Top five teams barely separated in rankings
NEWBERRY, S.C. – The final Division II Wrestling Coaches’ Poll for the 2015-16 season has been released, and the panel foresees a tight race for the team title in Sioux Falls this weekend.
The top five teams were all the same across the panel, but in varying orders for the tightest top of the poll we’ve seen this season. Maryville and the Saints’ 10 qualifiers will take the No. 1 ranking into the tournament with 152 points and five first place votes.
Pitt-Johnstown snagged two first place votes and 150 points and the No. 2 ranking entering the tournament, just two points back of Maryville. Notre Dame earned the other first place vote and 144 points to earn the No. 3 ranking.
Defending champions St. Cloud State garnered 139 points and the No. 4 ranking, while Nebraska-Kearney rounds out the top five with 135 points.
Wisconsin-Parkside, Mercyhurst, California Baptist, Ashland and Newberry round out the top 10.
[eztable caption=”TEAM RANKINGS” width=”600″]Rank,School,1st,Points,Prev,Quals
1.,Maryville (Mo.),5,152,4,10
2.,Pitt-Johnstown,2,150,3,9
3.,Notre Dame (Ohio),1,144,1,9
4.,St. Cloud (Minn.) State,,139,2,7
5.,Nebraska-Kearney,,135,5,8
6.,Wisconsin-Parkside,,118,6,6
7.,Mercyhurst (Pa.),,107,7,5
8.,California Baptist,,96,9,5
9.,Ashland (Ohio),,77,NR,6
10.,Newberry (S.C.),,73,14,7
11.,Tiffin (Ohio),,70,15,5
12.,Western State Colorado,,67,13,5
13.,Lindenwood (Mo.),,59,10,4
14.,Indianapolis,,57,NR,4
15.,Upper Iowa,,55,8,6
16.,Findlay (Ohio),,40,17,3
17.,Colorado State-Pueblo,,33,RV,3
18.,Colorado Mesa,,26,11,5
19.,Minnesota State,,25,16,4
20.,McKendree (Ill.),,23,20,4[/eztable]
Others receiving votes: Kutztown (Pa.), Colorado Mines, Wheeling (W. Va.) Jesuit, Augustana (S.D.), Lake Erie (Ohio), Central Oklahoma, Fort Hays (Kan.) State
[eztable caption=”INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS” th=”0″ width=”500″]125 pounds
1.,Evan Link,Pitt-Johnstown
2.,Josh Kieffer,Indianapolis
3.,Brett Velasquez,St. Cloud State
4.,Willie Bohince,Mercyhurst
5.,Ronald Wardleigh,Western St. Colorado
6.,Ronzel Darling,Wisconsin-Parkside
7.,Connor Bolling,Nebraska-Kearney
8.,Jacob Goodwin,Notre Dame
133 pounds
1.,Daniel DeShazer,Nebraska-Kearney
2.,Nick Roberts,Pitt-Johnstown
3.,Blake Bosch,Minn. St.-Moorhead
4.,Nick Crume,Indianapolis
5.,David Bavery,Notre Dame
6.,Dakota Bauer,Maryville
7.,Jordan Simpson,Newberry
8.,Taylor Summers,Chadron State
141 pounds
1.,Nate Rodriguez,Maryville
2.,Cobey Fehr,Notre Dame
3.,Daniel Salazar,Colorado Mesa
4.,Pernevlon Sheppard,Wisconsin-Parkside
5.,Darren Wynn,McKendree
6.,Joseph Alessandro,Seton Hill
7.,Blake Clevenger,Ouachita Baptist
8.,Bryce Killian,King
149 pounds
1.,Nick Goebel,Findlay
2.,Destin McCauley,Nebraska-Kearney
3.,Jay Hildreth,St. Cloud State
4.,Isaac Dulgarian,Notre Dame
5.,Keenan Hagerty,Maryville
6.,Jeremy Landowski,Mercyhurst
7.,Spencer Rutherford,Central Oklahoma
8.,Brent Fickel,Ashland
157 pounds
1.,Terrel Wilbourn,Lindenwood
2.,Matt Martoccio,Kutztown
3.,Brady Bersano,California Baptist
4.,Jonatan Rivera,Notre Dame
5.,JaCobi Jones,Colorado St.-Pueblo
6.,Matt Mincey,Minnesota State
7.,Scott Bosak,Belmont Abbey
8.,Joey White,Findlay
165 pounds
1.,Clint Poster,St. Cloud State
2.,Francis Mizia,Mercyhurst
3.,Nick Fishback,Wisconsin-Parkside
4.,Devin Aguirre,Nebraska-Kearney
5.,Tyler Reinhart,Pitt-Johnstown
6.,Matt Vandermeer,Lake Erie
7.,Kyle Jolas,Lindenwood
8.,Nolan Kistler,California Baptist
174 pounds
1.,Nick Becker,Wisconsin-Parkside
2.,Zeb Wahle,Maryville
3.,August Mizia,Mercyhurst
4.,Austin Harris,Western St. Colorado
5.,John Blankenship,Pitt-Johnstown
6.,Blaze Shade,UNC Pembroke
7.,Clayton Jennissen,St. Cloud State
8.,Calvin Ochs,Nebraska-Kearney
184 pounds
1.,Joey Davis,Notre Dame
2.,Travis McKillop,Pitt-Johnstown
3.,Aero Amo,Augustana
4.,Jacob Waste,California Baptist
5.,Montrail Johnson,Wisconsin-Parkside
6.,Jon Inman,Fort Hays State
7.,Huston Evans,Newberry
8.,Uthman Rabiu,St. Cloud State
197 pounds
1.,Paul Wilson,Colorado Mines
2.,Joe Brandt,Ashland
3.,Garrett Lineberger,Notre Dame
4.,Romero Cotton,Nebraska-Kearney
5.,Joe Gomez,Northern State
6.,Ryan Beltz,Maryville
7.,Evan Ramos,Shippensburg
8.,Jake Cramer,Tiffin
285 pounds
1.,Garrett Grey,Tiffin
2.,Austin Goergen,St. Cloud State
3.,Jacob Mitchell,Colorado St.-Pueblo
4.,Andy Welton,Mercyhurst
5.,Joe Fagiano,California Baptist
6.,Malcolm Allen,Minnesota State
7.,Donnell Walker,Maryville
8.,Mike Kennedy,Newberry[/eztable]