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InterMat Releases Preseason NCAA Division I Wrestling Rankings

October 23, 2009

St. Louis Park, Minn. -- InterMat (www.intermatwrestle.com) has released its NCAA Division I preseason team and individual wrestling rankings for the 2009-10 season.

InterMat ranks the top 20 individual wrestlers in each weight class and the top 25 teams.

Two-time defending NCAA champion Iowa begins the season ranked No. 1.  The Hawkeyes have eight wrestlers ranked, including 2008 NCAA champion Brent Metcalf, who is ranked No. 1 at 149 pounds.

Iowa State comes in at No. 2.  The Cyclones, under the direction of first-year head coach Kevin Jackson, have nine wrestlers ranked.  Jake Varner, a defending NCAA champion and 2009 U.S. Freestyle World Team member, is ranked No. 1 at 197 pounds.

Ohio State, who has had NCAA runner-up finishes the past two seasons, is ranked No. 3.  The Buckeyes return seven starters and have two No. 1-ranked wrestlers in Reece Humphrey (141) and Mike Pucillo (184).

Defending NCAA champion Troy Nickerson (125) leads No. 4-ranked Cornell, who has finished in the top 20 every year since 2002, including three top-five finishes.

Minnesota, a program that has won three national titles since 2001, is ranked No. 5. The Golden Gophers have seven wrestlers ranked, including No. 1-ranked Dustin Schlatter (165), a 2006 NCAA champion and 2009 U.S. Freestyle World Team member.

Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, Boise State, and Maryland round out the top 10.

The Big Ten has the most representation of any conference in the team rankings with seven schools ranked.  Those schools include Iowa (No. 1), Ohio State (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 5), Wisconsin (No. 11), Penn State (No. 14), Indiana (No. 15), and Michigan State (No. 21).

All five Big 12 schools appear in the team rankings, with four of those schools, Iowa State (No. 2), Oklahoma State (No. 6), Nebraska (No. 7), and Missouri (No. 8), ranked in the top 10.

Six  2009 NCAA champion are back to defend their titles: Nickerson (125), Franklin Gomez of Michigan State (133), Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska (157), Jarrod King of Edinboro (165), Jake Varner of Iowa State (197), and Mark Ellis of Missouri (285).

Additionally, four past NCAA champions return, including Angel Escobedo of Indiana (125), a 2008 NCAA champion; Metcalf (149), a 2008 NCAA champion; Schlatter (165), who won the NCAA title at 149 pounds in 2006; and Pucillo (184), a 2008 NCAA champion.

Rankings Link: http://www.intermatwrestle.com/rankings/college

InterMat Team Rankings (October 23, 2009):

1. Iowa
2. Iowa State
3. Ohio State
4. Cornell
5. Minnesota
6. Oklahoma State
7. Nebraska
8. Missouri
9. Boise State
10. Maryland
11. Wisconsin
12. Edinboro
13. Central Michigan
14. Penn State
15. Indiana
16. American
17. Arizona State
18. Oklahoma
19. Lehigh
20. Virginia
21. Michigan State
22. Harvard
23. Cal Poly
24. Penn
25. Duke

InterMat Individual Rankings (October 23, 2009):

125 Pounds
1. Troy Nickerson, Cornell, Senior
2. Angel Escobedo, Indiana, Senior
3. Anthony Robles, Arizona State, Junior
4. Zach Sanders, Minnesota, Sophomore
5. James Nicholson, Old Dominion, Junior
6. Rollie Peterkin, Penn, Senior
7. Nic Bedelyon, Kent State, Junior
8. Brad Pataky, Penn State, Junior
9. Ben Kjar, Utah Valley, Junior
10. Chris Notte, Oklahoma State, Senior
11. Eric Morrill, Edinboro, Junior
12. Jarrod Garnett, Virginia Tech, Sophomore
13. Steve Mytych, Drexel, Senior
14. Nikko Triggas, Ohio State, Junior
15. Steve Bonanno, Hofstra, Sophomore
16. Conor Beebe, Central Michigan, Senior
17. Michael Martinez, Wyoming, Sophomore
18. Andrew Long, Iowa State, Freshman
19. Tony Mustari, Northern Colorado, Senior
20. Brian Owen, Boise State, Sophomore

