GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--Thiel College was selected as the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) preseason wrestling favorite in 2022-23, according to a vote of league coaches, sports information directors and the conference office.

The league released the results of its preseason poll and its wrestlers to watch list Wednesday afternoon.

Thiel, led by 20th-year head coach Craig Thurber, secured five of seven first-place votes and totaled 15 points to headline this year's poll. Thiel won its 23rd PAC title last February at Waynesburg University's Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse to tie John Carroll University (23 straight from 1966-67 to 1988-89) for the most in conference history. 

Washington & Jefferson College and first-year head coach Sonnie Blanco claimed the final two first-place votes and 12 points. W&J owns six PAC championships, with its most recent in 2019-20. It was the program's first since 1988-89. 

Waynesburg and first-year head coach Aaron McKinney finished third with nine points. Waynesburg has won seven PAC titles, claiming three-straight from 2016-17 to 2018-19. 

On Feb. 12, 2021 Thiel won its first PAC team championship since 2015-16, totaling 128.50 points in the three-team championship field. It was the highest point total by a PAC champion since Waynesburg scored 146 points in its 2010-11 title run. W&J finished as the runner-up with 103 points while Waynesburg had 67.50 points to finish third. 

Six of the league's individual champions from last year's PAC Championships are slated to return to the mat this season. Headlining the returners are Thiel junior 125-pounder Evan Whiteside (Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway) and junior 133-pounder Hunter E. Thompson (Titusville, Pa. | Titusville).

Whiteside was named the PAC's Most Outstanding Wrestler after earning a win by fall (0:40) over Waynesburg's William Wilson in the semifinals and winning by fall (3:36) over W&J's Manny Dovshek in the title bout of the 125-pound bracket. Thompson claimed PAC Newcomer of the Year honors after defeating W&J's Hunter Swedish with a 16-3 major decision victory in the title bout of the 133-pound bracket.

Three members of this year's wrestlers to watch list were mentioned in the season's first National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III individual rankings for the Southeast region. Thiel's Thompson was fifth at 133, W&J sophomore Brayden Roscosky (Vandergrift, Pa. | Kiski) was sixth at 184 and Waynesburg junior Colby Morris (Waynesburg, Pa. | Waynesburg Central) was fourth at 165. 

Thiel will host the league's 64th wrestling championships at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Maenpa Court in Beeghly Gymnasium in Greenville. The conference championships will feature six-wrestler, double-elimination brackets with each participating school entering a pair of student-athletes in each of the 10 weight classes.

Thiel, W&J and Waynesburg will compete at the Division III Southeast Regional Championships from Friday-Saturday, Feb. 24-25. The site of the regional championships is still to be determined. The Division III Championships are scheduled for Friday-Saturday, March 10-11 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia.
 

2022-23 PAC Wrestling Preseason Poll
School (first-place votes)	Points	2021-22 dual meet record (PAC); PAC Championships finish
1. Thiel College (5)	15	7-0 (2-0); 1st (3), 128.50 pts.
2. Washington & Jefferson College (2)	12	4-3 (1-1); 2nd (3), 103 pts.
3. Waynesburg University	9	2-12 (0-2); 3rd (3), 67.50 pts.

 

PAC Wrestlers to Watch in 2022-23
Thiel
Name	Yr.	Wt. Class	Hometown | High School
Peyton Hearn	Jr.	157	Conneaut, Pa. | Conneaut
Hunter Martz	Sr.	149	Hawthorn, Pa. | Redbank Valley
Bryce McCloskey	Jr.	184	Greenville, Pa. | Reynolds
Hunter Thompson	Sr.	133	Titusville, Pa. | Titusville
Evan Whiteside	Jr.	125	Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway

   

W&J
Name	Yr.	Wt. Class	Hometown | High School
Raheem Clemons	Sr.	174	Haymarket, Va. | Battlefield
Logan Marko	Sr.	157	Roaring Spring, Pa. | Central
Brayden Roscosky	So.	184	Vandergrift, Pa. | Kiski
Hunter Swedish	So.	125/133	Cranberry Township, Pa. | Seneca Valley
Adam Zerbee	So.	149/157	Altoona, Pa. | Altoona

 

Waynesburg
Name	Yr.	Wt. Class	Hometown | High School
Harley Constable	Sr.	133/141	Smithfield, Pa. | Albert Gallatin
Garrett Cook	Sr.	184	Weirton, W.Va. | Madonna
Noah Grossnickle	Sr.	125/133	Myersville, Md. | Middletown
Luke Lavanway	Sr.	197	Monroe, Mich. | Mason
Colby Morris	Jr.	165	Waynesburg, Pa. | Waynesburg Central