LANCASTER, Pa. – Two-time defending champion Ursinus has been selected as the favorite to three-peat in the Centennial Conference Wrestling Preseason Poll. The Bears secured four first-place votes and totaled 23 points in the annual vote among conference head coaches.
Muhlenberg and McDaniel also nabbed first-place votes to finish second and third in the voting with 21 and 18 points, respectively. Merchant Marine (12), Gettysburg (11) and Johns Hopkins (5) rounded out the voting.
The 2024-25 season opens up this weekend with all six CC teams in action at invitationals. Johns Hopkins, McDaniel and Ursinus will compete at the Messiah Invitational, Gettysburg and Muhlenberg will head to the Tonee Ellis Memorial Tournament at Alvernia, and Merchant Marine will open up at the Ned McGinley Invitational at King's.
Conference dual action will begin in January, with the CC championship set for Saturday, Feb. 15 at Gettysburg.
2024-25 Centennial Conference Wrestling Preseason Poll
| Rank | Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Ursinus (4) |
23 |
| 2. Muhlenberg (1) |
21 |
| 3. McDaniel (1) |
18 |
| 4. Merchant Marine |
12 |
| 5. Gettysburg |
11 |
| 6. Johns Hopkins |
5 |
2024-25 Schedule | 2024 Championship Results | 2024 All-Centennial Team | NWCA Rankings
Ursinus captured its second consecutive and 13th overall Centennial Conference championship last winter, totaling 93 points on the strength of two individual titles and five runner-up finishes. The Bears defeated second-place McDaniel by 23 points as the Green Terror finished as the runners-up for the second year in a row.
The Bears' 13 titles leads the CC all-time list and is eight more than the next-closest team (5 titles from former associate member Stevens).
A lengthly list of accomplished and talented wrestlers return to the conference this winter, with five All-Americans, eight NCAA qualifiers and 19 All-Centennial performers back in the fold. Five CC wrestlers are ranked in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) preseason individual national rankings while 19 are ranked regionally to begin the season.
Returning All-Americans include McDaniel's Xavier Howard (157) and Thomas Monn (149), Gettysburg's Luke Kowalski (141), and Muhlenberg's Joey Lamparelli (125) and Anson Dewar (174). Howard is the lone wrestler of the group who earned All-America status last year, with the other four earning the honor at the 2023 national championships.
Monn is the two-time reigning Centennial Wrestler of the Year and will aim to become the first-ever three-time recipient of that award this winter. Monn was the top CC finisher at 2023 nationals, taking sixth, after winning the Mideast regional crown. Monn enters the year ranked second in the region at 149 by the NWCA.
Howard is the top-ranked wrestler in the conference entering the year, coming in at No. 6 in the 157-pound rankings by the NWCA. Howard placed eighth at 157 at nationals last year after winning the Mideast Regional crown.
Muhlenberg's Lamparelli (8th at 125), Frank DiEsso (12th at 133) and Dewar (15th at 174) along with Merchant Marine's Reid Garrison (8th at 285) round out the preseason list of wrestlers in the national rankings.
Monn, Kowalski, Lamparelli and Muhlenberg's Brandon Bowles are each two-time national qualifiers.
Returning All-Americans (5)
Luke Kowalski, Gettysburg, Gr., 133 (2023 7th place)
Xavier Howard, McDaniel, Sr., 157 (2024 8th place)
Thomas Monn, McDaniel, Jr., 149 (2023 6th place)
Joey Lamparelli, Muhlenberg, Gr., 125 (2023 8th place)
Anson Dewar, Muhlenberg, Sr., 174 (2023 8th place)
Returning NCAA Qualifiers (8)
Luke Kowalski, Gettysburg, Gr., 133 (2022 & 2023)
Jake Hoffman, Johns Hopkins, Jr., 157/165 (2024)
Thomas Monn, McDaniel, Jr., 149 (2023 & 2024)
Xavier Howard, McDaniel, Sr., 157 (2024)
Reid Garrison, Merchant Marine, Sr., 285 (2024)
Joey Lamparelli, Muhlenberg, Gr., 125 (2022 & 2023)
Brandon Bowles, Muhlenberg, Sr., 157 (2022 & 2023)
Anson Dewar, Muhlenberg, Sr., 174 (2023)
Returning All-Centennial (19)
Luke Kowalski, Gettysburg, Gr., 133 (2024 First Team, 2023 First Team)
Gavin Pascoe, Gettysburg, So., 157 (2024 Second Team)
Chris Roybal, Johns Hopkins, Gr., 165/174 (2024 Second Team, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Thomas Monn, McDaniel, Jr., 149 (2024 Wrestler OTY, 2024 First Team, 2023 Wrestler OTY, 2023 Rookie OTY, 2023 First Team)
Xavier Howard, McDaniel, Sr., 157 (2024 First Team, 2023 Second Team)
Reid Garrison, Merchant Marine, Sr., 285 (2024 First Team, 2023 First Team)
Tyler Withers, Merchant Marine, So., 184 (2024 First Team)
Charlie Lausten, Merchant Marine, Sr., 141 (2023 Second Team)
Eddie Pinc, Merchant Marine, Sr., 149 (2023 Second Team, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Cade Cowley, Merchant Marine, Sr., 174 (2023 Second Team)
Joey Lamparelli, Muhlenberg, Gr., 125 (2024 First Team, 2023 First Team)
Frank DiEsso, Muhleenberg, Sr., 133 (2024 First Team)
Brandon Bowles, Muhlenberg, Sr., 157 (2023 First Team)
Anson Dewar, Muhlenberg, Sr., 174 (2023 First Team)
Andrew Loniewski, Muhlenberg, So., 141 (2024 Second Team)
Ryan Fairchild, Muhlenberg, Jr., 184 (2024 Second Team)
Sean Cowan, Ursinus, So., 174 (2024 Rookie OTY, 2024 First Team)
Franco Mazza, Ursinus, Sr., 125 (2024 Second Team)
Nils Updale, Ursinus, Jr., 197 (2024 Second Team)
