LEBANON, Tenn.--Cumberland begins the 2023-24 season ranked No. 13 in the NAIA Top 20 Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced this morning by the national office. 

Cumberland are entering the season after their third-straight Top 8 finish at the NAIA National Championships last season finishing in eight in 2022-23 and 2021-22 and fifth in 2020-21. 

The Phoenix return two All-Americans from last season's squad. Cole Smith is three-time NAIA All-American and the 2021 165-pound NAIA National Champion. Sammy Shires had quite the freshman season a year ago winning the Mid-South Conference Championship at 133 and a fifth place finish at Nationals.

Cumberland has six wrestlers starting in the Top 25 for their weight class: Smith, Shires, Chris Busutil, Jared Dinh, Jack Latimer, and Eli Clemmons. 

Shires enters the 2023-24 season as the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the 133-pound weight class. The sophomore from Clarksville was named the Mid-South Conference Freshman of the Year last season with a 27-10 record and eight pinfalls. 

Smith is moving up a weight class this season wrestling at 174. We have seen him dominate the 165-class over the past three seasons, losing just four matches in three seasons. He will start the season as the No. 3 wrestler in the weight class. 

Transfer Jack Latimer will start as the No. 8 wrestler in the 149-pound weight class for Cumberland. Latimer reached the semifinals in 2021 at the NAIA National Championships en route to becoming the first NAIA All American at Arizona Christian. In 2022, Latimer wrestled at Grand View and will provide an immediate boost to Cumberland's lineup at 149. 

125-pounder Chris Busutil starts the campaign ranked No. 11. Busutil went 14-8 last season and was a national qualifier for Cumberland last season. Busutil finished in third place at the Mid-South Conference Championships to earn Third Team MSC honors. 

Jared Dinh checks in at No. 15 to open the season. Dinh picked up 22 wins last season and also was a national qualifier. Dinh went 2-2 at the NAIA National Championships last season. 

Eli Clemmons also is starting the season moving up a weight class. Clemmons was the Mid-South Conference Champion at 157 last season. The Lebanon local will start as the 21st-ranked wrestler at 165. 

The Phoenix are set to open up the season at the Pepsi Patriot Open hosted by the University of the Cumberlands on November 4th.