Bluefield, WV – Bluefield State University men's wrestling has been selected 10th in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll for the 2025–26 season.

Lander University earned the top spot, receiving 13 first-place votes. Mount Olive was picked second, followed by UNC Pembroke, King, and Newberry rounding out the top five.

The Big Blue earned 64 points in the preseason rankings, placing just ahead of Ferrum and Allen in the 15-team field.

Three wrestlers to watch for the Big Blue include Larry "Ryder" Rhodes, Greg Dennard, and Enrique Sanchez.

Rhodes returns after a 30-win freshman campaign, setting the program record for wins in a single season. Fourteen of those victories came against Conference Carolinas opponents. He claimed first place at the Wasp Open, was runner-up at the King Open, and finished third at the JCU Open.

At 197/285 pounds, Dennard posted 23 wins last season and previously earned a third-place finish at the 2023 Super Regional. He collected runner-up finishes at both the King Open and Wasp Open and added a third-place showing at the JCU Open.

Sanchez, competing at 149 pounds, led the Big Blue with 14 falls last season and enters the year as the program's career leader in falls. He was also a returning Super Region third-place winner and a co-champion at the Wasp Open.

2025-26 Conference Carolinas
Men's Wrestling Preseason Poll