BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The 2026-27 NSIC Wrestling Preseason Coaches' Poll was released Thursday morning, with the NCAA Division II national runner-up Parkside Rangers selected to finish first after receiving 93 points and five first-place votes. Brody Hemauer was also named NSIC Wrestler to Watch.

Parkside is coming off a historic 12-4 campaign in 2025-26, which included a 7-3 conference record. The Rangers finished fourth in last year's conference standings and earned a national runner-up finish at the 2026 NCAA Championships, where five Rangers earned All-American honors, including returners Easton Worachek, Brody Hemauer and Sullivan Ramos. National qualifier Cooper Caraway will also return.

The Rangers claimed the Super Region V title for the first time since 2016 and made a statement at the 2026 NWCA National Duals, finishing third and matching a program-best finish that had stood since 1995. They also claimed the 46th Annual Midwest Classic title for the second consecutive season.

Brody Hemauer was named NSIC Wrestler to Watch after finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships. Hemauer earned All-American honors at 165 pounds and posted an overall record of 20-8. He is a two-time national qualifier and two-time All-American. Hemauer was also the NCAA Super Region V champion, finished runner-up at the Jim Koch Open and placed fourth at the Midwest Classic last season.

Head Coach Nick Becker spoke highly of Hemauer, "This is Brody's second year as a team captain for the Rangers. He leads by example and also excels in the classroom. He graduated with his undergrad degree last year and will be working towards earning his Master's Degree in Sport Management these next two seasons. He has been a multiple time Academic All-American and sets a high standard for his teammates. He is the type of person that will put the teams accomplishments above his own."

Becker also shared his excitement for the team as a whole heading into the new season, "I am excited to welcome another 12 individuals to our program, they have already enhanced our team culture and are fitting right in with the rest of the team. Personally, I look forward to continuing to build strong relationships with the members of our team and the time spent with each other across the season. We have a great group of hardworking individuals that enjoy being around each other and doing what they do. I also look forward to another competitive season in the NSIC."

The Parkside Rangers wrestling team will open its 2026-27 campaign on November 2 at 2 p.m., taking on Grand Valley State at the Wisconsin Wrestling Showcase, hosted inside De Simone Arena.
 
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