NEWS
Wrestling Picked Sixth in SoCon Preseason Poll
Davidson Wrestling picked sixth in the preseason pool.
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson College wrestling team was picked to finish sixth in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll on Friday afternoon.
Campbell was picked as the favorite to win the conference with seven first-place votes and 59 total points. The Wildcats were slotted in the sixth spot after earning 23 points.
Head coach Nate Carr Jr. returns 17 wrestlers from last year and added 12 freshmen to the roster for the 2023-24 season. Among the returners, five wrestlers that earned double-digit victories a season ago are back on the squad this season: Tanner Peake, Bryce Sanderlin, Jaden Hardrick, Marc Koch, and Noah Frack.
Returning Experience
Peake went on a historic tear as a freshman last season where he competed in the first meet of the season and went 3-1 at the Southeast Open before being sidelined until January due to injury. Once he returned, the New Jersey native won 12 of his last 15 matches on his way to a second-place finish at the SoCon Championships at 157 pounds. His 0.789 winning percentage (15-4 record) was the highest by a Davidson freshman in program history.
Davidson’s leader in wins also returns for his senior year. Bryce Sanderlin, a native of Chesapeake, Virginia led the team in victories last season with a 20-8 record and became the first Wildcat to earn 20 wins since the 2013-14 season. He also earned a fourth-place finish at 165 pounds at last year’s SoCon Championships.
Jaden Hardrick, Marc Koch, and Noah Frack also return and bring a wealth of experience to the wrestling room as they combined for 39 wins last season. Heavyweight Jake Fernicola also returns after placing fourth at last year’s conference tournament.
Fresh Faces
Davidson welcomed a dozen freshman to the 2023-24 squad this offseason. This year’s class comes from seven different states and will compete at six different weight classes. In all, the newest members of the Davidson wrestling team have combined for five individual state championships, 21 state tournament placings, and 24 state tournament appearances.
Season Opener
The wrestling team will begin their season on November 4 at Virginia Tech’s Southeast Open in Salem, Virginia.
2023-24 SoCon Wrestling Preseason Coaches’ Poll
School (First-place votes) Points
1. Campbell (7) 59
2. App State (1) 49
3. Chattanooga 44
4. Gardner-Webb 37
5. The Citadel 31
6. Davidson 23
T7. VMI 16
T7. Bellarmine 16
T7. Presbyterian 16
2023-24 SoCon Wrestling Preseason All-Conference Team
125 Dominic Chavez, Presbyterian
133 Brayden Palmer, Chattanooga
141 Shannon Hanna, Campbell
149 Noah Castillo, Chattanooga
157 Tommy Askey, App State
165 Will Miller, App State
174 Austin Murphy, Campbell
184 Caleb Hopkins, Campbell
197 Levi Hopkins, Campbell
HWT Taye Ghadiali, Campbell