FOREST, Va. – Yearly a perennial conference contender, the Averett University men's wrestling team was voted to finish in third in the 2026-27 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) men's wrestling preseason poll, announced on Sunday morning.
Roanoke College, who won the 2025-26 ODAC team tournament, heralded a regional weight class champion, won a team regional tournament, had four All-Americans and a national runner-up, were voted as the top dog in the conference with seven out of eight first-place votes. In second place is Washington and Lee, who finished behind the aforementioned Maroons in ODACs, sent five wrestlers to nationals, and had one All-American. The Generals garnered the remaining first place vote.
Rounding out the preseason podium are the Cougars, and behind them in fourth are Shenandoah University. Greensboro College and newcomers in the University of Lynchburg tie for fifth, while Randolph College and Southern Virginia University round out the poll in seventh and eighth, respectively.
Averett heads into 2026-27 with fresh faces, but are highlighted by true weight class contenders in this years' crop. Senior
Adrian Samano looks to go out on top in his last collegiate campaign, as he finished 22-7 with an ODAC title, a runners-up finish at regionals, and a national qualification in 2025-26. Per the National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) national rankings, Samano is the conference's best wrestler at 125 pounds, as he comes in ranked eighth in the 125-pound weight class. He is also the top-ranked wrestler in Region IV at 125-pounds as well.
Per the ODAC preseason poll, Samano grades out as the ODAC's top-ranked 125-pound wrestler, above Roanoke's Isaic Paulino, and Washington and Lee's Tony Urso.
Fellow senior
A.J. Orlando III leads the Cougars at 133 pounds, coming off of a 2025-26 where he set a season-best in wins with 27, placed third at ODACs, and had a sixth-place finish at the Region IV championship. Orlando was voted as the conference's number two wrestler at 133 pounds, behind Roanoke's Jude Robson, and above Greensboro's Eli Pendergrass. In the NWCA regional ranks, Orlando was tabbed as the third-best 133-pound wrestler in Region IV.
Senior
Cooper Comer hit the ground running late in 2025-26 in the 157-pound weight class, rounding out the previous season making the All-ODAC third team. Comer was tabbed as number three in the ODAC in this weight class, behind the Generals' Liam Flanagan and the Maroons' Taylor Smith.
The last of Averett's ranked ODAC wrestling crew is senior
Carter Shupert. Shupert's 2025-26 was his best, with 24 wins, a fifth-place finish at regionals, and an ODAC Wrestler of the Week award. At 165 pounds, Shupert was voted number two in the weight class, behind Roanoke's Cade Parent. He is also ranked regionally per the NWCA, as fifth in Region IV.
The Cougars open their mat slate in 2026-27 at the East Stroudsburg University Open on Sunday, Nov. 1.
2026-27 ODAC Men's Wrestling Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Institution (1st-Place Votes) |
Pts. |
| 1. |
Roanoke (7)^ |
49 |
| 2. |
Washington and Lee (1) |
43 |
| 3. |
Averett |
37 |
| 4. |
Shenandoah |
28 |
| T-5. |
Greensboro |
20 |
| T-5. |
Lynchburg |
20 |
| 7. |
Randolph |
14 |
| 8. |
Southern Virginia |
13 |
^Defending champion
125 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Adrian Samano |
Averett |
| 2. |
Isaic Paulino |
Roanoke |
| 3. |
Tony Urso |
Washington and Lee |
133 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Jude Robson |
Roanoke |
| 2. |
A.J. Orlando III |
Averett |
| 3. |
Eli Pendergrass |
Greensboro |
141 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Skyler Hickman |
Washington and Lee |
| 2. |
Jonah Paulino |
Roanoke |
| 3. |
Jaton Wellington |
Southern Virginia |
149 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Giosue Hickman |
Washington and Lee |
| 2. |
Matthew Garland |
Randolph |
| 3. |
Christopher Foster |
Lynchburg |
157 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Liam Flanagan |
Washington and Lee |
| 2. |
Taylor Smith |
Roanoke |
| 3. |
Cooper Comer |
Averett |
165 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Cade Parent |
Roanoke |
| 2. |
Carter Shupert |
Averett |
| 3. |
Noah Danforth |
Washington and Lee |
174 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Xavier Preston |
Roanoke |
| 2. |
Tanner Giatras |
Southern Virginia |
| 3. |
Michael Byrne |
Lynchburg |
184 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Hunter Moore |
Roanoke |
| 2. |
Jacob Wright |
Washington and Lee |
| 3. |
Jacob Reigel |
Lynchburg |
197 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Brock Sullivan |
Roanoke |
| 2. |
Kweku Arthur-Mensah |
Washington and Lee |
| 3. |
Hank Svedin |
Southern Virginia |
285 Pounds
| Rank |
Wrestler |
Institution |
| 1. |
Carter Stack |
Washington and Lee |
| 2. |
Lorenzo Pallot-Vasquez |
Roanoke |
| 3. |
Marc Richardson |
Southern Virginia |
