LANCASTER, Pa. – After capturing its first-ever Centennial Conference title in 2019-20, defending champion Washington and Lee has been selected as the preseason favorite in a vote among conference head coaches. The Generals secured four first-place votes and 34 points to narrowly edge Muhlenberg for the top position. 

The Mules received the three other first-place tallies and totaled 32 points to finish second in the preseason prognostication. Merchant Marine landed in third with 27 points, followed by Ursinus (20), Johns Hopkins (15), McDaniel (12), and Gettysburg (7) in fourth through seventh, respectively. 

All seven Centennial teams begin their campaigns in early November, with most opening up competition the weekend of Nov. 6-7. The Centennial Conference Championship is set for Saturday, Feb. 12 at Johns Hopkins. NCAA Regionals will take place Feb. 26-27, with the NCAA Championships slated for March 11-12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

2021-22 Schedule | 2020 Championship Results | 2020 All-Centennial Team | Record Book

The 2019-20 Centennial Conference wrestling season witnessed the first-ever CC title for Washington and Lee as the Generals became the seventh team in conference history to claim the team title. Despite capturing only one individual title at the 2020 championship, Washington and Lee displayed its depth with four runners-up and three third-place finishers en route to the crown. 

Just 15 points separated first and fourth place in the team standings at the 2020 championship, the closest one-through -our finish in the 27-year history of the event. This season figures to be another close battle for the top spot with a host of all-conference performers and key contributors returning to the mat from multiple CC teams. 

Four All-Americans, two regional champions, three regional runner-ups and eight All-Centennial wrestlers are back this winter, headlined by Johns Hopkins' Dominick Reyes. In 2020, Reyes earned a lengthy list of accolades at the 165-pound weight class including second team All-America, regional champion, Centennial champion and CC Wrestler of the Year. Reyes is the lone two-time All-Centennial performer back in the fold this year, having also earned honorable mention honors at 157 pounds in 2019. 

In addition to Reyes, other returning All-Americans include Washington and Lee's Ryan Luth (2020 first team), Muhlenberg's Luca Colestock (2020 first team), and Merchant Marine's Dominick Esposito (2020 third team). Luth was the 2020 regional champion at 157, while Esposito and Colestock were both regional runners-up. 

Other All-Centennial returners include Ursinus' Terry Adams, Merchant Marine's Caleb Kreitter, Washington and Lee's Charlie Cunningham, and McDaniel's Alex LaVeck. 

2021-22 Centennial Conference Wrestling Preseason Poll