Ten storylines to watch in NJCAA wrestling

Indian Hills has owned junior college women’s wrestling. Last March, the Warriors won their sixth straight national title at the NJCAA Women’s Wrestling National Championships in Council Bluffs, Iowa, scoring 229 points to hold off Southeast at 203.5. Iowa Central, Umpqua and Murray State rounded out the top five.

HerMat released its 2026-27 preseason NJCAA rankings on Thursday, including individual rankings in all 11 weight classes, tournament and dual meet team rankings and a top 10 pound-for-pound list. Indian Hills is once again the team to beat, but there is plenty of intrigue behind the Warriors, from a rising power in Oklahoma to a new program with a national champion in charge.

Here are 10 storylines to watch in NJCAA wrestling.

Indian Hills reigns supreme and begins at No. 1

There has only been one champion in junior college women’s wrestling. Indian Hills has won every national title, including two before the NJCAA officially sanctioned the sport, and the Warriors open the 2026-27 season ranked No. 1 in both the HerMat tournament rankings and dual meet rankings. Indian Hills has produced 18 national champions over the past six seasons, and two of them are back. Gabriela Avila Diaz won the program’s first title at 124 pounds as a freshman last March and is ranked No. 1. Azreal Smith won the program’s fourth straight title at 235 pounds and is also ranked No. 1. Two national runners-up from last season also hold the top spot: Kaylea Beauchamp (131) and Jasmine Wolfe (138). The Warriors have 13 ranked wrestlers, second only to Southeast’s 14. Not all of the talent is proven. True freshmen Heklanys Rivera (103) and Vera Spencer (117) are ranked sixth and third, respectively, and Indian Hills has several weight classes filled with young, talented wrestlers who have yet to compete at the college level. The Warriors don’t have a ranked wrestler at 160 pounds, for example. If history is any indication, that won’t stay the case for long. Until someone knocks them off, the Warriors are the prohibitive favorite.

Murray State continues its rise under Mayfield

Murray State has become a fixture near the top of the national standings under the guidance of head coach Paul Mayfield. The Aggies placed fifth at nationals last March and open the season ranked No. 5 in both the tournament and dual meet rankings. Murray State has 11 ranked wrestlers, led by a loaded 103-pound weight class. Vivian Hayes, the national runner-up at 103 pounds last season, is ranked No. 2. Right behind her is teammate Dixie Holliday, who is moving down from 110 pounds after reaching the national finals there last March. Holliday is ranked No. 3, giving the Aggies two of the top three wrestlers in the weight class. Abigail Rivero is ranked No. 2 at 117 pounds, while Caris Morris, who placed fifth at 180 pounds last season, is ranked No. 3. Adrianna Chronister (145) and Kristen DeLarosa (110) are each ranked in the top five. Zolie Kurena, a sixth-place finisher last March, is ranked No. 7 at 138 pounds. Murray State has the depth to push for a trophy. Keep an eye on the Aggies.

Southeast is a legitimate national title contender

Southeast placed second at nationals last March, 25.5 points behind Indian Hills, and head coach Jake Hamilton was named NJCAA Women’s Coach of the Year by The Open Mat. Hamilton has guided the program to new heights, and the Bobcats open the season ranked No. 3 in the tournament rankings and No. 2 in the dual meet rankings with 14 ranked wrestlers, the most of any team in the country. There is one big question mark. Returning national champion Emma Albanese, who won the title at 117 pounds last March, has been battling an elbow injury and may not compete this season. Her status remains uncertain. Southeast also has one of the most interesting teammate battles in the country at 160 pounds, where Billie Bonwell is ranked No. 1 and Anyia Roberts is ranked No. 2. Both are All-Americans. Roberts went 5-0 against Bonwell during the regular season last year and defeated her again at the team’s intrasquad match this fall. However, Bonwell claimed the national title in March, while Roberts placed third. Roberts and Bertha Cabrera, who placed fourth last March and is ranked No. 5 at 103 pounds, are two of the team captains, along with true freshmen Britney Rueb and Stella Harbols. Rueb is ranked No. 3 at 131 pounds, and Harbols is ranked No. 10 at 145 pounds. Diesel Janovich (180) and Kate Doughty (138) are each ranked in the top five.

Umpqua should be in the mix for a high finish

Umpqua has established itself as a national power, and the RiverHawks open the season ranked No. 2 in the tournament rankings and No. 3 in the dual meet rankings. Umpqua placed fourth at nationals last March and has 12 ranked wrestlers. The program is led by returning national champion Kailey Salazar, who is ranked No. 1 at 110 pounds. Brianna Ross, who placed third at 124 pounds last March, is ranked No. 1 at 117 pounds. Evelina Juzenaite, a fourth-place finisher at 145 pounds, is ranked No. 2, as is Addison Canja at 180 pounds. Svea Gonzalez is ranked No. 4 at 124 pounds. The RiverHawks could get even better once the Austin sisters, Baya and Gabby, take the mat. Both true freshmen are unranked in the preseason, but expect them to break into the rankings once they compete. Look for Umpqua to be in the mix for a trophy in March.

