The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) announced its 2025-26 Men's Wrestling Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday morning, with Keiser University landing at No. 4 in the conference rankings heading into the new season.
The poll, voted on by the league's ten head coaches, positions the Seahawks among the top programs in one of the NAIA's toughest wrestling conferences, behind Southeastern, Life, and Reinhardt.
A Look Back at Year One Under Coach Manion
The 2024-25 season marked the first under Head Coach
Cole Manion, as he began building the foundation of Keiser's young but rapidly improving program. The Seahawks finished the year 2-4 in duals and 1-3 in AAC competition, showing steady progress as the season unfolded.
Despite being one of the younger programs in the conference, Keiser made noise on the national stage thanks to standout performances from
Jett McCauley and Angel Hernandez, both of whom qualified for the NAIA National Championships.
National Spotlight for McCauley and Hernandez
- Freshman Jett McCauley opened his collegiate career with an impressive run, winning the Freshman/Sophomore Bracket at 197 lbs. at the Pepsi Open. He went on to post a 27-16 overall record, becoming just the second true freshman in program history to qualify for nationals.
- McCauley's 27 wins all came by bonus-point victory, including 14 pins (a new Keiser single-season and career record), 10 technical falls, and three major decisions, a remarkable feat for a true competitor.
- Senior Angel Hernandez capped his career with a stellar season, finishing 20-9 with three wins over ranked opponents, including a 4-3 decision over No. 5 Matt Jenkins in the semifinals at the AAC Tournament.
- Hernandez advanced to Day Two of the NAIA National Tournament, falling just one match short of All-American honors in the blood round.
- Both wrestlers showcased the growing competitiveness of Keiser's lineup on the national stage.
Building Toward Year Two
With Head Coach Manion entering his second season at the helm, the Seahawks return a solid core of experienced wrestlers alongside a strong incoming class. The focus this year will be on building consistency in duals and pushing deeper into the AAC standings.
Keiser's rising national presence, coupled with the return of McCauley and several developing underclassmen, positions the Seahawks as one of the conference's most promising programs heading into the 2025-26 campaign.
"The 2025-2026 season is one that I'm really excited for. I think we travel further than any other team in the country but that's because we're trying to seek out the best competition in the country. This is going to get us battle tested for the postseason and we'll be ready. We have a bunch of young and extremely talented ground of young men and I'm really looking forward to seeing how they do this year"
2025-26 AAC Men's Wrestling Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Southeastern |
205 |
| 2 |
Life University |
203 |
| 3 |
Reinhardt University |
134 |
| 4 |
Keiser University |
102 |
| 5 |
Brewton-Parker (GA) |
78 |
| 6 |
St. Thomas University |
57 |
| 7 |
Truett-McConnell |
46 |
| 8 |
Pikeville |
45 |
| 9 |
Montreat College |
36 |
| 10 |
WVU Tech (W.Va.) |
21 |
Up Next
The Seahawks will start their season with the Blue vs. White Intrasquad Dual at home on Nov. 24th and then will open their 2025-26 campaign in Williamsburg, KY on November 1st, at the Pepsi Patriot Open, as they look to build upon last year's success and continue establishing themselves among the AAC and national best.
