WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – For two days, Lycoming College will become the center of the NCAA Division III wrestling world, as the school is set to host the 23^rd annual Budd Whitehill National Duals on Friday, Jan. 14 and Saturday, Jan. 15. The 20-team event, which has been held at Lamade Gym since 1995, will feature eight nationally-ranked teams and 23 wrestlers in the latest NWCA Division III Brute-Adidas Individual Rankings.

In preparation for the event, Lycoming College has prepared the Budd Whitehill National Duals Central website.

York (Pa.) has earned the top seed at the event, as the Spartans feature two wrestlers in the latest Brute-Adidas rankings and are currently ranked 12^th. No. 15 The College of New Jersey, which finished as runner-up at the duals in 2010 and has won an event-record eight titles, is seeded second.

No. 16 SUNY Cortland, No. 21 Springfield, No. 22 Ohio Northern, No. 26 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 28 Wabash and No. 29 Messiah round out the seeded teams at slots 3-8 and the tournament also features Heidelberg, Trine, Williams, King’s (Pa.), Case Western, Muskingum, Thiel, Rhode Island, John Carroll, SUNY Oswego, RIT and the host Warriors (7-6 overall).

The Warriors will kick off the tournament by facing fourth-seeded and 21^st-ranked Springfield in the first round of the tournament at 9 a.m. on Friday. The Warriors enter the duals after winning their last two dual meets, a 15-14 win over Oswego and a 33-15 triumph over RIT, both of whom are also in the Budd Whitehill field.

The Warriors feature one wrestler in the latest NWCA rankings in senior 149-pounder Isaiah Britton (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township). Britton has posted a solid 13-3 record this season, losing only to nationally-ranked foes. He could face another ranked foe in the second round of the tournament, as Case Western, which has the top-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds in Isaac Dukes, faces fifth-seeded Ohio Northern on the other side of the Warriors’ bracket. If both the Warriors and the Spartans win or lose, they will square off.

The Warriors also have two others mentioned as contenders in the latest D3Wrestle.com rankings in seniors Troy Hayre (McLean, Va./McLean) at 184 pounds and Kyle Crouthamel (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) at 197 pounds. Hayre has beaten two nationally-ranked foes this year and has a team-best 16-2 record. Crouthamel has compiled a solid 11-4 record.

Springfield has placed at the duals 11 times, including three runner-up finishes and the Pride have four wrestlers mentioned in the latest D3Wrestle.com rankings.

Seven rounds of the duals will take place on Friday, with four matches taking place in each round on mats spread across Lamade Gymnasium. On Saturday, the tournament will conclude with five rounds of wrestling. The championship round is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday with the tournament awards following at 5 p.m.