CORVALLIS, Ore. – The reigning CCC and NAIA champions of Southern Oregon University were picked to defend its title as the Cascade Collegiate Conference released the 2023-24 Women’s Wrestling Preseason Poll on Thursday.
Southern Oregon collected five first-place votes and 60 total points to claim the top spot in the coaches’ poll. Last season they won the 2023 CCC Women’s Wrestling Championship, presented by U.S. Bank. The Raiders went on to be crowned the 2023 NAIA champions with three individual National Champions and four others reaching All-American status.
Providence University claimed two first-place votes with 54 total points to sit second in the poll. The Argos finished in third place at the CCC tournament and fifth at the national championship with one individual National Champion and five All-American honorees.
Only one point separated the next team as Menlo College secured 53 total points and one first-place vote of its own for a third-place ranking. The Oaks earned runner-up status at the conference tournament and had an outstanding performance at nationals, ending in fourth place with eight All-Americans.
Eastern Oregon University (38 points), Vanguard University (33 points), and The Evergreen State College (22 points) filled in the fourth through sixth spots in the poll, respectively.
Simpson University and Westcliff University found themselves tied, rounding out the coaches’ poll in seventh place with 14 points each.
Evergreen and Westcliff’s new programs are eager to hit the mats for the first time.
The 2024 CCC Women’s Wrestling Championship is set for Feb. 25, hosted by Menlo in Atherton, California. Automatic berths to the NAIA national championship are awarded to the top finishers in each weight class. Additional qualifier allocations will be released by the national office succeeding all NAIA conference tournaments. The 2024 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championship will take place on March 8-9 in Jamestown North Dakota.
2023-24 CCC Women’s Wrestling Preseason Poll
| Team (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Southern Oregon University (5) |
60 |
| 2. University of Providence (2) |
54 |
| 3. Menlo College (1) |
53 |
| 4. Eastern Oregon University |
38 |
| 5. Vanguard University |
33 |
| 6. The Evergreen State College |
22 |
| T-7. Simpson University |
14 |
| T-7. Westcliff University |
14 |