By Tanner Lafever
USA Wrestling

You guys, we did it.

After months of waiting, a new women’s college wrestling season is officially upon us!

In previous notebooks, I’ve done my very best to set the stage for all that lies ahead:

• I recapped the 2026 championships and several of the biggest off-the-mat developments for the sport.

• I dove into all the returning champions – plus a few of the exciting new names to know.

• And I pondered some of the top storylines to watch in the months to come – which will play out across a schedule littered with must-see events.

But for all those words spilled onto the (virtual) page, I didn’t have any actual wrestling to talk about.

Thankfully, that’s about to change.

McKendree (NCAA) and Grand View (NAIA) begin season ranked #1

Before directing your eyes toward the top tournaments and duals of opening weekend, there’s one last bit of table setting to do first.

Because a brand-new season comes with brand-new rankings, after all. And even though a number next to your name in October hardly guarantees success – especially come March – it’s still a notable starting point of sorts.

As such, reigning NCAA champion McKendree holds the top spot in the Preseason NCAA Coaches Poll – followed by Iowa, Presbyterian, North Central and a tie for fifth between King and Lehigh.

The preseason number one at each weight class is as follows:

• 103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa)

• 110 – Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh)

• 117 – Yu Sakamoto (McKendree)

• 124 – Riley Rayome (North Central)

• 131 – Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Quincy)

• 138 – Haylie Jaffe (McKendree)

• 145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa)

• 160 – Stella Steigler (King)

• 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa)

• 207 – Tristan Kelly (McKendree)

Meanwhile, when the NAIA Preseason Ratings came out, a different team than 2026 national champion Life University led the way.

Instead, it’s Grand View – last year’s third-place finisher – who begins at #1.

The Vikings are joined in the top five by Indiana Tech, Ottawa, Life and Wayland Baptist/Cumberlands (tied for fifth).

Several of those programs are represented among these top-ranked preseason individuals:

• 103 – Zoey Haney (Indiana Tech)

• 110 – Avery Jansing (Oklahoma City)

• 117 – Zao Estrada (Missouri Valley)

• 124 – Rose Kaplan (Indiana Tech)

• 131 – Jeila Ramos (Lindsey Wilson)

• 138 – Haley Le (Evergreen State)

• 145 – Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist)

• 160 – Mercy Adekuoroye (Wayland Baptist)

• 180 – Andjela Prijovic (Grand View)

• 207 – Lillian Gradillas-Flores (Southern Oregon)

What to watch for

Each Wednesday going forward, this notebook will typically encompass two primary focal points:

Recapping the noteworthy news/results of the week prior and previewing the marquee events up next.

Since it’s Week 1, we’re obviously lacking the former. But thankfully, the latter exists in abundance.

(As if we weren’t excited to watch any sort of college wrestling this weekend.)

At least five different tournaments this weekend will be chock full of ranked teams making their season debuts – led off by the Falcon Open.

There, starting on Friday the 30th, exactly half of the top 20 ranked NAIA programs in the country are scheduled to be in attendance.

Two days later, a quartet of highly anticipated opens join the mix.

At the Luther Hill Open, the #2 Iowa Hawkeyes (NCAA) will be joined by a strong contingent of Midwestern teams – including the (unattached) debut of the newly formed Iowa State women’s program.

Meanwhile, the Tiffin Open features both NCAA #1 McKendree and #7 Grand Valley State – as well as a trio of top-seven-ranked NAIA schools – led by #2 Indiana Tech.

Shifting to the Princeton Open, NCAA #3 Presbyterian headlines a field that includes co-preseason #12’s Lock Haven and Eastern.

Less than 75 miles up the road, the ESU Open welcomes five different ranked NCAA programs – all hailing from the Northeast.

And finally, we round out the (extended) weekend with a pair of enticing dual matchups.

The first – on Sunday – pits NAIA #4 Life University against NCAA #5 King. And while the host Running Eagles are undergoing plenty of turnover from recent years, it’s still the same program that’s won 4/5 National Duals titles, plus each of the past two NAIA national team championships.

As for the second dual, a Monday matinee between Northern Michigan and North Central will be well worth tuning in for.

NMU, ranked #19 in the NCAA Coaches poll, brought in a talented recruiting class this offseason. And several of those first-year Wildcats could make a name for themselves with a strong showing against the fourth-ranked Cardinals of North Central – which won National Duals last season in epic fashion.

Weekend schedule

October 30/31st – Falcon Open (Park City, KS)

• NAIA: #3 Ottawa, #5 Wayland Baptist, #9 Missouri Valley, #10 Texas Wesleyan, #11 Oklahoma City, #12 Baker, #13 Bellevue, #14 Doane, #19 Saint Mary, #20 Central Methodist

November 1st – Luther Hill Open (Indianola, IA)

• NCAA: #2 Iowa, #9 Quincy, #12 Fort Hays State, #12 Simpson, #21 Lindenwood

November 1st – Tiffin Open (Tiffin, OH)

• NCAA: #1 McKendree, #7 GVSU, #17 West Liberty

• NAIA: #2 Indiana Tech, #5 Cumberlands, #7 Lindsey Wilson

November 1st – Princeton Open (Princeton, NJ)

• NCAA: #3 Presbyterian, #12 Lock Haven, #12 Eastern

November 1st – ESU Open (East Stroudsburg, PA)

• NCAA: #5 Lehigh, #11 Sacred Heart, #21 Gannon, #23 East Stroudsburg, #24 Delaware State

November 1st – NAIA #4 Life vs. NCAA #5 King (dual)

• Location: Marietta, GA

November 2nd – NCAA #19 Northern Michigan vs. NCAA #4 North Central (dual)

• Location: Marquette, MI