By: SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon University men's wrestling team will open 2026-27 with championship aspirations and its highest ranking in 12 seasons, coming in at No. 2 in Thursday's NAIA Top 25 preseason coaches' poll.
The poll, generated based on points accumulated by individual rankings, had Grand View (Iowa) – which has captured 14 of the last 15 national titles – at No. 1 with 243 points, followed by SOU with 218.
The Raiders maxed out with 12 representatives in the individual Top 25 polls, including eight with top-10 designations. Senior
Asher Ruchti claimed the No. 1 spot at 197 pounds after reaching the national finals a season ago. Sophomore
Isaac Hampton, another 2026 finalist, is No. 2 at 125.
The Raiders won their second straight Cascade Conference title and placed seventh as a team at the NAIA Championships last season. They have eight national qualifiers back from that squad and brought back a pair of 2025 qualifiers who redshirted and are now back in the rankings: No. 7
Vonn Fenn (125) and No. 9
Simon Graeber (133).
The CCC had five more teams in the poll: No. 5 Providence (Mont.), No. 13 Arizona Christian, No. 18 Montana State-Northern, No. 21 Corban and No. 23 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.).
SOU starts the season Oct. 31 in Redding, Calif., at the Simpson Duals.
SOU INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
125 – No. 2
Isaac Hampton, No. 7
Vonn Fenn
133 – No. 9
Simon Graeber
141 – No. 3
Tyler Rhue, No. 14
Dylan Clark
149 – No. 10
Kolton Malone
157 – No. 16
Aaron Concepcion
174 – No. 3
Braylin Ruchti
184 – No. 13
Jackson Potts
197 – No. 1
Asher Ruchti, No. 7
Elias Corona
285 – No. 21
Sebastian Echeverria
NAIA TOP 25
| RANK |
SCHOOL |
POINTS |
| 1 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
243 |
| 2 |
Southern Oregon |
218 |
| T-3 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
201 |
| T-3 |
Life (Ga.) |
201 |
| 5 |
Providence (Mont.) |
165 |
| 6 |
Oklahoma City |
139 |
| 7 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
121 |
| T-8 |
Indiana Tech |
116 |
| T-8 |
Friends (Kan.) |
116 |
| T-10 |
Marian (Ind.) |
114 |
| T-10 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
114 |
| 12 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
111 |
| 13 |
Arizona Christian |
102 |
| 14 |
Doane (Neb.) |
91 |
| 15 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
90 |
| 16 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
81 |
| 17 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
80 |
| 18 |
Montana State-Northern |
79 |
| 19 |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
78 |
| 20 |
Missouri Valley |
74 |
| 21 |
Corban (Ore.) |
65 |
| 22 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
62 |
| 23 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
60 |
| 24 |
Andrew (Ga.) |
53 |
| 25 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
44 |
