FORT WAYNE, Ind. - As the fall season begins to wind down, several Indiana Tech teams are gearing up for postseason competition, while others begin their journeys in the new season, as they all continue to make their mark in the national rankings. From strong performances throughout the season to teams earning recognition among the nation's best, the Warriors have given fans plenty to follow. With that in mind, let's take a look at where Indiana Tech stands in this week's Rankings Roundup!
We welcome Indiana Tech men's and women's basketball back to the Rankings Roundup as both programs begin a new season receiving votes in the national polls. On the women's side, the Warriors are looking to build on last season's success and make another push toward the postseason, with returning leaders Ryan Moorer, Madison Vice, Durbin Thomas, and Jaidyn Gulley ready to lead the way. Joining the Warriors this season is Hillsdale transfer Annalise Pietrzyk, who has already made an impact on her first outing. Pietrzyk scored 12 points in Indiana Tech's dominant 82-38 season-opening win over St. Francis, helping head coach Jessie Biggs earn her 350th career victory. With a strong mix of returning talent and new additions, the Warriors are ready to make their presence felt on the court as they look to climb the national polls and compete for another postseason run.
On the men's side, Indiana Tech is also receiving votes in the national polls and wasted no time making a statement to open the season. The Warriors kicked off their campaign with an impressive 106-91 victory over Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, showcasing their offensive firepower and depth. Branden Northern led the way with 23 points, while Trey Yoder added a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Newcomer transfer Jaxon Pardon also made an immediate impact in his first game as a Warrior, contributing 15 points. With five players reaching double figures, Indiana Tech showed it has plenty of scoring options heading into the season. The Warriors will look to carry that momentum into their next matchup against No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan on Oct. 30 as they continue their push toward the top of the national rankings.
The men's hockey team is receiving votes in the latest round up as they are off to a strong start in conference play, sitting at 4-0 in the WHAC after sweeping both Lawrence Tech and Michigan-Dearborn in back-to-back weekends. The Warriors picked up two wins over Lawrence Tech, including a 3-2 shootout victory and a 6-3 win, before battling past Michigan-Dearborn with a 3-2 overtime victory and a 3-1 win. Ryan Doucette led the offense against Lawrence Tech with four goals and an assist across the series, while goaltender Ian Kangas made a big impact against Michigan-Dearborn, stopping 45 of 48 shots to earn WHAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. With four straight conference wins and strong performances on both ends of the ice, the Warriors are building momentum as they look to keep their perfect conference record alive. Indiana Tech returns to action against Cleary University on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at PSM Icehouse.
Joining the Rankings Roundup for the first time this season is the Indiana Tech women's cross-country team, which is receiving votes in the national rankings as it heads into the postseason. Indiana Tech recently finished 12th out of 20 teams in the Maroon Division at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge, competing against a strong field of top programs. Sarah Koker led the Warriors with a personal-best time of 18:06.0 in the 5K, finishing seventh overall and earning her fourth straight top-15 finish of the season. Bronwyn Nel also turned in a strong performance, placing 14th overall. Koker's success continued off the course as she was named WHAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week. The Warriors will look to carry that momentum into the WHAC Championship on Nov. 6 at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, where they will compete for a strong finish and a chance to advance to nationals.
Our Indiana Tech men's soccer team remains in the national rankings at No. 24 as the Warriors head into postseason play. Indiana Tech closed out the regular season in dominant fashion, scoring 12 goals in a 12-1 Senior Day win over Rochester Christian. Zak El Hannach led the way with a hat trick, while Filip Maksimovic and Gui Moreira each added two goals. The Warriors also earned a pair of WHAC Player of the Week honors, with Maksimovic named Offensive Player of the Week and Anderson Junior earning Defensive Player of the Week. Finishing the regular season at 12-4-2 overall, Indiana Tech will look to carry that offensive momentum into the WHAC Tournament as it takes on rival Northwestern Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Coming in at No. 16 in the national rankings, Indiana Tech men's rugby continues to build momentum after finishing the regular season with a 25-21 win over Michigan State. The victory pushed the Warriors to a 5-2 record and gave them a strong finish heading into postseason play. Dakota Faulkner paced the offense with 15 points, while Noah Hughes added a try after a 60-meter run and Max Ledbetter scored his first collegiate try. The Warriors showed their ability to compete in a close game, holding off Michigan State late to secure the win on their way to securing a conference tournament berth for the first time in program history. Indiana Tech will now face No. 11 Aquinas in the Big Rivers Rugby Conference semifinals on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 4 p.m. at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis. With a conference championship opportunity ahead, the Warriors will look to keep their season rolling and make another statement in the postseason.
The Indiana Tech women's bowling team is ranked No. 14 nationally after the first RPI ratings of the season were released last week, as the Warriors continue to show they can compete with the best in the country. Indiana Tech finished third overall at the NAIA Fall Invitational, led by Kayla Cameron, who claimed first place individually with 1,028 pins and a 205.6 average across five games. Cameron's performance also earned her WHAC Women's Bowler of the Week honors, while Jillian Treska added a fifth-place individual finish. With another top-three team finish and strong individual performances, the Warriors will look to keep building as they prepare for WHAC Jamboree No. 2 on Nov. 7 at Imperial Lanes in Clinton Township, Michigan.
The Indiana Tech men's bowling team is ranked No. 9 nationally in the first RPI ratings of the season after another top five finish at the NAIA Fall Invitational. The Warriors finished third overall, marking their third consecutive top five finish to open the 2026-27 season. Kaden Salts led the way individually, placing sixth with 1,135 pins and an impressive 227 average across five games. His performance also earned him WHAC Men's Bowler of the Week honors. Indiana Tech battled through a competitive match-play bracket, defeating Pikeville in the third-place match to secure another podium finish. With consistent results to start the season, the Warriors will look to climb back up the national rankings when they compete at WHAC Jamboree No. 2 on Nov. 7 at Imperial Lanes in Clinton Township, Michigan.
Making its first appearance in this season's Rankings Roundup is the Indiana Tech men's wrestling team, which enters the year ranked No. 8 in the NAIA preseason poll. The Warriors are no strangers to the national rankings after spending much of last season among the nation's top programs and finishing eighth at the NAIA National Championship. Indiana Tech returns five national qualifiers from last year's team and has seven wrestlers ranked individually heading into the new season. Luke Rioux leads the group at No. 3 in the 133-pound weight class, while Allen Calderon sits at No. 6 at 125 pounds. With returning talent and high expectations, the Warriors are ready to build on last season's success and make another push toward the top of the national rankings.
Last but not least, is the Indiana Tech women's wrestling team, which enters the season ranked No. 2 nationally in the NAIA preseason poll! The Warriors earned the highest ranking in program history after finishing seventh at the NAIA National Championship last season. Indiana Tech returns all five of its All-Americans from a year ago and has ten wrestlers ranked nationally, including two sitting at No. 1 in their respective weight classes. Zoey Haney leads the way at 103 pounds, while Rose Kaplan holds the top spot at 124 pounds. With a strong group of returning talent and high expectations for the season, the Warriors are ready to build on last year's success and make another run at a national championship.
As the season continues, Indiana Tech teams are showing they can compete with some of the best programs in the country. With strong performances across multiple sports and both wrestling programs earning top-eight national rankings, the Warriors have plenty to be excited about moving forward. As conference play heats up and teams continue working toward their postseason goals, Indiana Tech will look to build on its success and keep climbing the national rankings. Check back in two weeks for another Rankings Roundup to see where the Warriors stand!
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