CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is about to embark on a historic 2019-20 wrestling season as the MAC welcomes seven new affiliate members this season as the Conference membership increases to 15 wrestling members, the second-largest NCAA Division I Wrestling Conference in the nation. 
 
The Mid-American Conference wrestling coaches announced the preseason weight class individual rankings and team rankings in conjunction with the league office today.  Based on the rankings, seven-time defending MAC Champion Missouri Tigers (41.0 points) were selected first in the Conference over second-place Old Dominion (32.0 points) and third-place Lock Haven (24.0 points).
 
The preseason ranking witnessed Rider (20.0 points) in fourth place, Central Michigan (14.0 points) in fifth place and Northern Illinois (13.0 points) in sixth place.  Clarion (12.5 points) ranked seventh, while Buffalo (11.0 points) placed eighth, with Edinboro (10.0 points) in ninth place and Ohio (8.5 points) filled out the top 10 team rankings.  Kent State (8.0 points), George Mason (5.5 points), SIUE (5.5 points), Cleveland State (3.0 points) and Bloomsburg (2.0 points) rounded out the team scoring.
 
Last season, the MAC witnessed six All-Americans and 31 wrestlers seeded in the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship, and the rise of MAC wrestling continues with great expectations in preparation for the 2019-20 wrestling season.
 
The MAC had six All-Americans in 2019 and will see three of these All-Americans returning this season, including sophomore Brock Mauller (Missouri, 149), who finished fifth at the NCAA Championships, junior Matt Stencel (Central Michigan, 285), who placed seventh at the NCAA Championships and senior Larry Early (Old Dominion, 157), who finished eighth at the NCAA Championships last season.
 
In addition, six MAC wrestlers who won their respective weight class at the 2019 MAC Wrestling Championships will be returning this season as well:  junior Michael McGee (Old Dominion, 125), sophomore Brock Mauller (Missouri, 149), sophomore Jarrett Jacques (Missouri, 157), senior Troy Keller (Buffalo, 165), senior Dylan Wisman (Missouri, 184) and junior Matt Stencel (Central Michigan, 285
 
Last March, the MAC announced a historic membership expansion in the sport of wrestling as the MAC added seven new affiliate members – Bloomsburg, Clarion, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Rider, George Mason and Cleveland State – to begin competing in the MAC with the 2019-20 wrestling season.  
 
The addition of seven new affiliate members increases MAC wrestling membership to 15 total members. Bloomsburg, Clarion, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Rider, George Mason and Cleveland State all joined the MAC from the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) making the MAC the second largest NCAA Division I Wrestling conference.
 
The rankings will be released each month throughout the season, with one additional ranking system (two total) in January and February.  The rankings, voted on by the league’s head coaches in an open forum are as follows:
 
2019-20 MAC Weight Class Rankings:
 
125 lb. weight class
1. Michael McGee (Old Dominion, Junior)
2. Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan, Junior)
3. Anthony Cefolo (Rider, Senior)
4. Bryce West (Northern Illinois, Sophomore)
5. Dack Punke (Missouri, Sophomore)
6. Jake Gromacki (Clarion, Senior)
 
133 lb. weight class
1. DJ Fehlman (Lock Haven, Senior)
2. Derek Spann (Buffalo, Junior)
3. Tim Rooney (Kent State, Senior)
4. Mario Guillen (Ohio, Junior)
5. Allan Hart (Missouri, Sophomore)
6. Chris Wright (Rider, Redshirt Freshman)
 
141 lb. weight class
1. Kyle Shoop (Lock Haven, Senior)
2. Grant Leeth (Missouri, Junior)
3. Sa’Derian Perry (Old Dominion, Senior)
4. Evan Cheek (Cleveland State, Senior)
t-5. Taylor Ortz (Clarion, Junior)
t-5. Alex Madrigal (George Mason, Senior)
 
149 lb. weight class
1. Brock Mauller (Missouri, Sophomore)
2. Brock Zacherl (Clarion, Senior)
3. Kevin Budock (Old Dominion, Junior)
4. Colston DiBlasi (George Mason, Senior)
5. Alec Hagan (Ohio, Sophomore)
t-6. Tyshawn Williams (SIUE, Senior)
t-6. Brock Port (Lock Haven, Sophomore)
 
