MAC Wrestling Earns Top National Honors In First NCAA Coaches Ranking
INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA released the first of four coaches’ panel rankings for the 2019-20 wrestling season and 50 MAC wrestlers earned spots, including two within the top five of the weight classes and five total ranked in the top ten. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This year’s event is March 19-21 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Central Michigan's Matt Stencel (285) ranked No. 4 and Missouri's Brock Mauller (149) ranked No. 5 in their respective weight classes. Rider's Jesse Dellavecchia (157) was ranked No. 6, while Central Michigan's Drew Hildebrandt (125) was ranked No. 9 and Rider's Ethan Laird (197) was also ranked No. 9.
2019-20 USA Today/NWCA Coaches National Poll
No. 24 Missouri
No. 25 Rider
Missouri enters this weekend ranked No. 24 in the country by the USA Today/NWCA Coaches national rankings with an 10-5 overall record, 7-0 in the MAC. Rider is ranked No. 25 in the nation with an 9-2 overall record, 5-1 in the MAC.
The rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences (MAC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, EIWA, Pac-12 and SoCon), which is double the amount of voters that had previously been used for the coaches’ panel rankings. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days to be ranked.
The first two NCAA rankings (Jan. 24/Feb. 13) are used primarily for educational purposes to promote the selection criteria to coaches, student-athletes, media and fans. The third ranking (Feb. 27) will be the ranking that will be used by the NCAA Wrestling Committee to assist in determining the advance allocations to each qualifying tournament. The final ranking following conference tournaments will be used to provide the most accurate and up-to-date rankings to the committee as an important element of the selection criteria during the in-person selection meeting.
Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches’ rankings to earn allocation spots for their qualifying tournaments for the championships. The above criteria, in addition to head-to-head competition, quality wins, results against common opponents and qualifying tournament placement are all part of the evaluation process for selection and seeding the committee uses for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches Rank - Through Matches of Jan. 19
125:
9. Drew Hildebrandt, Central Michigan
15. Luke Werner, Lock Haven
17. Killian Cardinale, Old Dominion
30. Bryce West, Northern Illinois
32. Jonathon Tropea, Rider
133:
12. Derek Spann, Buffalo
17. Tim Rooney, Kent State
28. D.J. Fehlman, Lock Haven
31. Allan Hart, Missouri
141:
15. Dresden Simon, Central Michigan
17. Grant Leeth, Missouri
18. Evan Cheek, Cleveland State
20. Kyle Shoop, Lock Haven
21. Shakur Laney, Ohio
25. Sa’Derian Perry, Old Dominion
26. Alex Madrigal, George Mason
29. Peter Lipari, Rider
149:
5. Brock Mauller, Missouri
11. Brock Zacherl, Clarion
17. Colston DiBlasi, George Mason
25. Alec Hagan, Ohio
157:
6. Jesse Dellavecchia, Rider
11. Jarrett Jacques, Missouri
12. Larry Early, Old Dominion
16. Justin Ruffin, SIUE
19. Logan Parks, Central Michigan
25. Zac Carson, Ohio
29. Alexander Klucker, Lock Haven
165:
21. Troy Keller, Buffalo
24. Izzak Olejnik, Northern Illinois
28. Shane Jones, Old Dominion
31. Peyton Mocco, Missouri
174:
18. Dean Sherry, Rider
19. Jacob Oliver, Edinboro
22. Andrew McNally, Kent State
29. Jeremiah Kent, Missouri
32. Jared Siegrist, Lock Haven
184:
11. Trevor Allard, Bloomsburg
25. Brit Wilson, Northern Illinois
27. Dylan Wisman, Missouri
197:
9. Ethan Laird, Rider
16. Greg Bulsak, Clarion
21. Wyatt Koelling, Missouri
24. Gage Braun, Northern Illinois
30. Landon Pelham, Central Michigan
32. Sam Schuyler, Buffalo
285:
4. Matt Stencel, Central Michigan
28. Tyler Bagoly, Clarion
29. Colton McKiernan, SIUE
30. Jordan Earnest, Ohio
