Mid-American Conference

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES SECOND FEBRUARY WRESTLING RANKINGS
Missouri and Northern Iowa tied for first-place in second February rankings
 
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Missouri and Northern Iowa share first-place in the final MAC wrestling rankings, announced by the Conference office on Thursday afternoon. For the first time since the 2013-14 season, Missouri no longer holds sole possession of first place in the rankings, having to share the top spot with Northern Iowa.
 
The Mid-American Conference wrestling coaches announced the second February weight class individual rankings in conjunction with the league office. The rankings are in anticipation of the 2017 MAC Wrestling Championships on March 4-5 hosted by the University of Northern Iowa.
 
2017 MAC Second February Wrestling Rankings
t-1.       Missouri (24.5)
t-1.       Northern Iowa (24.5)
3.         Central Michigan (18.5)
4.         Ohio (12.0)
5.         Old Dominion (6.5)
6.         Northern Illinois (5.5)
7.         Eastern Michigan (4.0)
8.         Buffalo (2.5)
9.         Kent State (2.0)
 
Based on the individual rankings, four-time defending MAC Champion Missouri Tigers (24.5 points) and Northern Iowa (24.5 points) are tied for first-place, followed by third-place Central Michigan (18.5 points).
 
The rankings also witnessed Ohio (12.0 points) ranked fourth, while Old Dominion (6.5 points) ranked fifth, Northern Illinois (5.5 points) ranked in sixth-place and Eastern Michigan (4.0 points) in seventh-place. Rounding out the rankings were Buffalo and Kent State.
 
Last season, the MAC had a successful wrestling season that witnessed the 11th MAC Individual National Champion in league history, an Olympic Bronze medal winner, 10 All-Americans and 45 wrestlers seeded in the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championship.
 
During the 2015-16 season, the MAC witnessed Missouri junior J’den Cox become the league’s first-ever two-time NCAA Champion. Cox became the 11th MAC wrestler in Conference history to win an individual National Championship.  Cox won the 197-weight class with a 4-2 win over Penn State's Morgan McIntosh at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Cox is the fourth MAC National Champion in the last six years, joining Missouri’s Drake Houdashelt in 2015 (149 weight class), Cox in 2014 (197 weight class) and Kent State’s Dustin Kilgore in 2011 (197 weight class).
 
Cox also earned an Olympic bronze medal with a win over Cuba’s Reineris Salas Perez in the 86-kg freestyle competition. Cox is now a three-time MAC Champion, two-time NCAA Champion and Olympic bronze medal winner.
 
The MAC had 10 All-Americans in 2016 and will see six of these All-Americans returning this season, including senior J’den Cox (Missouri, 197); senior Lavion Mayes (Missouri, 149); sophomore Daniel Lewis (Missouri, 165) and junior Willie Miklus (Missouri, 184), along with senior Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa, 125) and sophomore Justin Oliver (Central Michigan, 149).
 
In addition, four MAC wrestlers who won their respective weight class at the 2016 MAC Wrestling Championships will be returning this season as well: Barlow McGhee (Missouri, 125); Daniel Lewis (Missouri, 165); Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan, 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 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 2017 second February rankings, voted on by the league’s head coaches in an open forum are as follows:
 
2017 MAC Second February Weight Class Rankings:
125 – t-1. Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa, Senior); t-1. Shakur Laney (Ohio, Sophomore); 3. Brent Fleetwood (Central Michigan, Junior); 4. Noah Gonser (Eastern Michigan, Redshirt Freshman).
 
133 – 1. Josh Alber (Northern Iowa, Sophomore); 2. John Erneste (Missouri, Sophomore); t-3. Cameron Kelly (Ohio, Sophomore); t-3. Bryan Lantry (Buffalo, Sophomore).
 
141 – 1. Jaydin Eierman (Missouri, R-Freshman); 2. Noah Forrider (Ohio, Junior); 3. Kyle Springer (Eastern Michigan, Junior); 4. Mason Smith (Central Michigan, R-Freshman).
 
149 – 1. Lavion Mayes (Missouri, Senior); 2. Justin Oliver (Central Michigan, Sophomore); 3. Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa, R-Freshman); 4. Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois, Sophomore).
 
157 – 1. Joey Lavalle (Missouri, Junior); 2. Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan, Junior); 3. Casey Sparkman (Kent State, Sophomore); 4. Caden McWhirter (Northern Illinois, R-Freshman).
 
165 – 1. Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa, Sophomore); 2. Daniel Lewis (Missouri, Sophomore); 3. Seldon Wright (Old Dominion, Sophomore); 4. Devan Marry (Eastern Michigan, Senior).
 
174 – 1. Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa, R-Freshman); 2. C.J. Brucki (Central Michigan, Junior); 3. Trace Engelkes (Northern Illinois, Senior); 4. Dylan Wisman (Missouri, Redshirt Freshman). 
 
184 – 1. Drew Foster (Northern Iowa, Sophomore); 2. Jack Dechow (Old Dominion, Senior); 3. Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan, Junior); 4. Brett Perry (Buffalo, Sophomore).
 
197 – 1. J’den Cox (Missouri, Senior); 2. Austin Severn (Central Michigan, Senior); t-3. Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion, Junior); t-3. Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois, Senior).
 
HWT – 1. Zack Parker (Ohio, Sophomore); 2. JJ Everard (Northern Iowa, Senior); t-3. Austin Myers (Missouri, Redshirt Freshman); t-3. Newton Smerchek (Central Michigan, Junior).
 
The 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 2017 MAC Wrestling Championships will be held March 4-5 and hosted by the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
 
Last year, Missouri won its fourth consecutive MAC Championship with 127.5 points, followed by second-place Central Michigan (93.5 points).  Ohio (76.0 points) finished third, followed by Kent State (75.5 points), Northern Iowa (73.5 points), Northern Illinois (65.0 points), Buffalo (56.0 points), Eastern Michigan (54.5 points) and Old Dominion (36.5 points).