INDIANAPOLIS—A handful of teams and individuals from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference were recognized prior to the start of the 2023-24 season by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).
 
The conference will feature six programs in the sport this season: Ashland, Findlay, Kentucky Wesleyan, Lake Erie, Thomas More, and Tiffin.
 
Tiffin will be host for the Great Midwest Wrestling Championship falling on Saturday, Jan. 27. The championship will be a bracket style tournament mirroring the super region format in the league’s sixth year of offering the sport.
 
Lake Erie leads all Great Midwest schools with a No. 7 team ranking.
 
Lake Erie is anchored by a duo of senior All-Americans, Christian Small at 149 and James Penfold at 174. Small earned runner-up status at the national meet last year, before falling to G-MAC opponent Zack Donathan. Small is preseason ranked No. 5 in the 149 lbs. weight class. Penfold comes into the 2023-24 year as the preseason favorite for the 174 lbs. weight class. Last season, he qualified for the national tournament, where he went 2-1 and earned All-American status for the second consecutive year. Ryan Wehner, Corey Gamet, Jack Haskin, and Brylan Clouse all landed in the top 12 of their weight class in the preseason rankings.
 
Tiffin is ranked 12^th and the Dragons have four individuals ranked in their respective weight classes, including reigning National Champion Zack Donathan. Donathan posted a season record of 14-1 during the 2022-23 year and earned Great Midwest Wrestler of the Year honors after his championship run. Casey Barnett placed third in the 157 lbs. weight class, according to the NWCA rankings. Barnett earned first-team all-conference honors last year and finished with an overall record of 19-6. Connor Twigg and Jake Noon are also among some of the top returners for the Dragons.
 
The Eagles from Ashland University placed tied for 15^th in the preseason poll, with two individuals in the top 12 nationally. Daniel Beemer is second at 184 pounds after finishing third at the national meet last season and earning All-American status. Sophomore Nate Barrett is fourth at 174 pounds. Last season, the Eagles placed 20^th at the Division II national meet.
 
Reigning Great Midwest Champions Findlay is receiving votes in the national poll after winning their first program title last season. Graham Shore is a top returner for the Roughnecks, ranked No. 9 in the 125 lbs. weight class. Shore is coming off a successful season, where he earned Wrestler of the Meet honors at the 2022-23 conference championship.
 
The start of the Great Midwest wrestling season will begin this weekend (Nov. 4) as five teams will compete in opening tournaments.