Manheim, Pa. — Buoyed by a 20-16 win over then No. 10 Virginia on Saturday, Bucknell (3-1) moved into Top 25 for the first time as the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll was released Tuesday.
Bucknell reinstated its wrestling program in 2006 and the No. 25 ranking is the first Top 25 ranking in the coaches poll in school history. The Bison were the only new team in the rankings this week as much of the nation will return to action with individual tournaments after Christmas.
Several Top 25 matches took place around the country, with Penn State (5-0) edging Virginia Tech (4-1) on Friday in a wild 20-15 dual. Cornell (6-0) remained third behind top-ranked Iowa (5-0) and second-ranked Minnesota (6-0). The Big Red topped Edinboro (6-2) at the Grapple at the Garden, while Edinboro would upend Lehigh (7-3) 19-18 a round later in Madison Square Garden. Edinboro moved back into the Top 10 for the first time since starting the year ranked in the same position in the preseason poll.
The top nine teams remained unchanged.
Virginia (5-2) dropped six spots from No. 10 to No. 16 after the loss to Bucknell, which leapfrogged then-No. 25 Purdue.
There will be no Coaches Poll released on Dec. 30. The next USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll will be released on January 6.
[eztable width=”500″]
Rank,Team (First),Record,Points,Conference,Previous
1,Iowa (9),5-0,297,Big Ten,1
2,Minnesota (2),6-0,283,Big Ten,2
3,Cornell,6-0,278,EIWA,3
4,Penn State (1),5-0,266,Big Ten,4
5,Missouri,12-0,256,MAC,5
6,Virginia Tech,4-1,238,ACC,6
7,Ohio State,4-2,224,Big Ten,7
8,Oklahoma State,3-1,217,Big 12,8
9,Pittsburgh,4-2,194,ACC,9
10,Edinboro,6-2,193,EWL,12
11,Lehigh,7-3,175,EIWA,11
12,Nebraska,4-1,160,Big Ten,13
13,Illinois,6-1,152,Big Ten,14
14,Iowa State,4-1,146,Big 12,15
15,Michigan,2-1,136,Big Ten,16
16,Virginia,5-2,128,ACC,10
17,Rider,6-1,105,EWL,18
18,Oregon State,3-0,96,Pac-12,17
19,Northwestern,8-2,85,Big Ten,20
20,Wisconsin,5-1,79,Big Ten,19
21,Wyoming,4-2,65,WWC,21
22,N.C. State,7-2,42,ACC,22
23,Rutgers,9-0,34,Big Ten,23
24,Old Dominion,3-2,24,MAC,24
25,Bucknell,3-1,12,EIWA,NR[/eztable]
Dropped Out: No. 25 Purdue
Others Receiving Votes: Purdue 9, Stanford 5, Ohio 1