KANSAS CITY – Women's wrestling preseason conference and national ranking were released by the NAIA on Tuesday, October 20th. 

Missouri Baptist Women's Wrestling finished sixth out of 10 teams at the 2025-26 Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships. Despite the performance, the squad was ranked seventh in the conference preseason list, earning 65 points. The Spartans sit behind Bellevue (76), William Penn (83.5), Central Methodist (117.5), Baker (149), Missouri Valley (161.5), and Grans View (207). 

Five MBU wrestlers were ranked within their individual weight classes across the conference as well.  

De'yton Young was ranked the highest among any Spartan grappler, man or woman, at second in the 110-pound class. The sophomore was 17-14 during her first collegiate season. 

At the 117-pound class, senior Andrea Karagiannis was ranked eighth overall. Her 2025-26 season was disappointing at 2-11 and provides her the chance for a strong comeback in her final year. 

At 145, sophomore Talia Reed placed fifth among her conference peers. Her first collegiate season saw a record of 9-18. 

In the 160-pound class, sophomore Kenlee Fish also saw a fifth-place ranking. Her 2025-26 performance included 16 victories. 

Rounding out the conference rankings, sophomore Mckenzie Mills ranks third in the 207-pound class.  

The young and talented squad was given much-deserved respect in the national polls after a 25th place finish at the NAIA National Championships last season. The team is receiving votes after the preseason poll, and three wrestlers made their way into the top 20 of their weight class. 

Young finds herself at No. 8 in the 110-pound class, again the only Spartan wrestler to crack the top 10. She earned a trip to the big stage last season for a sixth-place finish in conference. 

Mills is the No. 17 wrestler in the 207-pound class following a successful inaugural season at the University of Providence in Montana. 

Fish ranks No. 20 in the 160-pound class after finishing fourth in the Heart Championships last season in the 180-pound class. 

Missouri Baptist Women's Wrestling begins their season with a home dual against Baker University on Tuesday, October 27th at 6 p.m.