MAC ALLOCATED 37 QUALIFIERS FOR 2017 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS;
NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING QUALIFIER ALLOCATIONS, FINAL COACHES' PANEL RANKINGS AND FINAL RPI ANNOUNCED FOR 2017 CHAMPIONSHIPS
MAC Awarded 37 allocations to the NCAA Wrestling Championships March 16-18 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis
INDIANAPOLIS--- The NCAA has announced the qualifier allocations for the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and the Mid-American Conference has received 37 allocations, the fourth highest of any Division I Wrestling Conference. The nine MAC wrestling programs will compete in the MAC Wrestling Championships March 4-5 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa to determine which wrestlers will qualify for the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualifier Allocation
Earlier this week, the MAC had three programs ranked in the top 20 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Rankings as Missouri ranked No. 10 in the nation, while Northern Iowa (14) and Central Michigan (17) rank among nation's best wrestling programs in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. The MAC's 37 allocations were fourth most of any conference in Division I Wrestling behind only the Big Ten's 77 allocations, the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) 43 allocations and the Big 12 with 38 allocations.
2016-17 USA Today/NWCA Coaches National Poll (Feb. 22)
No. 10 Missouri
No. 14 Northern Iowa
No. 17 Central Michigan
To determine the qualifier allocations, each qualifying tournament was awarded spots 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 qualifying tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each qualifying tournament, with automatic qualifying status, was awarded a minimum of one wrestler 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 qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 49 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 7. 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 final coaches' panel rankings as well as by RPI. The NCAA released the third of four coaches’ panel rankings for the 2016-17 wrestling season and the second release of the RPI. The MAC had 45 MAC wrestlers earned spots in the coaches rankings, including one first place listing, three within the top five of the weight classes and 11 total ranked in the top ten, in addition 43 wrestlers in the RPI rankings, including one first-place listings, five within the top five of the weight classes and 14 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 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This year’s event is March 16-18 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
In the coaches rankings, Missouri's J'den Cox (197) was ranked No. 1 in his weight class, while Lavion Mayes (149) of Missouri ranked No. 4 and Joey Lavallee (157) of Missouri ranked No. 5. Daniel Lewis (165) of Missouri ranked No. 6, while Max Thomsen (149) of Northern Iowa and Collin Heffernan (157) of Central Michigan ranked No. 8. Jaydin Eierman (141) of Missouri, Bryce Steiert (165) of Northern Iowa and Jack Dechow (184) of Old Dominion ranked No. 9, while Josh Alber (133) of Northern Iowa and Justin Oliver (149) of Central Michigan ranked No. 10.
In the RPI rankings, which requires a minimum of 17 Division I matches to be eligible for a ranking, Missouri's J'den Cox (197) was ranked No. 1, while both Lavion Mayes (149) and Joey Lavallee (157) of Missouri were ranked No. 2 and Northern Iowa's Drew Foster (184) was ranked No. 3. Max Thomsen (149) of Northern Iowa was ranked No. 5, while Josh Alber (133) was ranked No. 6. Missouri's John Erneste (133) was ranked No. 7, while Jaydin Eierman (141) of Missouri, Colin Heffernan (157) of Central Michigan, Bryce Steiert (165) and Taylor Lujan (174) of Northern Iowa, Austin Severn (197) of Central Michigan were each ranked No. 9. Jack Dechow (184) and Kevin Beazley (197) of Old Dominion were both ranked No. 10 in their respective weight classes.
NCAA Division I Wrestling - Coaches Rankings (through Feb. 19)
125:
15. Shakur Laney, Ohio
17. Brent Fleetwood, Central Michigan
t-19. Noah Gonser, Eastern Michigan
t-19. Barlow McGhee, Missouri
25. Kyle Akins, Buffalo
27. Dylan Peters, Northern Iowa
133:
10. Josh Alber, Northern Iowa
13. John Erneste, Missouri
14. Bryan Lantry, Buffalo
15. Cameron Kelly, Ohio
24. Corey Keener, Central Michigan
28. Anthony Tutolo, Kent State
141:
9. Jaydin Eierman, Missouri
26. Noah Forrider, Ohio
30. Mason Smith, Central Michigan
149:
4. Lavion Mayes, Missouri
8. Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa
10. Justin Oliver, Central Michigan
11. Steve Bleise, Northern Illinois
25. Nick Barber, Eastern Michigan
29. Michael Hayes, Old Dominion
31. Colt Cotten, Buffalo
157:
5. Joey Lavallee, Missouri
8. Colin Heffernan, Central Michigan
31. Casey Sparkman, Kent State
165:
6. Daniel Lewis, Missouri
9. Bryce Steiert, Northern Iowa
27. Seldon Wright, Old Dominion
174:
13. Taylor Lujan, Northern Iowa
17. Christian Brucki, Central Michigan
21. Trace Engelkes, Northern Illinois
30. Dylan Wisman, Missouri
184:
9. Jack Dechow, Old Dominion
12. Drew Foster, Northern Iowa
14. Jordan Ellingwood, Central Michigan
24. Brett Perry, Buffalo
197:
1. J'den Cox, Missouri
11. Shawn Scott, Northern Illinois
13. Kevin Beazley, Old Dominion
17. Austin Severn, Central Michigan
19. James Benjamin, Buffalo
29. Jacob Holschlag, Northern Iowa
285:
19. Gage Hutchison, Eastern Michigan
22. Jake Gunning, Buffalo
33. Newton Smerchek, Central Michigan
NCAA Division I Wrestling Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) (through Feb. 19)
125:
13. Shakur Laney, Ohio
t-15. Noah Gonser, Eastern Michigan
19. Brent Fleetwood, Central Michigan
20. Barlow McGhee, Missouri
23. Kyle Akins, Buffalo
133:
6. Josh Alber, Northern Iowa
7. John Erneste, Missouri
13. Bryan Lantry, Buffalo
14. Cameron Kelly, Ohio
16. Anthony Tutolo, Kent State
20. Corey Keener, Central Michigan
141:
9. Jaydin Eierman, Missouri
21. Noah Forrider, Ohio
28. Kyle Springer, Eastern Michigan
29. Mason Smith, Central Michigan
149:
2. Lavion Mayes, Missouri
5. Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa
11. Justin Oliver, Central Michigan
16. Steve Bleise, Northern Illinois
30. Nick Barber, Eastern Michigan
157:
2. Joey Lavallee, Missouri
9. Colin Heffernan, Central Michigan
21. Casey Sparkman, Kent State
30. Caden McWhirter, Northern Illinois
165:
9. Bryce Steiert, Northern Iowa
12. Daniel Lewis, Missouri
26. Seldon Wright, Old Dominion
174:
9. Taylor Lujan, Northern Iowa
15. Christian Brucki, Central Michigan
18. Trace Engelkes, Northern Illinois
27. Dylan Wisman, Missouri
184:
3. Drew Foster, Northern Iowa
10. Jack Dechow, Old Dominion
14. Jordan Ellingwood, Central Michigan
197:
1. J'den Cox, Missouri
9. Austin Severn, Central Michigan
10. Kevin Beazley, Old Dominion
12. Shawn Scott, Northern Illinois
27. Stephen Suglio, Kent State
285:
22. Jake Gunning, Buffalo
29. Gage Hutchison, Eastern Michigan
30. Newton Smerchek, Central Michigan
31. Austin Myers, Missouri
