10/22/2026 3:00:00 PM | Wrestling
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Just over two weeks out from the start of the 2026-27 campaign, the Southern Conference recognized The Citadel cadet-athlete Gylon Sims as a SoCon Preseason All-Conference selection, good for the senior's second consecutive placement on the distinguished 10-man squad.
Additionally, the league announced the 2026-27 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, positioning The Citadel as sixth overall behind 31 total points. The annual poll is voted on by the SoCon's nine head coaches.
Defending league champion Appalachian State claimed the top spot in the poll with 64 points behind eight first-place votes while perennial SoCon powerhouse Chattanooga slid in at second with 56 points and one first-place vote of their own. Bellarmine picked up third, receiving 51 points, while Gardner-Webb and Davidson captured fourth and fifth, respectively, off 40 and 37 points apiece. VMI (20 points), Campbell (17 points) and Presbyterian (8 points) logged seventh, eighth and ninth in sequence to round out the poll.
After recovering from a preseason injury during his freshman season, Sims served as a pleasant surprise for The Citadel during the 2025 campaign, battling through a number of close scrapes en route to a 16-7 overall mark with a 7-1 record in conference play. A SoCon All-Freshman team selection, the Joilet, Ill., product utilized his No. 2 position in the bracket effectively, cruising through the quarter- and semifinals before locking up the 125 lbs league title behind a tight 7-6 decision in the championship.
A year later as a junior, Sims earned the No. 4 overall seed for the Southern Conference Championship following a competitive regular season, dropping a tight 4-2 decision to eventual title-winner Cooper Flynn in the semifinals.
On the heels of the program's first Southern Conference regular-season title since 2004 following an 11-7 (7-1 SoCon) run, The Citadel returns four key starters in Sims (125 lbs), Teegan Vasquez (133 lbs), Jacob Silka (174 lbs) and Brodie Porter (184 lbs). Under new leadership in the form of first-year head coach Tim McCall, a Wisconsin graduate and North Carolina native, the Bulldogs embark on a challenging schedule featuring three B1G programs -- Purdue, Illinois & Michigan State -- along with fellow major conference contenders Virginia Tech (ACC), Utah Valley (Big 12), North Dakota State (Pac-12), Air Force (Pac-12) and Army (EIWA).
"We've put together a challenging schedule that will test our guys from start to finish," McCall said. "We're going to face some of the best competition in the country, and that's exactly what we want. Every match is an opportunity to grow, face adversity, and prepare ourselves to be at our best when March rolls around."
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Next up, The Citadel launches the 2026-27 campaign on Saturday, Nov. 7 with back-to-back duals against Air Force and Purdue on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown CV-10 before later shifting focus to SoCon competition on Friday, Jan. 8 versus Gardner-Webb. The Bulldogs conclude the season at the Southern Conference Championship, a two-day individual competition slated for Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6 at Kimmel Arena in Asheville, N.C.
The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are set for Thursday, March 18 through Saturday, March 20 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo.
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133 -- TK Davis, Gardner-Webb*
141 -- Aldo Hernandez, Appalachian State*
149 -- Anderson Heap, Davidson*
157 -- Jeb Prechtel, Bellarmine*
165 -- Anthony Conetta, Appalachian State
174 -- Grant O'Dell, Bellarmine*
184 -- Tomas Brooker, Appalachian State*
197 -- Kade Rule, Chattanooga*
285 -- Stephan Monchery, Appalachian State*
* = 2026Â SoCon Champion
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Additionally, the league announced the 2026-27 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, positioning The Citadel as sixth overall behind 31 total points. The annual poll is voted on by the SoCon's nine head coaches.
Defending league champion Appalachian State claimed the top spot in the poll with 64 points behind eight first-place votes while perennial SoCon powerhouse Chattanooga slid in at second with 56 points and one first-place vote of their own. Bellarmine picked up third, receiving 51 points, while Gardner-Webb and Davidson captured fourth and fifth, respectively, off 40 and 37 points apiece. VMI (20 points), Campbell (17 points) and Presbyterian (8 points) logged seventh, eighth and ninth in sequence to round out the poll.
After recovering from a preseason injury during his freshman season, Sims served as a pleasant surprise for The Citadel during the 2025 campaign, battling through a number of close scrapes en route to a 16-7 overall mark with a 7-1 record in conference play. A SoCon All-Freshman team selection, the Joilet, Ill., product utilized his No. 2 position in the bracket effectively, cruising through the quarter- and semifinals before locking up the 125 lbs league title behind a tight 7-6 decision in the championship.
A year later as a junior, Sims earned the No. 4 overall seed for the Southern Conference Championship following a competitive regular season, dropping a tight 4-2 decision to eventual title-winner Cooper Flynn in the semifinals.
On the heels of the program's first Southern Conference regular-season title since 2004 following an 11-7 (7-1 SoCon) run, The Citadel returns four key starters in Sims (125 lbs), Teegan Vasquez (133 lbs), Jacob Silka (174 lbs) and Brodie Porter (184 lbs). Under new leadership in the form of first-year head coach Tim McCall, a Wisconsin graduate and North Carolina native, the Bulldogs embark on a challenging schedule featuring three B1G programs -- Purdue, Illinois & Michigan State -- along with fellow major conference contenders Virginia Tech (ACC), Utah Valley (Big 12), North Dakota State (Pac-12), Air Force (Pac-12) and Army (EIWA).
"We've put together a challenging schedule that will test our guys from start to finish," McCall said. "We're going to face some of the best competition in the country, and that's exactly what we want. Every match is an opportunity to grow, face adversity, and prepare ourselves to be at our best when March rolls around."
  Â
Next up, The Citadel launches the 2026-27 campaign on Saturday, Nov. 7 with back-to-back duals against Air Force and Purdue on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown CV-10 before later shifting focus to SoCon competition on Friday, Jan. 8 versus Gardner-Webb. The Bulldogs conclude the season at the Southern Conference Championship, a two-day individual competition slated for Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6 at Kimmel Arena in Asheville, N.C.
The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are set for Thursday, March 18 through Saturday, March 20 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo.
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2026-27 SoCon Wrestling Preseason Poll
| Rank | School (First-Place Votes) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appalachian State (8) | 64 |
| 2 | Chattanooga (1) | 56 |
| 3 | Bellarmine | 51 |
| 4 | Gardner-Webb | 40 |
| 5 | Davidson | 37 |
| 6 | The Citadel | 31 |
| 7 | VMI | 20 |
| 8 | Campbell | 17 |
| 9 | Presbyterian | 8 |
2026-27Â SoCon Wrestling Preseason All-Conference TeamÂ
125 -- Gylon Sims, The Citadel133 -- TK Davis, Gardner-Webb*
141 -- Aldo Hernandez, Appalachian State*
149 -- Anderson Heap, Davidson*
157 -- Jeb Prechtel, Bellarmine*
165 -- Anthony Conetta, Appalachian State
174 -- Grant O'Dell, Bellarmine*
184 -- Tomas Brooker, Appalachian State*
197 -- Kade Rule, Chattanooga*
285 -- Stephan Monchery, Appalachian State*
* = 2026Â SoCon Champion
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-- #NextDogUp --
Players Mentioned
Monday, January 26
Monday, January 26
Monday, January 26
Friday, December 19
