Dec. 5, 2012 NCAA Division II Rankings

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012

EDMOND, Okla. — Nebraska-Kearney is the unanimous No. 1 pick in the first regular season NCAA Division II wrestling rankings of the season, with the defending champion Lopers capturing all eight first-place votes in the Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll that was released Wednesday.

UNK — which won its second Division II title last year — finished with 160  points in balloting of head coaches from around the country to easily claim the top spot, while only three points separated the next three teams.

Seven-time Division II champion Central Oklahoma moved up one spot from its preseason position by earning 140 points to come in second, two points ahead of St. Cloud State (Minn.) and just three ahead of Upper Iowa.  Newberry (S.C.) is fifth in the poll with 131 points.

Rounding out the top 10 is Grand Canyon (Ariz.), Division II newcomer Notre Dame (Ohio), Findlay (Ohio) Minnesota State-Mankato and Ouachita Baptist (Ark.).  Making their first appearance in the poll is West Liberty (W.Va.) at No. 12, Shippensburg (Pa.) at No. 19 and Ashland (Ohio) at T-No. 20.

UNK has five individuals ranked in the top eight at their respective weight, led by defending champion Raufeon Stotts as the No. 1 pick at 149 pounds.

The top 20 poll, with points and each team’s preseason ranking following by the individual rankings at each weight:

1. Nebraska-Kearney 160 1st

2. Central Oklahoma 140 3rd

3. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 138 2nd

4. Upper Iowa 137 7th

5. Newberry (S.C.) 131 4th

6. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 121 5th

7. Notre Dame (Ohio) 117 8th

8. Findlay (Ohio) 109 6th

9. Minnesota State-Mankato 83 13th

10. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 78 9th

11. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 71 11th

12. West Liberty (W.Va.) 68 NR

13. Maryville (Mo.) 61 15th

14. Augustana (S.D.) 53 16th

15. Kutztown (Pa.) 48 18th

16. Wisconsin-Parkside 42 10th

17. Colorado Mesa 41 T-20th

18. Adams State (Colo.) 35 14th

19. Shippensburg (Pa.) 10 NA

T20. Ashland (Ohio) 9 NR

T20. North Carolina-Pembroke 9 12th

Others receiving votes:  Fort Hays State (Kan.), Indianapolis (Ind.), Limestone (S.C.), Mercyhurst (Pa.), Minnesota State-Moorhead, Northern State (S.D.), Western State (Colo.).

Individual Rankings

125 Pounds

1. Jesse Hillhouse, Colorado State-Pueblo

2. Kyle McCrite, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)

3. Ben Sergent, Findlay (Ohio)

4. Chris Kochinsky, Shippensburg (Pa.)

5. David Demo, Minnesota State-Mankato

6. Garrett Evans, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

7. Jerry Huff, Adams State (Colo.)

8. Alex Johns, Indianapolis (Ind.)

133 Pounds

1. Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa

2. Andy Pokorny, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

3. Mike Magaha, Limestone (S.C.)

4. Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma

5. Justin Reinsma, Southwest Minnesota

6. Daniel DeShazer, Nebraska-Kearney

7. Cameron Throckmorton, Shippensburg (Pa.)

8. Jeremiah Peterson, Augustana (S.D.)

141 Pounds

1. Daniel Owenbey, North Carolina-Pembroke

2. B.J. Young, Newberry (S.C.)

3. Trevor Johnson, Mary (N.D.)

4. Tywan Claxton, King (Tenn.)

5. Naveed Bagheri, San Francisco State (Calif.)

6. Ryan Fillingame, Adams State (Colo.)

7. C.J. Napier, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

8. Josh Myers, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

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. Dan Telhada, Anderson (S.C.)

6. Ryan Maus, Truman State (Mo.)

7. Jacob D. Horn, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

8. Mitchell Means, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

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. Jeffery Pelton, Notre Dame (Ohio)

6. Jeremy Bommarito, Limestone (S.C.)

7. Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma

8. Jon Gappmaier, Colorado Mesa

165 Pounds

1. Joey Davis, Notre Dame (Ohio)

2. Mason True, Findlay (Ohio)

3. Matt Vandermeer, Lake Erie (Ohio)

4. Cody Quinn, Minnesota State-Mankato

5. Chris Watson, Central Oklahoma

6. Isaiah Jimenez, San Francisco State (Calif.)

7. Dylan Granard, Colorado Mesa

8. Chase Nelson, Nebraska-Kearney

174 Pounds

1. Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke

2. Elliot Copeland, Western State (Colo.)

3. Travis Sheehy, Newberry (S.C.)

4. Kelly Henderson, Central Oklahoma

5. Brendan McKeown, East Stroudsburg State (Pa.)

6. Matt Littleton, West Liberty (W.Va.)

7. Jake Cramer, Tiffin (Ohio)

8. Brendon Eichmann, Minnesota State-Mankato

184 Pounds

1. Adam Walters, Findlay (Ohio)

2. Tanner Keck, Central Oklahoma

3. Shamus O’Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

4. Dallas Smith, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

5. Aaron Norgren, Minnesota State-Mankato

6. Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa

7. Nick Peterson, Colorado Mesa

8. Matt Gille, Wisconsin-Parkside

197 Pounds

1. Joe Brandt, Ashland (Ohio)

2. Matt Baker, Maryville (Mo.)

3. Carl Broghammer, Upper Iowa

4. Celic Bell, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)

5. Jayd Docken, Augustana (S.D.)

6. Tanner Kriss, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

7. Matt Lenagh, Nebraska-Kearney

8. Vinny Campanile, Kutztown (Pa.)

285 Pounds

1. Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.)

2. Jake Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

3. Tyrell Fortune, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)

4. Kevin Barrett, Nebraska-Kearney

5. James Malechek, Wisconsin-Parkside

6. Orlando Scales, Notre Dame (Ohio)

7. Ziad Haddad, Kutztown (Pa.)

8. Kevin Christman, Tiffin (Ohio)