Women's Wrestling Ranked No.2 in Preseason Poll Heading into First NCAA Championship Campaign

Sakamoto, Moore, and Kelly ranked atop their respective classes with seven ranked Bearcats overall

MANHEIM, Pa. | National Wrestling Coaches Association - McKendree University women's wrestling, a perennial powerhouse and three-time National Championship program, found itself ranked No.2 nationally with three top-ranked individuals in 117 Yu Sakamoto, 124 Shelby Moore, and 207 Tristan Kelly, as announced by the NWCA on Thursday afternoon. The Bearcats head into the first sanctioned NCAA season, which marks the NCAA's 91st championship sport, with fourth-year head coach Alexio Garcia continuing to lead the Bearcats after grabbing third (2023), fourth (2024), and third (2025) place national tournament finishes over his first three campaigns leading the program. The Bearcats rank seven wrestlers overall, including their three top-ranked individuals, with 110 Gabriele Tedesco, 131 Alex Szkotnicki, 138 Haylie Jaffe, and 160 Savannah Gomez all ranking within the top six of their weight classes. McKendree and Garcia kick off the regular season with the Adrian Duals and Adrian Open on November 8 and 9 in Adrian, Michigan.

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
110 | Gabriele Tedesco | #2
- 2025 All-American (2nd - 103lbs), 2025 National Runner-Up, 2025 Regional Champion
117 | Yu Sakamoto | #1
- 2025 All-American (3rd - 117lbs), 2025 Regional Champion
124 | Shelby Moore | #1
- 2025 All-American (2nd - 117lbs), 2025 National Runner-Up, 2025 Regional Champion, 2024 All-American (4th - 116lbs), 2024 Regional Champion
131 | Alex Szkotnicki | #3
- 2025 All-American (3rd - 131lbs), 2025 Regional Champion
138 | Haylie Jaffe | #2
- 2025 All-American (2nd - 138lbs), 2025 National Runner-Up, 2025 Regional Champion
160 | Savannah Gomez | #6
- 2025 All-American (7th - 145lbs), 2025 Regional Champion (145lbs)
207 | Tristan Kelly | #1
- Reigning National Champion at 207lbs, 2025 Regional Champion, 2024 All-American (3rd - 180lbs)

TEAM RANKINGS
1. Iowa
2. McKendree | 88 Points | 7 Ranked Individuals, 3 Top-Ranked Wrestlers
3. North Central
4. Grand Valley State
5. Presbyterian
6. Colorado Mesa
7. Fort Hays State
8. Aurora
t10. East Stroudsburg
t10. Emmanuel (GA)
t10. Wartburg
13. West Liberty
14. William Jewell
15. Elmira
15. Quincy
17. Adrian
17. Chadron State
17. Simpson (IA)
17. Tiffin
21. Gannon
22. Dubuque
22. Northern Michigan
24. Augustana (IL)
25. Lindenwood

UP NEXT
October 22 | Black vs. Purple Wrestle-Off | McKendree Wrestling Center - Lebanon, Illinois
October 25 | McKendree Wrestling Alumni Dual | Homecoming Weekend - McKendree Wrestling Center - Lebanon, Illinois
November 8 | Adrian Duals | Adrian, Michigan
November 9 | Adrian Open | Adrian, Michigan

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