Navy Wrestling Shows Progress with Strong Season Start
Navy wrestling gained valuable insights during its opening weekend, facing No. 21 Pitt and hosting the annual Navy Classic. Coach Cary Kolat evaluated the team’s growth compared to last season.
Competitive Effort Against Ranked Opponent
On Saturday, Navy lost 20-12 to Pittsburgh, which retained most of its starting lineup and was ranked 21st in the National Wrestling Coaches Association preseason poll. Although the dual meet defeat was disappointing, Kolat felt encouraged because the Midshipmen were far more competitive than the prior year’s 35-3 loss to the Panthers.
Strong Finish at Navy Classic
On Sunday, Navy placed third out of 10 teams at the 47th annual Navy Classic, which included Pitt and Nebraska, a perennial national powerhouse ranked second in the preseason poll. Navy itself is in the "others receiving votes" category of the Top 25.
“It comes down to who is ready to perform when the season starts. We eased in last year and it was a wake-up call. We started to perform better as the season went on,”
Team Composition and Challenges
The squad is young yet experienced, with three juniors and two seniors, alongside three plebes and two sophomores in the opener lineup. A significant challenge is replacing All-American Josh Koderhandt at 141 pounds, who ranks 13th in program history with 106 career wins.
Summary: Navy wrestling is demonstrating notable improvement early in the season, balancing youth and experience while overcoming key roster changes.