SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 5, 2025) – With the 2025-26 Western New England men's wrestling schedule set to begin this coming Saturday, multiple organizations have released its first preseason rankings of the season, including the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) and d3wrestling.com, seeing multiple Golden Bears ranked to begin the season. 

WNE graduate student Charles Maloy has been honored by multiple organizations to begin the season, including d3wrestle.com on the 197 lb. weight class honorable mention team, which ranks student-athletes from across Division III. Maloy is the first Golden Bear to be recognized on the d3wrestle.com ranks since Jaylen Hawkins was honored in 2023. Maloy sits at the top of the NWCA Region I Ranks in the weight class, as well as the NEWA ranks. 

Senior Clayton O'Connor is sixth overall in the NWCA and NEWA ranks for the Golden Bears to begin the season in the 133 lb. weight class. O'Connor picked up 21 wins for the Golden Bears during the season last year, coming up with seven major decisions, five falls, and four technical falls. O'Connor bumps up to the 133 lb. weight class this season after spending three seasons in the 125 lb. weight class for WNE. 

Senior Austin Monteiro also sits sixth overall in the NWCA and NEWA rankings, wrestling in the 141 lb. weight class. Monteiro came on strong to end the season last year, picking up nine victories overall, three falls, three decisions, a technical fall, and a major decision victory. Monteiro's season as a sophomore saw him win 27 matches overall and place eighth in the NCAA DIII Northeast Regional event. 

Sophomore James Linder had an outstanding first year in blue and gold, coming away with 23 victories, sitting fourth most on the team. Linder ranks fifth in the NWCA and NEWA rankings to open the season. A native of Oakdale, Connecticut, Linder wrestled all his matches at 149 lbs. last season and is expected to do the same in 2025-26. Linder placed eighth on the regional stage last season and was tied for a team-high in decision victories with nine.  

Colin Carlin ranks sixth overall in the opening preseason ranks in the 157 lb. weight class for Western New England. Carlin is also coming off an impressive first year for the Golden Bears last season, a year that saw the Glenville, New York, native pick up 26 victories, seven technical falls, tied for a team high, as well as eight decisions, five falls, and four major decisions. Carlin was named NEWA Rookie of the Week once last season and will look to continue dominating the mat this coming season. 

David Lisk also sits sixth in the most recent NWCA and NEWA rankings. Lisk put together 27 victories last season, tying for a team high. Lisk wrestled in the 174 lb. weight class to begin last season before dropping down to the 165 lb. weight class, where he dominated his competition, coming up with a 10-1 record overall. Lisk placed third at the NEWA Futures Tournament in the 165 lb. weight class to end his season last year. 

Graduate Student Jaylen Hawkins will sport the blue and gold one final time this season, sitting in fifth place in the NWCA and NEWA rankings to start the season. Hawkins picked up ten wins last season in limited action, starting his campaign after the new year, which saw the Danbury, Connecticut, native take seventh place overall in the 184 lb. weight class at the NCAA Division III Regional event.

The New England Wrestling Association also released its NEWA Conference Team Tournament Rankings, seeing the Western New England men's wrestling team take sixth place out of 18 teams ranked. These rankings will count for seeding at the NEWA Duals Tournament, which is scheduled for January 25 at Johnson & Wales University. 

The 2025-26 season will begin on Saturday, November 8, at the Racich Rumble, hosted by Ursinus College.