WINCHESTER, Va. — Averett University men’s wrestling came home with two individual champions and seven placers at the 2026 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Individual Championships on Saturday hosted at Shenandoah University. In total, the Cougars had seven wrestlers finish in the top three of their respective weight classes to earn All-ODAC honors. The Cougars also podiumed as a team, with a third-place finish. 

At 125 pounds, junior Adrian Samano dominated his bracket on the way to a championship. After receiving a first-round bye, Samano cruised past Shenandoah’s Elliott Rivera with a 23-3 technical fall in the semifinals before securing the title with a 16-6 major decision over Roanoke College’s Ryan Saunders in the finals.

The Cougars also claimed gold at 184 pounds behind senior Khalil Mitchell. Mitchell opened with a 15-0 technical fall over Greensboro College’s Jordan Warren in just 1:16. He then went on to earn a 7-1 semifinal decision over Washington and Lee University’s Sam Tignor. He capped his run with an 8-2 decision against Roanoke’s William Martin to secure the first-place finish.

Averett placed six additional wrestlers on the podium. At 133 pounds, junior A.J. Orlando III battled back after a narrow 2-0 semifinal loss, posting a pair of dominant technical falls before earning a 6-0 decision to take third place. 

At 149 pounds, senior Landon Neal rebounded from a semifinal setback with a 13-5 major decision in the consolation semifinals and a 15-0 technical fall over Randolph College’s Noah Williams to finish third. 

The Cougars added another third-place finish at 165 pounds from junior Cooper Comer, who recorded two falls on the day, including a 1:35 pin in the quarterfinals and a 2:36 pin in the third-place match. At 174 pounds, senior Michael Gabbard also claimed third, collecting three pins. 

Senior heavyweight Carter Erickson rounded out Averett’s third-place finishers, earning a fall in the quarterfinals, a major decision in the consolation finals and a 17-2 technical fall over Shenandoah’s Rives Hargis in the third-place match.

At 157 pounds, junior Carter Shupert placed fourth after winning an 11-4 decision in the consolation semifinals before dropping a close 12-8 bout in the third-place match.

The Cougars travel to Ada, Ohio on February 27 to compete at the NCAA Region 4 Championships, hosted by Ohio Northern University.

By: Zoe Winnes/Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant

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