WC’s Tackett, Pierce, Collins, McCoy receive regional rankings from NWCA
Wilmington Quakers wrestling had four wrestlers ranked in the latest individual Region 4 rankings from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), as announced Tuesday.
Senior Caleb Tackett makes his first appearance in the 285-pound poll at No. 5, and freshman Ryder Pierce makes his third entry in the 197-pound poll at No. 6. Both freshmen Jackson Collins and Thane McCoy are slotted in the same positions that they had in the last rankings, Collins at No. 7 in the 141-pound class and McCoy at No. 8 in the 157-pound class.
Tackett has not wrestled this season but finished sixth at the 2024 NCAA Central Regionals at 197 pounds. Tackett led the team last year going 7-7, scoring three falls and two technical falls and a runner-up finish at the Storm Open in Painesville, Ohio.
Pierce is 7-5 overall this season, and 4-2 in duals. In both previous polls, he was ranked No. 6, and is the only wrestler from Wilmington to appear in every in-season NWCA regional ranking. He is second on the team with four wins by fall and his seven victories are third on the team.
Collins is 3-1 overall this season, with all his matches coming in dual action. The Averett University Cougar Duals was his first action of the season. He won two matches by fall and his other by decision. He defeated Mauricio Reyes of Averett in his first match of the season by way of 11-7 decision, and Reyes is also ranked at 141 pounds in Region 4 at No. 8.
McCoy leads the Quakers with nine wins this season and four tech. falls and sits at 9-6 overall this season and 6-2 in duals. He has wrestled all but one match at 157 pounds, with the other at 165 pounds. He has wrestled a pair of matches against regionally ranked opponents this season. Ramiro Guerrero of The University of Olivet is ranked No. 4 in Region 5 at 157, and McCoy had a high-scoring 23-18 decision loss to him at the season-opening Trine Invitational. His other match was against Xavier Swanson of Averett, who is ranked No. 6 in Region 4 at 165 pounds, where he lost by major decision, 10-1.
Wilmington is back on the mats Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the University of Mount Union in dual action at 7 p.m.
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