It's crowded at the top of team standings after the first night of the 2008 NAIA National Wrestling Championships with five teams within 12 points of the lead. 

Defending national champion Lindenwood (37 points) and upstart McKendree (30 points) each advanced eight wrestlers in the championship bracket Thursday evening at the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, IA. Each also has four wrestlers on the backside of the bracket. Missouri Valley College got seven athletes through but was outpointed by Oklahoma City University's five winners, 29-25.5.

Due to an increase in wrestling programs at the NAIA level, the tournament is now a three-day affair, and the Friday morning quarterfinal and consolation rounds should make for some interesting scenarios.

"Tomorrow morning will separate a lot of those teams at the top," noted McKendree Head Coach James Kisgen. "We've only got two seniors and two juniors on our entire roster so, if our young kids come out with the right frame of mind, we should be all right."

Kisgen's crew lost close matches at 141, 165, 184 and 285 but look like a good bet to improve on their 8th place effort last season.

Perennial power Lindenwood also dropped some tough matches early. 

"Close matches at the national tournament are what we train for all year and all the matches we lost were by one or two points," said Lion head coach Joe Parisi. "But we will come out rockin' tomorrow. We have to stay focused because for us to have a chance to win the team title again, the backside of the bracket will be just as important as the front."

Among the interesting first day match-ups, top-ranked Corey Borges of Montana State- Northern down sixth-ranked James Hicks of Campbellsville, 4-1.  Unranked Franky Villaescusa of Embry-Riddle pinned #3 Eli Zuniga of Dickinson State at 133. #4 Eric Graham got a fall against third-ranked Adam Manz of Dana at 141.

Unranked Missouri Baptist 157-pounder Matt Collum downed sixth-ranked Jason Bilinski of Dana, 9-2. McKendree's Tanner Wolk beat #4 Jeremiah Toavs, 9-6, but the seventh-ranked wrestler then fell to unranked Chris Thompson of MSU-N by a fall.

Campbellsville University came into the tournament with the most returning placers from last year but only advanced four wrestlers in the championship bracket and sitting in 11th place. 

"It seemed we were wrestling not to lose, trying to hold on to the lead in those matches. Some of our young guys went out there thinking the first rounds would be easy and it didn't turn out that way," Head Coach Franky James stated.

The semi-finals will take place in Friday's evening session with the finals slated for Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.


Team Scores
37.0 Lindenwood
30.0 McKendree
29.0 Oklahoma City
25.5 Missouri Valley
23.0 Embry-Riddle
18.0 Menlo
17.5 Great Falls
16.0 Cumberland
15.0 MSU-Northern
15.0 Southern Oregon
14.5 Campbellsville
14.5 Dana
14.0 Morningside
14.0 Notre Dame
12.0 Dickinson State
11.0 William Penn
8.0 Missouri Baptist
8.0 Northwestern
6.0 Cumberlands
6.0 King
5.0 Hastings
5.0 Jamestown
3.0 Waldorf
2.0 Bacone
2.0 Briar Cliff
2.0 Dakota Wesleyan
1.0 Sioux Falls
1.0 York