Nebraska-Kearney top ranked in pre-season Div. II college wrestling rankings

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Mike Kirk (Div. II Coaches)
10/19/2012


EDMOND, Okla. -- Defending champion Nebraska-Kearney is the preseason favorite to win a second straight NCAA Division II title in 2013, according to the first Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll of the season.

The Lopers, who captured their second Division II championship last year, received five of the eight first-place votes cast in balloting of head coaches from around the country to finish with 146 points and edge out St. Cloud State (Minn.) for No. 1.

The Huskies, last year’s national runner-up, had 142 points in coming in second by one point over seven-time Division II champion Central Oklahoma.  Newberry (S.C.) earned one first-place vote and is fourth with 138 points, while Grand Canyon (Ariz.) had the remaining two first-place nods and is fifth with 135. 

Rounding out the top 10 is Findlay (Ohio), Upper Iowa, Notre Dame (Ohio), Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) and Wisconsin-Parkside.  Notre Dame is expected to make a big splash in its first year as a Division II member after winning NAIA titles in 2010 and ‘11 and the NWCA crown last year.

The top 20 poll, with points and each team’s finish in last year’s national tournament following by the individual rankings at each weight:

Rank/School (State)/ Points/ 2012 National Finish
1.		Nebraska-Kearney 	146	1st
2.		St. Cloud State (Minn.) 	142	2nd
3.		Central Oklahoma 	141	T-10th
4.		Newberry (S.C.)	138	5th
5.		Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 	135	4th
6.		Findlay (Ohio) 	129	3rd
7.		Upper Iowa	117	6th
8.		Notre Dame (Ohio)	76	N/A
9.		Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	75	15th
10.		Wisconsin-Parkside 	74	7th
11.		Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)	69	12th
12.		North Carolina-Pembroke	64	9th
13.		Minnesota State-Mankato	61	23rd
14.		Adams State (Colo.)	58	8th
15.		Maryville (Mo.)	54	21st
16.		Augustana (S.D.)	46	T-10th
17.		San Francisco State (Calif.)	31	36th
18.		Kutztown (Pa.)	29	20th
19.		Limestone (S.C.)	20	14th
T20.	Colorado Mesa	18	24th
T20.	East Stroudsburg (Pa.)	18	16th

Others receiving votes:  Ashland (Ohio), Indianapolis (Ind.), Mary (N.D.), Northern State (S.D.), Shippensburg (Pa.), Western State (Colo.)

DIVISION II INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

125 Pounds
1.	Kyle McCrite, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
2.	Ben Sergent, Findlay (Ohio) 
3.	Chris Kochinsky, Shippensburg (Pa.)
4.	David Demo, Minnesota State-Mankato
5.	Garrett Evans, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
6.	Gerald Huff, Adams State (Colo.)
7.	Jesse Hillhouse, Colorado State-Pueblo
8.	Jeff Vesta, Newberry (S.C.)

133 Pounds
1.	Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa
2.	Andy Pokorny, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
3.	Ryan Fillingame, Adams State (Colo.)
4.	Dave Fogle, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
5.	Mike Magaha, Limestone (S.C.)
6.	Justin Reinsma, Southwest Minnesota
7.	Jose Matos, Gannon (Pa.)
8.	Kody Young, Mercyhurt (Pa.)

141 Pounds
1.	B.J. Young, Newberry (S.C.)
2.	Daniel Owenbey, North Carolina-Pembroke
3.	Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma
4.	Evan Yenolevich, Kutztown (Pa.)
5.	Trevor Johnson, Mary (N.D.)
6.	Tywan Claxton, King (Tenn.)
7.	Naveed Baheri, San Francisco State (Calif.)
8.	Cody Shivener, Notre Dame (Ohio)

149 Pounds
1.	Raufeon Stotts, Nebraska-Kearney
2.	Keenan Hagerty, Maryville (Mo.)
3.	Bobby Ward, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
4.	Nate Herda, Augustana (S.D.)
5.	Dylan Phillipy, San Francisco State (Calif.)
6.	Dan Telhada, Anderson (S.C.)
7.	Ryan Maus, Truman State (Mo.)
8.	Deral Brown, Newberry (S.C.)

157 Pounds
1.	Dillon Bera, Wisconsin-Parkside
2.	Taylor Knapp, Newberry (S.C.)
3.	Bobby Williams, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
4.	Braden Turner, East Stroudsburg State (Pa.)
5.	Jeremy Bommarito, Limestone (S.C.)
6.	Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma
7.	Jacob D. Horn, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
8.	Jeffery Pelton, Notre Dame (Ohio)

165 Pounds
1.	Mason True, Findlay (Ohio)
2.	Matt Vandermeer, Lake Erie (Ohio)
3.	Cody Quinn, Minnesota State-Mankato
4.	Chester Granard, Colorado Mesa
5.	Chris Watson, Central Oklahoma
6.	Isaiah Jimenez, San Francisco State (Calif.)
7.	Trevor Grant, Colorado State-Pueblo
8.	Wade Gobin, Upper Iowa

174 Pounds
1.	Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke
2.	Elliot Copeland, Western State (Colo.)
3.	Travis Sheehy, Newberry (S.C.)
4.	Jon Bittinger, Notre Dame (Ohio)
5.	Kelly Henderson, Central Oklahoma
6.	Brendan McKeown, East Stroudsburg State (Pa.)
7.	Matt Littleton, West Liberty (W.Va.)
8.	Jacob Cramer, Tiffin (Ohio)

184 Pounds
1.	Adam Walters, Findlay (Ohio)
2.	Tanner Keck, Central Oklahoma
3.	Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa 
4.	Dallas Smith, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
5.	Shamus O’Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
6.	Nick Peterson, Colorado Mesa
7.	Matt Gille, Wisconsin-Parkside
8.	Celic Bell, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)

197 Pounds
1.	Joseph Brandt, Ashland (Ohio)
2.	Carl Broghammer, Upper Iowa
3.	Matt Baker, Maryville (Mo.)
4.	Jayd Docken, Augustana (S.D.)
5.	Chris Leak, Chadron State (Neb.)
6.	Tanner Kriss, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
7.	Matt Lenagh, Nebraska-Kearney
8.	Kyle Folk Freund, Newberry (S.C.)

285 Pounds
1.	Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.)
2.	Jake Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
3.	Kevin Barrett, Nebraska-Kearney
4.	James Malechek, Wisconsin-Parkside
5.	Orlando Scales, Notre Dame (Ohio)
6.	Tyrell Fortune, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
7.	Andrew Tumlin, Findlay (Ohio)
8.	Cody Dauphin, Central Oklahoma