NEWBERRY, S.C. — Newberry College wrestling starts its 2026-27 season Sunday with a trip to the Georgia Open, and the Wolves head into the year as one of the teams expected to challenge for the Conference Carolinas crown.
League head coaches slotted Newberry in a tie with UNC Pembroke for second place in the preseason poll, with both schools at 164 points. Newberry drew four first-place votes. Lander, the five-time defending league champion, sits on top with 191 points and 10 of the 15 first-place votes.
The Wolves went 12-5 last winter and placed third in the East Division. This roster leans on age: 11 seniors and graduate students are back.
The headliner is Aliazar Alicea, a Kutztown transfer who enters the year ranked No. 9 in the nation at 149 pounds. Two newcomers add punch. Osmany Martinez, a Division I transfer from Iowa State, wrestles at 141 and is a two-time Pan American Junior Champion. A freshman from Aurora, Ohio, who is a multiple-time Ohio state qualifier slots in at 165.
Head coach Deral Brown said his group has been working hard and is eager to compete. Emmanuel University hosts the Georgia Open in Franklin Springs, Georgia, with action starting at 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 8.
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