MAC Allocated 41 Qualifiers For 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The NCAA has announced the qualifier allocations for the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and the Mid-American Conference has received 41 qualifier allocations, the fourth highest of any Division I Wrestling Conference. All 15 MAC wrestling programs will compete in the MAC Wrestling Championships March 7-8 in DeKalb, Ill., on the campus of Northern Illinois University to determine which wrestlers will qualify for the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on March 19-21.
NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualifier Allocation
Earlier this week, the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Rankings were released as Missouri is ranked No. 23 in the nation, after posting a 12-7 overall regular season record and winning the MAC regular season title with a 8-0 mark. Also receiving votes in the national poll were Rider (10 votes) and Northern Illinois (1 vote).
2019-20 USA Today/NWCA Coaches National Poll (Feb. 25)
No. 23 Missouri
Each qualifying tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage at the weight class; ratings percentage index (RPI); and coaches’ ranking. For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his conference tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish.
After all of the conference tournaments have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 47 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 10, while brackets and seeding will be announced on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. on March 11. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; quality wins; coaches’ ranking; results against common opponents; RPI; qualifying event placement; and winning percentage.
In addition, the individual wrestler rankings for the top 33 wrestlers in each weight class were released by the third coaches' panel rankings as well as by RPI. The NCAA reeased the third coaches' panel rankings for the 2019-20 season and the second release of the RPI.
The MAC was represented with 54 wrestlers earning spots in the RPI Rankings, including six wrestlers within the top ten of the weight classes, and 50 wrestlers ranked in the Coaches Rankings, including four wrestlers ranked in the top ten of the weight classes. 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.
In the RPI Rankings, Missouri's Brock Mauller (149) was ranked No. 3 and Central Michigan's Drew Hildebrandt (125), Rider's Jesse Dellavecchia (157) and Central Michigan's Matt Stencel (285) were ranked No. 7 in their respective weight classes. Clarion's Greg Bulsak (197) was ranked No. 8 and Missouri's Wyatt Koelling (197) was ranked No. 10 both in the 197 weight class.
Within the Coaches Rankings, Missouri's Brock Mauller (149) and Central Michigan's Matt Stencel (285) each ranked No. 4 in their respective weight classes. Rider's Jesse Dellavecchia (157) was ranked No. 5, while Central Michigan's Drew Hildebrandt (125) was ranked No. 7.
The coaches’ rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, EIWA, MAC, Pac-12 and SoCon), which is double the 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 RPI is a calculation that considers a wrestler’s winning percentage, opponent winning percentage (strength of schedule) and opponent’s opponent winning percentage (opponent’s strength of schedule). Only matches against Division I opponents at the designated weight class count towards the RPI and a wrestler needs to have wrestled 15 matches to be ranked.
NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches Rank - Through Matches of Feb. 23
125:
7. Drew Hildebrandt, Central Michigan
12. Luke Werner, Lock Haven
15. Killian Cardinale, Old Dominion
33. Bryce West, Northern Illinois
133:
17. Derek Spann, Buffalo
18. Tim Rooney, Kent State
21. Allan Hart, Missouri
27. D.J. Fehlman, Lock Haven
141:
14. Dresden Simon, Central Michigan
18. Evan Cheek, Cleveland State
20. Shakur Laney, Ohio
22. Kyle Shoop, Lock Haven
25. Sa’Derian Perry, Old Dominion
26. Alex Madrigal, George Mason
28. Grant Leeth, Missouri
30. Peter Lipari, Rider
149:
4. Brock Mauller, Missouri
11. Brock Zacherl, Clarion
15. Colston DiBlasi, George Mason
26. Alec Hagan, Ohio
27. Tyshawn Williams, SIUE
157:
5. Jesse Dellavecchia, Rider
11. Larry Early, Old Dominion
14. Jarrett Jacques, Missouri
16. Zac Carson, Ohio
18. Logan Parks, Central Michigan
19. Justin Ruffin, SIUE
30. Alexander Klucker, Lock Haven
165:
23. Troy Keller, Buffalo
25. Izzak Olejnik, Northern Illinois
29. Peyton Mocco, Missouri
174:
14. Jacob Oliver, Edinboro
22. Dean Sherry, Rider
24. Andrew McNally, Kent State
27. Connor Flynn, Missouri
184:
17. Trevor Allard, Bloomsburg
26. Brit Wilson, Northern Illinois
27. Dylan Wisman, Missouri
33. George Walton, Rider
197:
12. Greg Bulsak, Clarion
16. Ethan Laird, Rider
20. Wyatt Koelling, Missouri
26. Gage Braun, Northern Illinois
31. Landon Pelham, Central Michigan
285:
4. Matt Stencel, Central Michigan
27. Jon Spaulding, Edinboro
28. Tyler Bagoly, Clarion
29. Colton McKiernan, SIUE
31. Jordan Earnest, Ohio
33. Max Ihry, Northern Illinois
The RPI rankings require a minimum of 15 matches against other Division I competition to earn a ranking. The RPI factors winning percentage, opponent winning percentage and opponents’ opponent winning percentage.
NCAA Division I Wrestling Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) -- 15 match minimum vs. Division I opponents -- Though Matches of Feb. 23
125:
7. Drew Hildebrandt, Central Michigan
14. Luke Werner, Lock Haven
20. Killian Cardinale, Old Dominion
26. Bryce West, Northern Illinois
30. Logan Heil, Cleveland State
31. Jonathon Tropea, Rider
133:
13. Allan Hart, Missouri
15. DJ Fehlman, Lock Haven
17. Derek Spann, Buffalo
21. Tim Rooney, Kent State
29. Richie Koehler, Rider
141:
13. Kyle Shoop, Lock Haven
14. Evan Cheek, Cleveland State
17. Dresden Simon, Central Michigan
22. Shakur Laney, Ohio
28. Grant Leeth, Missouri
149:
3. Brock Mauller, Missouri
14. Brock Zacherl, Clarion
18. Colston DiBlasi, George Mason
20. Tyshawn Williams, SIUE
26. Alec Hagan, Ohio
30. Kenan Carter, Old Dominion
157:
7. Jesse Dellavecchia, Rider
12. Zac Carson, Ohio
14. Larry Early, Old Dominion
19. Logan Parks, Central Michigan
21. Justin Ruffin, SIUE
25. Alexander Klucker, Lock Haven
26. Jarrett Jacques, Missouri
165:
24. Peyton Mocco, Missouri
25. Troy Keller, Buffalo
29. Shane Jones, Old Dominion
174:
12. Dean Sherry, Rider
18. Connor Flynn, Missouri
21. Andrew McNally, Kent State
24. Jacob Oliver, Edinboro
25. Jared Siegrist, Lock Haven
184:
19. Dylan Wisman, Missouri
24. Trevor Allard, Bloomsburg
30. Brit Wilson, Northern Illinois
31. George Walton, Rider
33. Corey Hazel, Lock Haven
197:
8. Greg Bulsak, Clarion
10. Wyatt Koelling, Missouri
12. Ethan Laird, Rider
18. Gage Braun, Northern Illinois
26. Landon Pelham, Central Michigan
27. Sam Schuyler, Buffalo
30. Dylan Reynolds, Edinboro
285:
7. Matt Stencel, Central Michigan
23. Tyler Bagoly, Clarion
24. Jon Spaulding, Edinboro
25. Max Ihry, Northern Illinois
31. Ryan Cloud, Rider
