The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, known as the NAIA, will host its national wrestling championships at Bison Field House in Great Falls, Montana, March 1-2.    This competition traditionally features some outstanding competitors. A number of NAIA wrestlers have gone on to excel internationally, including 2000 Olympic champion Daniel Igali of Canada (who competed for Simon Fraser) and 2000 U.S. National champions Kerry Boumans (who wrestled for the Univ. of Mary). Bobby Lashley, a star at Missouri Valley College, is becoming a major factor in the U.S. freestyle scene, competing for the U.S. Army.    The 2001 NAIA Championships was one of the most competitive and exciting events in years, with Southern Oregon claiming the team title at the end, with a number of teams in the running throughout the weekend. Many believe that this year*s event could be a similar shootout.    For most of the 2001-02 season, Lindenwood University of Missouri held the No. 1 team dual meet ranking in the NAIA. However, heading into this weekend's national tournament, the team that many expect could take it all is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is located in Arizona.    In the NAIA Championships, teams may have more than one athlete in each weight class, if the wrestlers meet the eligibility requirements. Wrestlers must have a .666 winning percentage against four-year schools or place in an intercollegiate tournament during the season. All must compete in their regional championships. The maximum number of wrestlers on each team is 12, for the 10 weight classes.    Going into the tournament, Embry Riddle has 10 nationally ranked wrestlers, including three athletes with a No. 1 ranking: Joe Calvitta (149), Pat Cadwallader (157) and Ken Kobes (Hwt). You may have heard of Calvitta, who has been nationally respected in freestyle, or Cadwallader, who has shown national promise in Greco-Roman. Two of Embry-Riddle's athletes have No. 2 rankings: Joe Hurtado (174) and Will McCleve (184).    Lindenwood is ranked No. 2 as a team coming into the event, also with 10 athletes in the final individual ranking. None of Lindenwood's wrestlers are top-ranked individually, but Jeff Carlson (149) is at No. 2 and three team members are ranked No. 3 going in: Josh Buchanan (125), Brian Holt (165) and Eric Brown (184).    Rounding out the top five teams, based upon anticipated placement points at the nationals, are No. 3. Southern Oregon, No. 4 Univ. of Wisconsin-Parkside and No. 5 Montana State-Northern. However, with the volatility of the event shown last year, it is hard to count out a number of other schools that will be bringing some talented athletes.    There will be four returning champions from last year: Andy Medders of Cumberland College (133), Ken Schmidt of Wisconsin-Parkside (149), Neal Ewers of Simon Fraser (157) and Matt Cobb of Missouri Valley College (174).     Medders was the champion last year at 125, and has moved up one weight class, where he is No. 1 ranked going in. Schmidt and Ewers are at the same weight class that they won last year, but both have No. 3 rankings in the final NAIA poll.    Cobb and last year's runner-up Joe Hurtado of Embry Riddle are both back, and hold the No. 1 and No. 2 rankings. Cobb pinned Hurtado in last year's gold medal bout at 174 pounds.    A number of 2001 runners-up are also expected in the field: C.J. Campbell of Lindenwood (141), Jason LaBrie of Mary (165), Wesley Balensifer of Southern Oregon (197) and Mike Irving of Cumberland College (197).     Last year, Balensifer was second at 197 pounds, while Irving won his silver medal at heavyweight. Irving dropped to 197 this season. Balensifer has the No. 1 ranking, with Irving on his heels at No. 2.    According to the NAIA web page, this year there are 23 teams competing in wrestling within the NAIA, a slight increase over recent years. New schools in this year's event will include Menlo College of California and Bacone College in Oklahoma.    Session times on Friday are 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., with 9:00 a.m. and the championship finals at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.    This year, alongside the NAIA Championships, will be a women's competition, hosted by the NAIA Coaches Association. The NAIA has been a leader in the  development of women's wrestling on the college level, and many of the best wrestlers in North America are expected to participate.    Two of the North America's top women's college teams, No. 1 Missouri Valley College and No. 3 Simon Fraser Univ., will enter the tournament.     Athletes with No. 1 North American rankings from these teams include Carol Huyhn of Simon Fraser at 48 kg (105.5 lbs.) and Tonya Evinger of Missouri Valley at 59 kg (129.8 lbs.).    Other top teams in the event include North America's No. 6 Pacific Univ. and No. 19 Menlo College, along  with some individual athletes from a number of teams in the United States and Canada.    The women's events start a day earlier than the men, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and will conclude at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.    TheMat.com will be providing coverage of the NAIA Championships, including the men's and women*s event, throughout the weekend.