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Men's Wrestling 10/23/2025 2:47:00 PM Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Golden Knights Enter Season Ranked Tenth in NWCA Div. II Preseason Poll

Echevarria leads five wrestlers in individual rankings

MANHEIM, Pa. – The National Wrestling Coaches Association today released its 2025-26 NCAA Division II Men's Wrestling Coaches Preseason Rankings with Gannon appearing in the top ten. Head coach Tom Boyd's team will begin the year ranked tenth in Division II after finishing 16th at last year's National Championships.

Defending national champion Nebraska Kearney is the preseason favorite in Division II. Loper is second with Pitt-Johnstown third. The PSAC has three teams in the top team with Kutztown ranked seventh.

The individual rankings feature five Golden Knights. Leading the way is two-time All-American Jerry Echevarria (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach). The senior is ranked second at 133 lbs. after placing seventh a year ago and fifth in 2023-24. He finished with a 27-6 record a year ago.

Logan Sallot (Erie, PA/McDowell High School) begins his second year as a Golden Knight ranked seventh at 125 lbs. The redshirt sophomore earned a trip to Nationals thanks to a second-place showing at the Super Region 1 Tournament and ended with a 24-8 record.

Redshirt sophomore Patrick Jackson (Harpers Ferry, WV/Spring Mills High), like Sallot a former transfer from Lock Haven, is ranked ninth at 184 lbs. Jackson also earned a berth at Nationals a year ago while competing at 174 lbs. He ended the season with a 22-8 record, winning the Super Region 1 title and being named the PSAC Freshman of the Year.

Gannon's lineup has been bolstered by a pair of transfers from Mercyhurst and both appear in the preseason poll. Dillon Walker (Mason, Ohio/Mason), a redshirt senior, takes over for Jackson at 174 lbs. and enters the season ranked eighth. He was a two-time national qualifier for the Lakers.

Jake Niffenegger (Mason, Ohio/La Salle) was a two-time All-American while competing for the Lakers, finishing sixth at 141 lbs. in 2023-24 and seventh in 2022-23. He competed at Indianapolis last year but redshirted. The redshirt junior begins the season ranked ninth at 141 lbs.
Gannon opens the 2025-26 campaign on Saturday, November 1 in the Mount Union Invitational.

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Players Mentioned

Jerry Echevarria: 133; Redshirt Senior

Patrick Jackson: 184; Redshirt Sophomore

Logan Sallot: 125; 5' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore

Jake Niffenegger: 141; Redshirt Junior

Dillon Walker: 174; Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Jerry Echevarria
: Redshirt Senior
: 133

Patrick Jackson
: Redshirt Sophomore
: 184

Logan Sallot
: 5' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore
: 125

Jake Niffenegger
: Redshirt Junior
: 141

Dillon Walker
: Redshirt Senior
: 174