Mid-American Conference

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES JANUARY WRESTLING RANKINGS
Missouri selected as the favorite in first January rankings over Central Michigan and Old Dominion
 
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference wrestling coaches announced the first January weight class individual rankings in conjunction with the league office today.  Based on the individual rankings, three-time defending MAC Champion Missouri Tigers (27 points) were selected first in the Conference over second-place Central Michigan (14.5 points) and third-place Old Dominion (14.0 points).
 
The January rankings also witnessed fourth place with Northern Iowa (12.0 points) and fifth-place Ohio (11.5 points), followed by Kent State in sixth place.  Rounding out the rankings were Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Buffalo.
 
Last season, the MAC had a successful wrestling season that witnessed the 10th MAC Individual National Champion in league history, eight All-Americans and 38 wrestlers seeded in the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championship.
 
The MAC witnessed Missouri senior Drake Houdashelt become the 10th MAC wrestler in Conference history to win an individual National Championship.  Houdashelt won the 149 weight class with a 3-1 OT win over Edinboro’s David Habat at the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis.  Houdashelt became the third MAC National Champion in the last five years, joining Kent State’s Dustin Kilgore in 2011 (197 weight class) and Missouri’s J’Den Cox in 2014 (197 weight class).
 
The MAC had eight All-Americans in 2014-15 and will see six of these All-Americans returning this season, including Ian Miller (Kent State, 157); J’Den Cox (Missouri, 197); Chris Mecate (Old Dominion, 141); Lavion Mayes (Missouri, 141); Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion, 149) and Willie Miklus (Missouri, 184).
 
In addition, seven MAC wrestlers who won their respective weight class at the 2015 MAC Wrestling Championships will be returning this season as well:  Zach Synon (Missouri, 133); Zach Horan (Central Michigan, 141); Ian Miller (Kent State, 157); Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa, 165); Cody Walters (Ohio, 174); Jack Dechow (Old Dominion, 184) and J’Den Cox (Missouri, 197).
 
In the fall of 2012, the MAC announced the addition of Missouri, Northern Iowa and Old Dominion as affiliate members in the sport of wrestling.  All three universities joined the MAC with five-year agreements, as Missouri and Northern Iowa joined the MAC for the 2013 conference tournament and then to participate in regular season and tournament action for the next four consecutive years (2013-14 season thru 2016-17 academic season).  Old Dominion joined the MAC for the 2013-14 regular season and tournament through the 2017-18 academic season.
 
The rankings will be released each month throughout the season, with one additional ranking system (two total) in January and February.  The 2015-16 December rankings, voted on by the league’s head coaches in an open forum are as follows:
 
2016 MAC January Weight Class Rankings:
125 – 1. Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa, Junior); 2.  Barlow McGhee (Missouri, Sophomore); 3.  Brent Fleetwood (Central Michigan, Sophomore); 4. Brandon Jeske (Old Dominion, Junior).
 
133 – 1. Mack McGuire (Kent State, Senior); 2. Zach Synon (Missouri, Junior); 3. Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion, Redshirt Freshman); 4. Corey Keener (Central Michigan, Junior).
 
141 – 1. Chris Mecate (Old Dominion, Senior); 2. Zach Horan (Central Michigan, Senior); 3. Matt Manley (Missouri, Junior); 4. Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois, Redshirt Freshman).
 
149 – 1. Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion, Senior); 2. Lavion Mayes (Missouri, Junior); 3. Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan, Sophomore); 4. Mike DePalma (Kent State, Senior).
 
157 – 1. Ian Miller (Kent State, Senior); 2. Lucas Smith (Central Michigan, Senior); 3. Spartak Chino (Ohio, Senior); 4. Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa, Freshman).
 
165 – 1. Daniel Lewis (Missouri, Redshirt Freshman); 2. Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa, Junior); 3. Shaun’Qae McMurtry (Northern Illinois, Junior); 4. Austin Reese (Ohio, Redshirt Freshman).
 
174 – 1. Blaise Butler (Missouri, Senior); 2. Cody Walters (Ohio, Senior); 3. Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan, Senior); 4. Jacob Davis (Eastern Michigan, Junior).
 
184 – 1. Willie Miklus (Missouri, Sophomore); 2. Jack Dechow (Old Dominion, Junior); t-3. Andrew Romanchik (Ohio, Senior); t-3. Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan, Sophomore).
 
197 – 1. J’Den Cox (Missouri, Junior); 2. Phil Wellington (Ohio, Senior); 3. Anthony Abro (Eastern Michigan, Senior); 4. Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois, Junior).
 
HWT – 1. Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa, Senior); 2. Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan, Sophomore); 3. Jake Gunning (Buffalo, Redshirt Freshman); 4. Jesse Webb (Ohio, Sophomore).
 
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:
 
2016 MAC January Rankings (Jan. 7, 2016)
1.         Missouri (27.0)
2.         Central Michigan (14.5)
3.         Old Dominion (14.0)
4.         Northern Iowa (12.0)
5.         Ohio (11.5)
6.         Kent State (9.0)
7.         Eastern Michigan (6.0)
8.         Northern Illinois (4.0)
9.         Buffalo (2.0)
 
The 2016 MAC Wrestling Championships will be held March 5-6 and hosted by Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich.
 
Last year, Missouri won its third consecutive MAC Championship with 139.5 points, followed by second-place Old Dominion (97.5 points).  Ohio (85.5 points) finished third, followed by Kent State (75.5 points), Central Michigan (74.5 points), Northern Iowa (72.5 points), Northern Illinois (40.0 points) and Eastern Michigan (28.5 points).