Texas Wesleyan and Wayland Baptist Wrestling Are Battling Into the Midseason Stretch
As the 2025-26 season reaches the heart of winter competition, Texas Wesleyan Rams wrestling continues to sharpen its identity through open tournaments, national duals, and emerging roster strength. The NAIA #9 ranked Rams’ women wrapped up the NWCA National Duals with a 7th place team finish, beating #8 Doane and #7 Indiana Tech, showcasing depth and fight across multiple pairings against Division I and open competitors. On the men’s side, performances at the 918 Open in Broken Arrow (Dec. 13, 2025) offered key competitive glimpses: Timothy Murabito secured a 3rd place finish, Landry Wilkinson earned 2nd, while other starters like Zeke Valadez landing in 4th, gained valuable experience against tough fields.
With an upcoming dual against Wayland Baptist, both sides of the program get a benchmark moment against ranked NAIA competition. Here’s a look at how these duals might shake out, based on confirmed rosters and recent results.
Wrestling Dual Preview: Texas Wesleyan vs Wayland Baptist
Women’s Projected Matchups (vs #9 Wayland)
Wayland’s women placed 7th at the NWCA National Duals, proving they can handle Division I caliber lineups while sustaining depth across the card. Texas Wesleyan’s women bring momentum from that same event and will look to leverage fight and scrappy offense where they can.
| Weight | Texas Wesleyan | Wayland Baptist |
|---|---|---|
| 103 | Nataleigh Zapata – Fort Worth Benbrook | Calli Connally (#8) – Oklahoma Anadarko |
| 110 | Grace Elliot (#9) – North Carolina South Lenoir | Aurie Sneed – Arlington Martin |
| 117 | Vanessa De La Cruz (#19) – Conroe College Park | Mariah Dillard (#14) – Azle |
| 124 | Carolina Rios (117 #13) – Frisco | Tess Barnett (#19) Oregon Mckay / Aleena Navarette (#12) Utah Weber |
| 131 | Elizabeth Duvall (#9) – Rockwall | Madison “Maddie” Pena (#20) – Lubbock |
| 138 | Samantha Barragan (#2) – California Hemmet | Avery Shinkle – Oregon Dallas |
| 145 | Jayla Davenport – Arlington Lamar | Jordan Suarez (#2) – Katy Mortan Ranch |
| 160 | Pella Lefever – Azle | Mercy AAdekuoroye (#3) Nigeria / Mohagany Casel (#15) – Lubbock |
| 180 | Taydem Khamjoi Stockton Cesar Chavez / Ashley Lekas (#1) – Plano West | Ambre Chevreau (#5) – France / Payton Sholander (#10) – Kansas Rose Hill |
| 207 | Carla Campos (#2) – Haltom City | Leilani Sanchez (#12) – Andress El Paso |
Narrative Edge Considerations (Women):
- Wayland’s advantage lies in proven national depth, with ranked athletes spread throughout the lineup, giving them multiple scoring paths if matches open up.
- Texas Wesleyan counters with ranked resistance of its own, featuring nationally ranked wrestlers at 110, 117, 124, 131, 145, 180, and 207..turning this into a true ranked vs ranked dual rather than a developmental test.
- The outcome is likely decided through the middle and upper weights (124-145 and 180-207), where managing close matches and limiting bonus points will be critical in keeping the team score competitive into the final bouts.
Men’s Projected Matchups (vs #20 Wayland)
Wayland’s men’s roster is nationally ranked (#21 NAIA) and anchored by multiple experienced starters. Wesleyan’s men have shown they can place at opens and have rising PPG talent based on recent tournament results.
| Weight | Texas Wesleyan | Wayland Baptist |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | Camden Whitehead – Burleson Centennial | Jesse Lewis (#18) – Nebraska Norfolk |
| 133 | Ezequiel “Zeke” Valadez – Arlington Martin | Jarrett Quinlan – North Carolina Ashley / George Rodriguez – Uvalde |
| 141 | Timothy Murabito – California Los Gatos | Gabriel “Gabe” Garcia – Amarillo / Makaio Rogers – Pasadena First Baptist Christian Academy |
| 149 | Gavin Holland – California Alta Loma | Jaden Two Lance (#9) – Arlington Martin |
| 157 | Brody Gomez – Kansas Fort Scott | Landin Lamberth – Amarillo Tascosa |
| 165 | Landry Wilkinson – Fort Worth Benbrook | Thomas Pacheco – Amarillo Tascosa |
| 174 | Robert “Robbie” Rocha – Arlington Martin | Ethan Frank – Washington Deer Park |
| 184 | Gage Fulmer – Winnsboro | Dayne Garcia-Stormer (#18) – Round Rock |
| 197 | Zeb Fulmer – Winnsboro | Diego Cordero – Texas Mission |
| 285 | Wilbert Martin (#17) – Killeen Shoemaker | Emmett Bivens (#10) – Allen |
Narrative Edge Considerations (Men):
- Wesleyan’s Valadez, Wilkinson and Murabito offer real scoring threats, especially at 157 (Wilkinson) and 141 (Murabito).
- The experience Wesleyan gained from the 918 Open, even in losses, matters for composure..open tournaments often mimic dual intensity.
- Wayland’s ranked presence at 125, 149, 184, and 285 gives them structural leverage to score early and often on the card.
Where This Dual Matters
This matchup represents a true midseason gauge for both programs:
- For Wayland Baptist, it reinforces national ranking momentum and tests roster depth against collegiate competition outside the NAIA core.
- For Texas Wesleyan, it’s a developmental proving ground, a chance to see how recent open and dual competition translates when the score matters on the board.
And for fans and recruits across Texas, it’s another chapter in a growing narrative: the Lone Star State now has multiple collegiate wrestling programs competing at high level and with momentum.
