FOREST, Va. — Averett University's men's wrestling team was voted No. 1 in the 2022-23 Old Dominion Athletic Conference's preseason poll, which was unveiled Thursday. The Cougars enter into their inaugural season in the ODAC this winter as the league announced the return of wrestling as a sponsored sport for the first time since 1980.

Averett is coming off a stellar 2021-22 season in which the nationally ranked Cougars had four individuals qualify for the NCAA Division III national tournament and had two place to earn All-America status. Averett also had one regional champion and won the Southeast Wrestling Conference Tournament as a team with three wrestlers winning individual conference titles.

Averett received four first-place votes to edge Washington and Lee University by one point in the poll. The Generals received the other three first-place votes. Roanoke College was picked third, just ahead of Ferrum College. Shenandoah University was fifth, followed by associate ODAC members Southern Virginia University and Greensboro College.

Averett opens its sixth season in program history — the fourth season under head coach Blake Roulo — on Nov. 5 on the road at the Adrian College Invitational in Adrian, Michigan.


 

2022-23 ODAC Preseason Men's Wrestling Poll
Rank	Institution (1st Place Votes)	Pts.
1.	Averett (4)	31
2.	Washington and Lee (3)	30
3.	Roanoke	27
4.	Ferrum	24
5.	Shenandoah	14
6.	Southern Virginia	11
7.	Greensboro	10