Doug Pfeiler

Pictured: Warriors celebrate teammate's win to qualify for NAIA National Tournament during 2026 CCC Championships

Men's Wrestling 10/31/2026 7:00:00 AM Clayton Messerle, Assistant Athletic Director

Men’s Wrestling Season Preview – Veteran-Led Warriors Eye Another National Leap in 2026-27

SALEM, Ore. – Over the past three seasons, the trajectory of Corban University Men's Wrestling has been impossible to ignore. From producing the program's first national champion to establishing itself as a consistent top-25 presence, the Warriors have steadily elevated their status within both the Cascade Collegiate Conference and the NAIA landscape. Entering the 2026-27 campaign, expectations once again remain high under fourth-year head coach Nolan Harris.

Following a 9-8 dual season, a fifth-place finish at the CCC Championships, and a 17th-place showing at the NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championships, Corban returns three of its five national qualifiers and both of its NAIA All-Americans from a season ago. The Warriors closed the 2025-26 season ranked No. 23 nationally despite outperforming their final ranking at the national tournament for the third consecutive year.

The continued development of the program under Harris has been remarkable. In just three seasons as head coach, he has guided the Warriors to a 25-15 dual record, coached the first individual national champion in program history, six NAIA All-Americans, produced 20 national qualifiers, and helped establish Corban as a program capable of competing with the nation's best.

With an experienced core, a nationally accomplished recruiting class, and proven postseason performers returning throughout the lineup, the Warriors appear poised to continue their ascent among the NAIA's premier wrestling programs.

Season Schedule/Key Matchups

Corban's 2026-27 schedule features a blend of nationally recognized tournaments, challenging CCC duals, and opportunities to test itself against competition from across the West Coast and beyond.

The season opens at the Falcon Open in Wichita, Kansas before the Warriors return to the Pacific Northwest for the Mountaineer Open in La Grande. These early-season tournaments will provide valuable opportunities for veterans and newcomers alike against top-tier grapplers to establish themselves before dual competition begins.

Corban's first home event arrives on November 14th against Southwestern Oregon Community College in an exhibition team result, giving Warrior fans an early glimpse of a squad featuring 15 returners and a talented incoming class.

Conference action begins in Arizona, where the Warriors will face preseason powers Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Hope International University, and Arizona Christian University in a demanding three-dual road swing. These matchups could provide an early indication of where Corban stands within the conference hierarchy, especially given the national rankings associated with both Embry-Riddle (23rd) and Arizona Christian (13th), while Hope International is the top receiving-votes program.

December features another marquee stretch with the Clackamas Open followed by a CCC dual against defending conference champion Southern Oregon University. The Raiders received all 11 first-place votes in the preseason poll and will once again enter the season as the conference's measuring stick.

The Warriors will also compete at the renowned Reno Tournament of Champions before opening the second half of the season with a home CCC dual against Simpson University. Additional tournaments, including the MVC Invitational, Mat 'Cat Open, and Boxer Open, provide numerous opportunities for national-caliber competition prior to the postseason.

The campaign concludes with the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships in Ashland and the NAIA National Championships in Wichita, where Corban will look to build upon last year's top-20 national finish.

Conference Outlook

The CCC once again projects as one of the toughest wrestling conferences in the NAIA.

According to the 2026-27 CCC Coaches' Preseason Poll, Southern Oregon University was unanimously selected as the conference favorite after earning all 11 first-place votes. The University of Providence, Embry-Riddle, and Arizona Christian rounded out the top four positions, while Corban was selected fifth with 73 points.

While fifth may appear modest on paper, the poll reflects the depth of the conference more than any perceived gap between programs. The Warriors sit just two points ahead of Eastern Oregon University, and many of the conference's top programs return nationally ranked talent throughout their lineups.

Corban enters the season with a compelling case to outperform its preseason projection. The Warriors return national qualifiers Antonio Garcia, Isaiah Twait, and Jr Downing, along with experienced starters throughout the lineup. More importantly, every national tournament scorer from last year's team is back for another season.

If the Warriors can successfully replace key departed contributors while maximizing the production of their veteran leaders, another top-half conference finish and national tournament success are well within reach.

Roster Composition

The greatest strength of this year's squad is experience. Corban returns 15 wrestlers from last year's roster, including eight seniors and five juniors. That veteran core is led by two of the NAIA's top competitors in their respective weight classes.

At heavyweight, fifth-year senior Antonio Garcia returns after producing one of the finest seasons in program history. Garcia finished third nationally, earned NAIA All-American honors, collected 29 victories, and recorded 11 pins while cementing himself among the most accomplished wrestlers the program has ever produced.

Senior Isaiah Twait returns following another All-American campaign at 184 pounds. Twait secured a fourth-place national finish, won 30 matches, and earned All-Conference status while collecting his second consecutive All-American honor.

Senior Jr Downing enters the season as another established national qualifier after winning 32 matches last year, the highest total among returning wrestlers. His consistency at either 149 or 157 pounds gives Corban a proven point scorer in the middle weights.

Additional experience comes from returning contributors such as redshirt junior Andres Nicacio, redshirt junior Jesse Rubio, junior Armando Nicacio, senior Gus Menne, and sophomore Mason Thynes, all of whom gained valuable experience against quality competition a year ago.

The Warriors did suffer notable losses with the departures of national qualifiers Blake Runion, Bo Davis, Asaiah Kamplain, and Brayden Boyd. Combined, that quartet totaled 97 victories during the 2025-26 season and accounted for significant postseason experience.

To address those departures, Harris assembled one of the most accomplished recruiting classes in recent program history. The 10-man class includes multiple state champions, district champions, all-state honorees, and collegiate transfer talent from across the western United States.

Transfer RJ Manski arrives from Umpqua Community College with collegiate experience and a decorated California wrestling résumé. Freshmen Hesston Likens, Bradley Bones, Samuel Platz, Damian Fernandez, and Leonardo Michel each enter the program with extensive championship credentials at the high school level.

The balance between proven veterans and high-upside newcomers gives Corban depth throughout virtually every weight class while creating healthy competition for lineup spots from top to bottom.

Warrior Whims (Final Thoughts)

Over the past several years, Corban Men's Wrestling has transformed from a developing program into one with legitimate national expectations.

The Warriors are no longer chasing milestones. They have already produced a national champion, multiple All-Americans, and repeated top-20 national finishes. The next challenge is sustaining that success while taking another step forward as a team.

Few teams in the conference can match the combination of proven national performers, veteran leadership, and incoming talent that Corban brings into the season. With returning All-Americans Antonio Garcia and Isaiah Twait leading the charge, supported by experienced veterans such as Jr Downing and an influx of accomplished newcomers, the Warriors possess the pieces necessary to challenge for postseason success once again.

The road through the CCC remains one of the most difficult in the NAIA, but if Corban continues the trajectory it has established over the past three seasons, another memorable year on the national stage could very well await the Navy and Gold.