GREENVILLE, S.C. —The Belmont Abbey men's wrestling team was selected to finish sixth in the Conference Carolinas men's wrestling Preseason Coaches Poll released by the league office Thursday morning. The poll was voted on by the league's head coaches. Belmont Abbey finished the season 8-9 overall with an 8-1 Conference Carolinas record and shared the East Division title with Mount Olive last year.

The Crusaders enter the 2025-26 season after making the Conference Carolinas Tournament last season and qualifying a program-best five wrestlers to the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Lander was picked as the favorite in the preseason poll followed by Mount Olive, UNC Pembroke, King and Newberry. The Bearcats received 13-of-15 first place votes (teams can't vote for themselves) while Mount Olive and Newberry got one vote each.

Belmont Abbey opens the 2025-2026 season at the Glenville State Invitational on Saturday, November 1st in Glenville, West Virginia. The first home match for the Crusaders will by November 13th when the Crusaders host Bluefield State and Emory & Henry in a tri-match starting at 5 p.m. at the Wheeler Center.

The full poll can be found below.

2025-26 Conference Carolinas
Men's Wrestling Preseason Poll
 

	School	Total (First Place)
1	Lander	195 (13)
2	Mount Olive	172 (1)
3	UNC Pembroke	160
4	King	154
5	Newberry	149 (1)
6	Belmont Abbey	134
7	Montevallo	110
8	Coker	96
9	Emmanuel	84
10	Bluefield State	64
11	Ferrum	63
12	Allen	61
13	Shorter	50
14	Lincoln Memorial	44
15	Emory & Henry	39

 

Wrestlers to Watch
Belmont Abbey

• Luke Kunath, Sr., 141 pounds, Raleigh, North Carolina (8th place at 2025 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships, All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• Kyler Pickard, Sr., 184 pounds, Rockwell, North Carolina (2025 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships qualifer, Super Region II runner-up at 184 pounds)
• Caleb Moore, Sr., 197 pounds, Denver, North Carolina (2024-25 All-Conference Carolinas second team)