133 Pounds
1. Franklin Gomez, Michigan State, Senior
2. Jayson Ness, Minnesota, Senior
3. Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise State, Junior
4. Daniel Dennis, Iowa, Senior
5. Nick Fanthorpe, Iowa State, Senior
6. Mike Grey, Cornell, Junior
7. Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State, Freshman
8. Steve Bell, Maryland, Senior
9. Scotti Sentes, Central Michigan, Sophomore
10. Tyler Graff, Wisconsin, Freshman
11. Danny Mitcheff, Kent State, Senior
12. Matt Fisk, Lehigh, Senior
13. Dave Marble, Bucknell, Senior
14. Jimmy Conroy, Pittsburgh, Senior
15. Boris Novachkov, Cal Poly, Sophomore
16. Brandon Low, UC Davis, Junior
17. Kyle Hutter, Old Dominion, Senior
18. Kelly Kubec, Oregon State, Sophomore
19. Todd Schavrien, Missouri, Junior
20. Tristen DeShazer, Northern Illinois, Junior

141 Pounds
1. Reece Humphrey, Ohio State, Senior
2. Nick Gallick, Iowa State, Senior
3. Brandon Rader, West Virginia, Senior
4. Alex Krom, Maryland, Senior
5. Chris Drouin, Arizona State, Junior
6. Frank Molinaro, Penn State, Sophomore
7. Chris Diaz, Virginia Tech, Junior
8. Jamal Parks, Oklahoma State, Sophomore
9. Mike Thorn, Minnesota, Junior
10. Kyle Dake, Cornell, Freshman
11. Dan LeClere, Iowa, Senior
12. Kenny Hashimoto, Northern Colorado, Senior
13. Tyler Nauman, Pittsburgh, Sophomore
14. Mike Mangrum, Oregon State, Freshman
15. Trenton Washington, Northern Iowa, Sophomore
16. Filip Novachkov, Cal Poly, Junior
17. Nick Nelson, Virginia, Junior
18. Seth Ciasulli, Lehigh, Senior
19. Keith Sulzer, Northwestern, Junior
20. Cody Cleveland, Chattanooga, Senior

149 Pounds
1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa, Senior
2. Kyle Ruschell, Wisconsin, Senior
3. Lance Palmer, Ohio State, Senior
4. Kyle Borschoff, American, Junior
5. Garrett Scott, Edinboro, Sophomore
6. Kyle Terry, Oklahoma, Senior
7. Cesar Grajales, Penn, Senior
8. Matt Kyler, Army, Senior
9. Mitch Mueller, Iowa State, Senior
10. Jason Chamberlain, Boise State, Sophomore
11. Mario Mason, Minnesota, Freshman
12. Matt Cathell, Kent State, Junior
13. Donnie Vinson, Binghamton, Freshman
14. Nick Stabile, North Carolina, Junior
15. Peter Yates, Virginia Tech, Sophomore
16. Desmond Green, Buffalo, Sophomore
17. Albert White, Oklahoma State, Sophomore
18. Mike Kessler, Rider, Senior
19. Tony D'Alie, Central Michigan, Senior
20. Justin Accordino, Hofstra, Sophomore

157 Pounds
1. Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska, Senior
2. Matt Moley, Bloomsburg, Senior
3. Chase Pami, Cal Poly, Senior
4. J.P. O'Connor, Harvard, Senior
5. Cyler Sanderson, Penn State, Senior
6. Adam Hall, Boise State, Junior
7. Bryce Saddoris, Navy, Junior
8. Steve Brown, Central Michigan, Senior
9. Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, Hofstra, Senior
10. Neal Erisman, Oklahoma State, Junior
11. Colton Salazar, Purdue, Junior
12. Kurt Kinser, Indiana, Junior
13. Chad Terry, Oklahoma, Senior
14. Jake Deitchler, Minnesota, Freshman
15. Jesse Dong, Virginia Tech, Sophomore
16. Joey Knox, Chattanooga, Senior
17. Matt Dragon, Penn, Senior
18. Thomas Scotton, North Carolina, Junior
19. Keegan Davis, Oregon State, Senior
20. Hadley Harrison, Clarion, Senior

165 Pounds
1. Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota, Senior
2. Jarrod King, Edinboro, Senior
3. Andrew Howe, Wisconsin, Sophomore
4. Ryan Morningstar, Iowa, Senior
5. Jon Reader, Iowa State, Junior
6. Andy Rendos, Bucknell, Senior
7. Nick Marable, Missouri, Senior
8. Colt Sponseller, Ohio State, Junior
9. Dan Vallimont, Penn State, Senior
10. Justin Kerber, Cornell, Junior
11. Alex Meade, Oklahoma State, Freshman
12. Mike Galante, Lehigh, Senior
13. Chris Brown, Old Dominion, Senior
14. Donnie Jones, West Virginia, Senior
15. Paul Young, Indiana, Junior
16. Michael Chaires, Virginia, Sophomore
17. Kurt Swartz, Boise State, Junior
18. Nick Amuchastegui, Stanford, Sophomore
19. Rick Schmelyun, Bloomsburg, Senior
20. Ryan Smith, Oregon State, Sophomore

