Kaelani Shufeldt arm raise after NCAA tournament win
©Steve Woltmann

Women's Wrestling

Four Cardinals Ranked in NWCA Preseason Poll

Contact: Taiah Gallisath-Poklop, Associate Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5302

NWCA Rankings Release

Oct. 23, 2026 – The National Wrestling Coaches Association released its preseason rankings Friday afternoon as four North Central College women's wrestlers landed in the top-10 of their weight classes while the Cardinals came in at No. 4 in the team standings.

The NWCA preseason rankings largely take into account individuals' performances at the inaugural NCAA Championships in 2026. Freshmen are not eligible for preseason rankings. 

Sophomore Riley Rayome will move up a weight class this season and comes in as the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 124 pounds. The sophomore made her NCAA debut as a freshman last March, finishing as the national runner-up at 117 pounds, earning All-America honors. Rayome had a 27-6 record last season and was named the NWCA National Rookie of the Year and the NCAA Region IV Rookie of the Year.

Caroline Ward landed the No. 3 spot at 207 pounds to open the season after earning All-America honors a year ago with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The senior posted a 21-9 record last season and was the NCAA Region IV Championships runner-up at 207 pounds. 

Senior Kaelani Shufeldt comes into the season ranked sixth at 110 pounds. A 2026 NCAA Championships qualifier, Shufeldt had a 23-7 record last season and was the NCAA Region IV runner-up at 110 pounds. 

After wrestling a season at 160 pounds, Taylor Graveman enters the 2026 season ranked sixth in the 145 weight class. Graveman had a 21-10 record last year and qualified for the NCAA Championships. She was the CCIW Champion and the NCAA Region IV Champion at 160 pounds in 2026. 

McKendree University topped the team preseason rankings with 98 points followed by the University of Iowa at 89 point. Presbyterian College's 64 points were good for third while North Central landed the No. 4 spot with 38 points. King University and Lehigh University tied for fifth with 36 points apiece. Grand Valley State University (35), Colorado Mesa University (27), Quincy University (22) and Emmanuel University (19) rounded out the nation's top-10 programs. 

North Central opens the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2 with a dual against Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich.
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Players Mentioned

Taylor Graveman

Taylor Graveman

145
Senior
Riley Rayome

Riley Rayome

124
Sophomore
Kaelani Shufeldt

Kaelani Shufeldt

110
Graduate Student
Caroline Ward

Caroline Ward

207
Senior

Players Mentioned

Taylor Graveman

Taylor Graveman

Senior
145
Riley Rayome

Riley Rayome

Sophomore
124
Kaelani Shufeldt

Kaelani Shufeldt

Graduate Student
110
Caroline Ward

Caroline Ward

Senior
207