PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Conference officials announced on Tuesday the preliminary seeds for the 2010 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The pre-seeds are determined by a vote among the conference's head wrestling coaches after consideration of regular-season results. This year's Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be hosted by the University of Michigan at Crisler Arena on March 6-7.
 
Wrestlers from six different Big Ten schools are represented as No. 1 seeds. Iowa leads all schools with three grapplers seeded at the top of their respective weight classes, while Indiana and Minnesota each have two. Illinois, Ohio State and Wisconsin each have one wrestler seeded No. 1.
 
Brent Metcalf (24-0 at 149 pounds), Jay Borschel (28-0 at 174 pounds) and Chad Beatty (13-2 at 197 pounds) represent the top-ranked Hawkeyes as No. 1 seeds. Iowa, which finished the Big Ten season undefeated and won its third-straight dual meet championship, returns two-time defending conference champion Metcalf at 149 and is in search of a third straight title. Entering the meet, Metcalf is the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation at 149 pounds, while Borschel is No. 2 at 174 pounds and Beatty is No. 4 at 197 pounds.
 
Indiana boasts two No. 1 seeds, Angel Escobedo (30-0 and 125 pounds) and Nathan Everhart (32-0 at heavyweight). Escobedo is the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 125 pounds, and Everhart is the second-ranked grappler at 285 pounds, according to InterMat's weight class rankings.
 
Minnesota's Jayson Ness (23-0 at 133 pounds) and Dustin Schlatter (14-1 at 157 pounds) top their respective weight classes heading into the Big Ten Championships. Schlatter moved down to the 157 pound weight class midway through the season and checks in at No. 2 nationally at 157 pounds. Ness, the top-ranked 133-pounder in the nation, looks to improve on his fourth-place finish at last year's Big Ten Championships.
 
Illinois will look to its top-ranked 184-pounder to continue his success at the Big Ten Championships. John Dergo (23-2 at 184 pounds) took fourth in the 174-pound weight class at last year's conference meet, and the senior, ranked No. 2 nationally, looks to continue his stellar season with a Big Ten Championship.
 
Ohio State's Reece Humphrey (27-2 at 141 pounds) is seeded No. 1 in his weight class and looks to challenge for a Big Ten Championship at his new weight class. Last year, Humphrey, now wrestling at 141 pounds, earned runner-up honors at 133 pounds and aims for his first conference title.
 
Wisconsin's Andrew Howe (28-0 at 165 pounds) has marched through the regular season undefeated thus far and looks to repeat as Big Ten Champion in the 165-pound weight class. The sophomore was voted 2009 Freshman of the Year and looks to maintain his top spot in the national rankings.
 
Last year Iowa won the conference championship with a score of 141.0 points, headed by Metcalf, the 2009 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, who was one of two Hawkeyes to claim an individual title. Illinois placed second (113.5) and Michigan (92.5), Wisconsin (88.0) and Ohio State (80.0) rounded out the top five.
 
2010 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS PRELIMINARY SEEDS
 
125 lbs.
1. Angel Escobedo, IND
2. Matt McDonough, IOWA
3. Zach Sanders, MINN
4. Brad Pataky, PSU
5. Cashé Quiroga, PUR
6. Nikko Triggas, OSU
7. John Deneen, ILL
8. Drew Hammen, WIS
 
133 lbs.
1. Jayson Ness, MINN
2. Daniel Dennis, IOWA
3. Franklin Gomez, MSU
4. Tyler Graff, WIS
5. Eric Metzler, NU
6. Zac Stevens, MICH
7. Ian Paddock, OSU
8. Akif Eren, PUR
 
141 lbs.
1. Reece Humphrey, OSU
2. Mike Thorn, MINN
3. Montell Marion, IOWA
4. Adam Lynch, PSU
5. Ryan Prater, ILL
6. Juan Archuleta, PUR
7. Dan Osterman, MSU
8. Cole Schmitt, WIS
 
149 lbs.
1. Brent Metcalf, IOWA
2. Lance Palmer, OSU
3. Kyle Ruschell, WIS
4. Frank Molinaro, PSU
5. David Cheza, MSU
6. Andrew Nadhir, NU
7. Mario Mason, MINN
8. Nick Bertucci, PUR
 
157 lbs.
1. Dustin Schlatter, MINN
2. Cyler Sanderson, PSU
3. Colton Salazar, PUR
4. Kurt Kinser, IND
5. Jake Kerr, IOWA
6. Dave Johnson, MICH
7. Sean Nemec, OSU
8. Clint Arlis, ILL
165 lbs.
1. Andrew Howe, WIS
2. Ryan Morningstar, IOWA
3. Colt Sponseller, OSU
4. Dan Vallimont, PSU
5. Paul Young, IND
6. Kyle Bounds, MSU
7. Cody Yohn, MINN
8. Conrad Polz, ILL
 
174 lbs.
1. Jay Borschel, IOWA
2. Luke Manuel, PUR
3. Scott Glasser, MINN
4. Dave Rella, OSU
5. Jordon Blanton, ILL
6. Brian Roddy, NU
7. Ian Hinton, MSU
8. Justin Zeerip, MICH
 
184 lbs.
1. John Dergo, ILL
2. David Erwin, PSU
3. Phillip Keddy, IOWA
4. Mike Pucillo, OSU
5. Travis Rutt, WIS
6. Eric Cameron, IND
7. Hunter Collins, MICH
8. Nick Corpe, PUR
 
197 lbs.
1. Chad Beatty, IOWA
2. Trevor Brandvold, WIS
3. Anthony Biondo, MICH
4. Patrick Bond, ILL
5. Sonny Yohn, MINN
6. Matt Powless, IND
7. Logan Brown, PUR
8. Cody Magrum, OSU
 
HWT
1. Nate Everhart, IND
2. Dan Erekson, IOWA
3. Cameron Wade, PSU
4. Ben Berhow, MINN
5. Eric Bugenhagen, WIS
6. Corey Morrison, OSU
7. Ben Apland, MICH
8. Alan O'Donnell, MSU