Mid-American Conference

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES 2017-18 PRESEASON WRESTLING RANKINGS
Missouri selected as the favorite in preseason rankings over Central Michigan and Buffalo
 
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Coming off another successful wrestling season that witnessed the 12th MAC Individual National Champion in league history, eight All-Americans and 45 wrestlers seeded in the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championship, the rise of MAC wrestling continues in preparation for the upcoming 2017-18 regular season schedule.
 
The Mid-American Conference wrestling coaches announced the 2017-18 preseason weight class individual rankings in conjunction with the league office today.  Based on the individual rankings, five-time defending MAC Champion Missouri Tigers (29.0 points) were selected first in the Conference over second-place Central Michigan (18.0 points) and third-place Buffalo (16.0 points).
 
The 2017-18 preseason ranking also witnessed Ohio (10.0 points) in fourth place and Eastern Michigan (9.0 points) in fifth place, followed by Kent State, Northern Illinois and Old Dominion.
 
Last season, the MAC witnessed Missouri junior J’den Cox become the league’s first-ever three-time NCAA Champion. Cox became the 12th MAC wrestler in Conference history to win an individual National Championship.  Cox won the 197-weight class with an 8-2 win over Brett Pfarr of Minnesota at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Cox is the fifth MAC National Champion in the last seven years, joining Missouri’s Drake Houdashelt in 2015 (149 weight class), Cox in 2014, 2016 and 2017 (197 weight class) and Kent State’s Dustin Kilgore in 2011 (197 weight class). Cox is a four-time MAC Champion, three-time NCAA Champion and Olympic bronze medal winner.
 
The MAC had eight All-Americans in 2017 and will see three of these All-Americans returning this season, including senior Joey Lavallee (Missouri, 157), sophomore Jaydin Eierman (Missouri, 141) and junior Daniel Lewis (Missouri, 165).
 
In addition, six MAC wrestlers who won their respective weight class at the 2017 MAC Wrestling Championships will be returning this season as well: junior Shakur Laney (Ohio, 125); junior John Erneste (Missouri, 133); sophomore Jaydin Eierman (Missouri, 141); senior Joey Lavallee (Missouri, 157); junior Daniel Lewis (Missouri, 165); and junior Jake Gunning (Buffalo, 285).
 
In the summer of 2017, the MAC announced the addition of SIU Edwardsville to begin as an affiliate member in wrestling for the 2018-19 season. The MAC will operate the 2017-18 season with eight members and increase to nine members next season in 2018-19.
 
The rankings will be released each month throughout the season, with one additional ranking system (two total) in January and February.  The 2017-18 preseason rankings, voted on by the league’s head coaches in an open forum are as follows:
 
2017-18 MAC Weight Class Rankings:
125 – 1. Brock Hudkins (Northern Illinois, Sophomore); 2.  Kyle Akins (Buffalo, Junior); 3. Barlow McGhee (Missouri, Senior); 4. (Will Bardezbain, Kent State, Senior).
 
133 – 1. John Erneste (Missouri, Junior); 2. Bryan Lantry (Buffalo, Junior); 3. Cameron Kelly (Ohio, Junior); 4. Anthony Tutolo (Kent State, Junior).
 
141 – 1. Jaydin Eierman (Missouri, Sophomore); 2. Mason Smith (Central Michigan, Sophomore); 3. Noah Forrider (Ohio, Senior); 4. Alex Madrigal (Old Dominion, Sophomore).
 
149 – 1. Justin Oliver (Central Michigan, Junior); 2. Kyle Springer (Eastern Michigan, Senior); 3. Grant Leeth (Missouri, Junior); 4. Jason Estevez (Buffalo, Senior).
 
157 – 1. Joey Lavallee (Missouri, Senior); 2. Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan, Senior); 3. Casey Sparkman (Kent State, Junior); 4. Larry Early (Old Dominion, Sophomore).
 
165 – 1. Austin Reese (Ohio, Junior); 2. Connor Flynn (Missouri, Sophomore); 3. Zac Carson (Eastern Michigan, Sophomore); 4. Logan Parks (Central Michigan, Sophomore).
 
174 – 1. Daniel Lewis (Missouri, Junior); 2. CJ Brucki (Central Michigan, Senior); 3. Seldon Wright (Old Dominion, Junior); 4. Andrew McNally (Eastern Michigan, R-Freshman).
 
184 – 1. Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan, Senior); 2. Brett Perry (Buffalo, Junior); 3. Bryce Gorman (Northern Illinois, Junior); 4. Antonio Agee (Old Dominion, Sophomore).
 
197 – 1. Willie Miklus (Missouri, Senior); 2. Stephen Suglio (Kent State, Senior); 3. Joe Ariola (Buffalo, Senior); 4. Bailey Faust (Ohio, Sophomore).
 
HWT – 1. Jake Gunning (Buffalo, Junior); 2. Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan, Senior); 3. Austin Myers (Missouri, Sophomore); 4. Zack Parker (Ohio, Junior).
 
The preseason team rankings were also decided in the same forum.  The nine schools were ranked based on the number of first through fourth-place votes that were earned in the individual voting system.  A first-place vote was worth four team points; a second-place vote earned three team points; third-seeded votes were worth two team points, while a fourth-place tally earned one point in the team ranking system.  The preseason team rankings for the MAC are as follows:
 
2017-18 MAC Preseason Poll
1.         Missouri (29.0)
2.         Central Michigan (18.0)
3.         Buffalo (16.0)
4.         Ohio (10.0)
5.         Eastern Michigan (9.0)
6.         Kent State (7.0)
7.         Northern Illinois (6.0)
8.         Old Dominion (5.0)
 
The 2018 MAC Wrestling Championships will be held March 3-4 and hosted by Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich.  The MAC will serve as the host of the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships March 15-17 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
 
Last year, Missouri won its fifth consecutive MAC Championship with 154.5 points, followed by second-place Northern Iowa (106.5 points) and third-place Central Michigan (103.5 points). Old Dominion (94.0 points) finished fourth, followed by Northern Illinois (92.0 points), Buffalo (80.5 points), Eastern Michigan (64.0 points), Ohio (62.5 points) and Kent State (55.0 points).
 
The 2017-18 season opens on Thursday, Nov. 2 as Buffalo hosts Cal State Bakersfield.