While Division I programs often grab national headlines, the heart and soul of local collegiate competition burns just as hot at the NCAA Division III level.
Within the 50-mile radius, eight Division III programs, five men’s teams and four women’s teams, are creating their own legacies, raising the bar for the region, and providing local student-athletes with a next level platform to chase both national glory and academic excellence. As the 2026-27 campaign approaches, these eight squads across five institutions are set to make noise among the regional and national competition.
Few programs in recent memory have burst onto the scene quite like Eastern University. Tucked away in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, Eastern launched its men’s and women’s programs with rapid success under the leadership of Director of Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Andrew Taylor and Associate Head Coach Zach Trampe.
The Eagles women’s team made a staggering statement in its inaugural 2025-26 season. Competing in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) and NCAA Region 2, Eastern proved from day one that it belonged among the nation's elite. The squad crowned five MAC Champions: Jesenia Camargo (103 lbs), Josey Wehr (117 lbs), Savannah Witt (124 lbs), Zoey Haines (138 lbs), and Olivia Kinder (160 lbs), while Paige Jackson also secured an NCAA qualification at 138 pounds. Witt was honored as the MAC Wrestler of the Year, and Haines claimed MAC Rookie of the Year honors.
The Eagles didn't stop at conference dominance. They placed third at the NCAA Region 2 Tournament and finished 17th overall at the NCAA Championships, backed by All-American finishes from Witt (7th) and Haines (8th). As they transition into 2026-27, the future is exceptionally bright, with every single NCAA qualifier returning except for Kinder, who graduated.
Reflecting on the women's historic launch, Director Andrew Taylor noted, “On the Women's side I could not have asked for a better season finishing third in our NCAA Region II Tournament and Top 20 in the NCAA. Savannah (7th in NCAA as a freshman) and Zoey (8th in NCAA as a freshman) are coming off great first seasons and I am excited to see them excel. We have a really strong mix of incomers from the Jersey/PA region and they are really excited at the opportunity to compete at a high level.”
On the men’s side, Eastern's first season of competition laid a formidable foundation in MAC Region 3. The Eagles placed 8th in the MAC and 12th in the region, highlighted by the stellar performance of 125-pounder Malik Asfour, who punched his ticket to the national stage and captured a 5th-place medal at the NCAA Championships to earn All-American status.
Heading into 2026-27, Asfour returns alongside key battle-tested starters like Jackson Orell (133 lbs) and Ryan Mansueto (141 lbs), giving Eastern a potent lightweight core. The room also adds high-caliber reinforcement with local transfer Dom D'Agostino coming in from Drexel by way of Interboro High School.
“We are really excited to continue our growth from our inaugural season with a great group of newcomers adding to the leadership from our returners,” Taylor emphasized. “On the Men's side we are really focused on what it means to live up to the championship lifestyle expectations. We return our All-American, Malik Asfour, a Regional Champion in Sean O'Toole and multiple Regional Placers who are committed to the process of accomplishing their goals. We also brought in Transfer Dom D'Agostino, a great product from the Philly Area (Interboro HS, Drexel). There is endless potential in our room, but that also comes with a high price tag.”
Just north of the city line in Glenside, Arcadia University has quickly turned heads by transforming brand-new programs into immediate regional contenders.
The Arcadia men’s program, led by Head Coach David Stevens, put together an eye-opening inaugural campaign in 2025-26. Competing in the Middle Atlantic Conference and NCAA Region 3, the Knights stormed to a 5th-place finish in both their conference and regional tournaments before taking 40th at the NCAA Championships. Arcadia sent three wrestlers to the national tournament: Jacob Blair (133 lbs), James Lledo (184 lbs), and Logan Flynn, who captured a Regional Championship at 285 pounds.
The best news for Knights fans is that all three national qualifiers, Blair, Lledo, and Flynn, are back in Glenside for the 2026-27 season, looking to elevate Arcadia into the national team conversation.
For Coach Stevens, however, building a program is as much about long-term culture as it is about quick wins. “Arcadia Men’s Wrestling is going into just our second year as a program, and we’re super excited to continue building and see where our hard work takes us,” Stevens shared. “We had a lot of success in our first year, but now it’s about building off that success and continuing to lay the foundation for what this program can become five, ten, and even twenty years from now. We might be new on paper, but we’ve already accomplished things that take some programs years to achieve. At the same time, Arcadia is about much more than just wrestling. Our athletes have the opportunity to get a great education, including access to one of the top Physical Therapy programs in the country.”
Stevens added that the true mission goes beyond the podium. “As a wrestling program, of course we want to win. We train extremely hard and have high expectations for ourselves. But what makes this job worth it for me as a coach is being able to use wrestling as a platform to prepare young men for life. We want to be role models, mentors, and a support system for our athletes while helping them become better men through this sport. We’re excited for everything this season is going to bring...the success and the challenges. We’re going to continue working, continue building, and hopefully do some pretty cool things along the way.”
Meanwhile, the Arcadia women’s program, guided by Head Coach Michael Childs, matched that competitive fire in year one. Wrestling in the MAC and NCAA Region 2, the Knights claimed 4th place at the inaugural Women's MAC Championships and 17th in the Region. Nine Knights placed at the MAC Championships, spearheaded by silver medalists Sam Larkin (103 lbs) and Kaleia Timko (131 lbs), along with bronze medalists Taylor McCue (117 lbs), Molly Lubenow (138 lbs), and ChaseMarie Ryan (145 lbs). At the Region tournament, Larkin placed 6th while Lubenow and Kurtz finished in the top 8.
With Larkin, McCue, Lubenow, and Ryan all returning alongside an injected class of fresh talent, Coach Childs sees a program ready to take another massive leap forward.
"Building on the momentum from last season, we're looking forward to seeing the growth and improvement going into competition year #2," Childs noted. "Our returners have put time into their craft in the off season and our incoming first years have acclimated very well to new routines and rhythms while elevating the competition in the training room. The team is gelling and we've had a really positive and competitive non-traditional pre-season. Opening up in less than a month at the Princeton Open, we're improved at every weight and we're all excited and expected to take a big step forward."