1–2 mark, earning a sudden-victory win over Aiden Evans (Loras).
• Mark Troni (165) and Jack McCusker '25 (184) made their first national appearance, battling through two competitive bouts against top-10 opponents.
   

W&L also continued to lead academically, ranking fourth nationally in the NWCA Team Scholar All-America Awards with a 3.747 team GPA and producing 13 NWCA Scholar All-Americans.

2024–25 All-ODAC Selections

• First Team: Carter Stack (285), John Santowski (197), Mark Troni (165), Evan Lindner (149)
• Second Team: Jack McCusker (184), Jacob Wright (174), Vincent Ziccardi (133)
• Third Team: Skyler Hickman (141), Tony Urso (125)