LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 3 Southeastern Wrestling heads into the final week of January carrying momentum and depth as the Fire continue the 2026 season with a pair of road tests that blend conference implications and tournament competition. The week opens Thursday, with an Appalachian Athletic Conference dual at St. Thomas. First whistle is set for 7 p.m. in Miami Gardens, Florida, before SEU shifts its focus to the Newberry Open on Sunday, an all-day tournament in Newberry, South Carolina.
The Fire arrive in Miami Gardens having put together one of the strongest dual-meet resumes in the conference. Southeastern is 9–3 overall in duals this season and a perfect 4–0 in Sun Conference action, positioning itself firmly in the league race. The Fire have been reliable regardless of venue, posting a 5–1 record at home, remaining unbeaten at 2–0 on the road, and going 2–2 at neutral sites. That consistency has carried over into tournament settings as well, most recently at the Missouri Valley Invitational, where Southeastern placed fourth out of 59 teams with 122 points in one of the largest and deepest fields of the season.
Southeastern is expected to send a balanced and nationally decorated lineup to the mat against the Bobcats.
Erick Hair opens the night at 125 pounds, followed by a powerful one-two punch in the lower weights with top-ranked
Aaron Lucio at 133 and top-ranked
Andrew Voiles at 141. At 149, second-ranked
Mario De La Torre provides proven scoring ability, while
Justin Krebs competes at 157 as the lineup transitions into the middle weights.
The Fire remain strong through the heart of the lineup, led by fifth-ranked
Anthony Federico at 165.
Lane Reardon is slated for action at 174, with 14th-ranked
August Batson bringing experience and physicality at 184. In the upper weights, fifth-ranked
Gentry Smith anchors the 197-pound class, while heavyweight
Bryce Wheatley closes the dual with size and strength in the final bout.
Thursday's matchup continues a series that has consistently favored Southeastern. The Fire are 6–0 all-time against St. Thomas, including a 2–0 mark in Miami Gardens. Southeastern claimed a 35–9 win in last season's meeting in Lakeland and earned a 32–10 road victory during the 2023–24 season. With conference standings in play and postseason positioning on the horizon, the Fire will look to pair past success with current form before turning their attention to the Newberry Open later in the weekend.