157 lb. weight class
1. Larry Early (Old Dominion, Senior)
2. Jarrett Jacques (Missouri, Sophomore)
3. Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider, Senior)
4. Logan Parks (Central Michigan, Senior)
t-5. Zac Carson (Ohio, Senior)
t-5. Alex Klucker (Lock Haven, Senior)
 
165 lb. weight class
1. Troy Keller (Buffalo, Senior)
2. Shane Jones (Old Dominion, Senior)
3. Caden McWhirter (Northern Illinois, Senior)
4. Caleb Clymer (Lock Haven, Redshirt Freshman)
5. Peyton Mocco (Missouri, Redshirt Freshman)
6. Joe Terry (Ohio, Junior)
 
174 lb. weight class
1. Connor Flynn (Missouri, Senior)
2. Dean Sherry (Rider, Senior)
3. Andrew McNally (Kent State, Junior)
4. Jacob Oliver (Edinboro, Sophomore)
5. Kenny Moore (Northern Illinois, Senior)
6. Jared Siegrist (Lock Haven, Senior)
 
184 lb. weight class
1. Dylan Wisman (Missouri, Senior)
2. Corey Hazel (Lock Haven, Senior)
3. Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois, Sophomore)
4. Antonio Agee (Old Dominion, Senior)
5. Trevor Allard (Bloomsburg, Junior)
6. Hunter Yeargan (Ohio, Senior)
 
197 lb. weight class
1. Ethan Laird (Rider, Junior)
2. Greg Bulsak (Clarion, Junior)
3. Dylan Reynolds (Edinboro, Senior)
4. Wyatt Koelling (Missouri, Junior)
5. Tim Young (Old Dominion, Senior)
6. Eli Spencer (George Mason, Junior)
 
285 lb. weight class
1. Matt Stencel (Central Michigan, Junior)
2. Colton McKiernan (SIUE, Sophomore)
3. Austin Myers (Missouri, Junior)
4. Jon Spaulding (Edinboro, Junior)
5. Will Hilliard (Old Dominion, Junior)
6. Isaac Reid (Lock Haven, Redshirt Freshman)
 
The team rankings were also decided in the same forum.  The 15 schools were ranked based on the number of first through sixth-place votes that were earned in the individual voting system.  A first-place vote was worth six team points; a second-place vote earned five team points; third-seeded votes were worth four team points, while a fourth-place tally earned three points, with a fifth-place vote earned two points and a sixth-place vote received one point in the team ranking system.  The team rankings for the MAC are as follows:
 
2019-20 MAC Preseason Rankings
1.         Missouri (41.0)
2.         Old Dominion (32.0)
3.         Lock Haven (24.0)
4.         Rider (20.0)
5.         Central Michigan (14.0)
6.         Northern Illinois (13.0)
7.         Clarion (12.5)
8.         Buffalo (11.0)
9.         Edinboro (10.0)
10.        Ohio (8.5)
11.        Kent State (8.0)
t-12.      George Mason (5.5)
t-12.      SIUE (5.5)
14.        Cleveland State (3.0)
15.        Bloomsburg (2.0)
 
The 2019-20 season begins on Friday, Nov. 1 with SIU Edwardsville facing Presbyterian and Chattanooga, while Cleveland State will face John Carroll and Case Western Reserve University. Seven other MAC wrestling programs open on Saturday, Nov. 2, while six other MAC programs hit the mats on Sunday, Nov. 3.
 
The 2019 MAC Wrestling Championships will be held March 7-8 and hosted by Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill.
 
Last year, Missouri won its seventh consecutive MAC Championship with 180 points, followed by second-place Buffalo (113.5 points) and third-place Central Michigan (112.5 points).  Old Dominion (111.0 points) finished fourth, followed by Ohio (99.5 points), Northern Illinois (98.0 points), SIU Edwardsville (68.5 points) and Kent State (66.0 points).