Iowa Central is led by three No. 1-ranked wrestlers

Iowa Central placed third at nationals last March and opens the season ranked No. 4 in both the tournament and dual meet rankings. The Tritons are led by three No. 1-ranked wrestlers. Erica Pastoriza, the returning national champion at 103 pounds, is ranked No. 1. Valerie Hamilton is No. 1 at 145 pounds, and Harmoni Callins, who placed fourth last March, is No. 1 at 207 pounds. Brooklynn Huggins (110) and Jeream Estabilio (124) are each ranked No. 3, while Destiny Krum (138) and Lucy Kohnen (160) are each ranked No. 4. Iowa Central has eight ranked wrestlers, which is fewer than the other teams in the top five. Don’t read too much into that number. The Tritons’ roster is loaded with talent. Look for more of their wrestlers to break into the rankings as the season progresses.

Colby continues to climb under Ruiz

Few programs have made more progress than Colby. Under the guidance of head coach Michael Ruiz, the Trojans continue to raise the level of the program, and they open the season ranked No. 6 in the tournament rankings and No. 7 in the dual meet rankings. Colby has 10 ranked wrestlers, which is more than Iowa Central. Kaylen McAtee is ranked No. 3 at 160 pounds, while Isabella Garrity (117) and Emma Parker (131) are each ranked No. 4. Aspen Sharpe (110) and November Litzin (207) are each ranked No. 6. Atavia Cain (145), Addysin Mollendor (117) and Cristina Palacio Martinez (103) are ranked seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively. Colby doesn’t have a returning national champion, but its depth gives the Trojans a chance to pile up All-Americans in March.

Second-semester additions could shake things up

The preseason rankings don’t tell the whole story. Several notable wrestlers are expected to join their teams in the second semester, and a few of them could change the national picture. Iowa Central is hoping to get 180-pounder Mahalia Adams back second semester, which would add another weapon to a team already led by three No. 1-ranked wrestlers. Iowa Western, ranked No. 9 in the tournament rankings and No. 6 in the dual meet rankings, is expected to get Audre Herron back second semester. Herron was the national runner-up at 207 pounds last March. Southeastern Community College in Iowa, under the guidance of new head coach Kolton Kersten, is hoping to get Evelyn Phillips back next semester. Phillips placed fourth at 138 pounds last season. Keep an eye on new roster additions when the calendar flips to January.

Rose State makes its debut under Powell

Rose State College is one of the newest programs in the NJCAA, and it has a big name in charge. Jason Powell, an NCAA champion and three-time All-American at Nebraska, is leading the program in its first season. Rose State does not have any ranked wrestlers in the preseason, but that could change quickly. The roster is filled with state placers, and two wrestlers to keep an eye on are Neveah Reyes at 138 pounds and Kylie Freeman at 160 pounds. Don’t be surprised if a few Raiders break into the rankings later this season.

Freshman phenoms are ready to make an immediate impact

Several true freshmen are expected to make an immediate impact this season, and many of them are already ranked near the top of their weight classes. Southwestern Michigan’s Cecilia Williams is ranked No. 2 at 124 pounds, right behind Indian Hills’ Avila Diaz. Indian Hills’ Spencer is ranked No. 3 at 117 pounds, and her teammate Rivera is ranked No. 6 at 103 pounds. Southeast has two blue-chip newcomers in Rueb, ranked No. 3 at 131 pounds, and Doughty, ranked No. 5 at 138 pounds. Umpqua’s Austin sisters are expected to make their presence felt once they compete. Several other true freshmen with multiple state titles and national credentials are spread across rosters throughout the country. Some of them will be wrestling for All-America honors in March.

Iowa Central has two of the top three pound-for-pound wrestlers

Iowa Central’s Pastoriza, the returning national champion at 103 pounds, is ranked No. 1 in HerMat’s top 10 pound-for-pound rankings. Indian Hills’ Avila Diaz is No. 2, and Pastoriza’s teammate, Valerie Hamilton, is No. 3, giving the Tritons two of the top three wrestlers on the list. Hamilton is ranked No. 3 despite a disappointing national tournament last March. The Iowa Central standout spent much of last season ranked No. 1 in the pound-for-pound rankings and defeated multiple NJCAA national champions along the way. She did not reach the podium in Council Bluffs after sustaining an injury, but her body of work kept her near the top of the list, and she opens this season ranked No. 1 at 145 pounds. Umpqua’s Salazar is No. 4. Southeast teammates Bonwell (No. 5) and Roberts (No. 6) are back-to-back, as are Murray State’s Hayes (No. 7) and Holliday (No. 8). Indian Hills’ Wolfe (No. 9) and Smith (No. 10) round out the list, giving the Warriors three wrestlers in the top 10. Interestingly, three of the top eight wrestlers on the list compete at 103 pounds, and seven of the 10 are ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes. The exceptions are Roberts, ranked No. 2 at 160 pounds behind Bonwell, and Hayes and Holliday, who are ranked behind Pastoriza at 103 pounds. If Hamilton can carry her regular season success into March, she should capture the national title that eluded her last season.