LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Washington & Jefferson College wrestling squad is set to compete at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals on Friday-Saturday, January 10-11.
 
A record 92 college teams have accepted invitations to the national duals with team championships at the NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCCA levels. The Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville serves as the venue for the second-straight year.
 
W&J is one of 24 Division III teams competing in the NWCA Duals. The Presidents check in as the 20^th seed and take on 13^th-seeded and No. 14-ranked RIT first at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. The winner of that match advances to face fourth-seeded Loras College from Iowa.
 
The teams were chosen based on their returning points from the 2019 NCAA Division III National Championships. Seeding was based on the national rankings thus far this season.
 
The Presidents are coming off a strong showing at the Waynesburg Invitational last weekend where W&J finished third among 15 teams with three individuals reaching the championship matches at their respective weight classes. 
 
W&J's lineup features three nationally recognized competitors according to the latest d3wrestle.com rankings. Senior Jared Walker (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) is the eighth-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds. Senior Michael Heinl (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) is listed as a national contender at 149 pounds and senior Hunter Neely (Cokeburg, Pa./Bentworth) is an honorable mention at 174 pounds.
 
RIT's Dempsey King was last year's national runner-up at 165 pounds and is second in the d3wrestle.com rankings at 165. Kaidon Winters at 157 pounds is another returning All-American for the Tigers, entering the event ranked third in the nation.
 
All-session adult passes are available at the door for $45, while student tickets are $30. A weekend corner pass is also available for $55. Single day tickets are $25 for adults, $17 for students and $32 for a corner pass.
 
View the tournament brackets and live streams via the TrackWrestling.com website.
 

From the NWCA: There hasn't been much imagination in the Division III field since 2002, where only two teams have ever won the event – Wartburg and Augsburg. Only eight different schools have ever made the finals, with Johnson & Wales breaking through last year, only to finish second to Augsburg, which won its second Division III title in a row and seventh overall. The Auggies are the top seed and await the winner of the Roger Williams-Olivet dual. Second-seeded Wartburg has won 11 Division II dual titles and has reached the final every year except 2019. The Knights have a bye and will face the winner of Millikin and UW-Oshkosh. Third-seeded Wabash awaits the winner of Heidelberg and UW-Whitewater, while fourth-seeded Loras will await the winner of the RIT-Washington & Jefferson dual. Up top with Loras is fifth-seeded Mount Union, which will face the winner NYU and Alma. Coe College, seeded sixth, will take on either Western New England or Ithaca. Baldwin Wallace comes in seeded seventh and will face either Luther or North Central. Up top, last year's runners-up, Johnson & Wales, is the No. 8 seed and will face the winner of Westminster (Mo.) and UW-La Crosse.