174 Pounds
1. Mike Miller, Central Michigan, Junior
2. Mack Lewnes, Cornell, Junior
3. Chris Henrich, Virginia, Junior
4. Jay Borschel, Iowa, Senior
5. Mike Letts, Maryland, Junior
6. Stephen Dwyer, Nebraska, Senior
7. Jordan Blanton, Illinois, Sophomore
8. Nate Lee, Boise State, Senior
9. Jeff James, Oklahoma, Junior
10. Ryan Patrovich, Hofstra, Junior
11. Luke Manuel, Purdue, Junior
12. Duke Burk, Iowa State, Senior
13. Shane Riccio, Bucknell, Senior
14. Luke Reburtus, Navy, Sophomore
15. Dave Rella, Ohio State, Senior
16. Trevor Perry, Indiana, Senior
17. Bagna Tovuujav, George Mason, Sophomore
18. Alex Caruso, Lehigh, Junior
19. Shane Onufer, Wyoming, Sophomore
20. Dorian Henderson, Missouri, Sophomore

184 Pounds
1. Mike Pucillo, Ohio State, Senior
2. Max Askren, Missouri, Senior
3. Phil Keddy, Iowa, Senior
4. Mike Cannon, American, Senior
5. Joe LeBlanc, Wyoming, Sophomore
6. Josh Patterson, Binghamton, Senior
7. Kirk Smith, Boise State, Junior
8. Louis Caputo, Harvard, Senior
9. Dustin Kilgore, Kent State, Sophomore
10. John Dergo, Illinois, Senior
11. Clayton Foster, Oklahoma State, Junior
12. David Craig, Lehigh, Senior
13. Pat Bradshaw, Edinboro, Senior
14. Jerome Ward, Iowa State, Sophomore
15. Zack Giesen, Stanford, Junior
16. Ben Bennett, Central Michigan, Freshman
17. Tommy Spellman, Virginia Tech, Junior
18. John Barone, Duke, Senior
19. David Thompson, Bucknell, Junior
20. Mikal McKee, UNC Greensboro, Junior

197 Pounds
1. Jake Varner, Iowa State, Senior
2. Craig Brester, Nebraska, Senior
3. Hudson Taylor, Maryland, Senior
4. Alan Gelogaev, Oklahoma State, Sophomore
5. Cam Simaz, Cornell, Sophomore
6. Trevor Brandvold, Wisconsin, Junior
7. Cayle Byers, George Mason, Junior
8. Eric Lapotsky, Oklahoma, Junior
9. Brent Jones, Virginia, Senior
10. Jesse Strawn, Old Dominion, Senior
11. Tyler Sorenson, South Dakota State, Senior
12. Chad Beatty, Iowa, Senior
13. Patrick Bond, Illinois, Senior
14. Logan Brown, Purdue, Junior
15. Matt Casperson, Boise State, Junior
16. Dennis Drury, North Carolina, Senior
17. Anthony Biondo, Michigan, Junior
18. Richard Starks, Army, Senior
19. Lamar Brown, Rutgers, Senior
20. Jimmy Hamel, Buffalo, Junior

285 Pounds
1. Mark Ellis, Missouri, Senior
2. Konrad Dudziak, Duke, Senior
3. Jared Rosholt, Oklahoma State, Senior
4. Dan Erekson, Iowa, Senior
5. Dave Zabriskie, Iowa State, Senior
6. Zach Rey, Lehigh, Sophomore
7. Chris Birchler, Edinboro, Senior
8. Mitch Monteiro, Cal State Bakersfield, Senior
9. Tucker Lane, Nebraska, Sophomore
10. Ben Berhow, Minnesota, Junior
11. Jarod Trice, Central Michigan, Sophomore
12. Christian Brantley, Northern Iowa, Sophomore
13. Josh Arnone, Cornell, Senior
14. D.J. Russo, Rutgers, Junior
15. Nathan Fernandez, Oklahoma, Junior
16. Nathan Everhart, Indiana, Senior
17. Corey Morrison, Ohio State, Senior
18. Clayton Jack, Oregon State, Sophomore
19. Ed Bordas, Rider, Senior
20. Cameron Wade, Penn State, Sophomore