Wartburg starts new era where last one ended: back on top of NCAA Division III preseason poll

Wartburg College will no longer has Jim Miller as its head wrestling coach. But the NCAA Division III program from Waverly, Iowa, is ranked where Miller left the Knights in the 2013 national tournament.

And that is at the top of the preseason rankings, which were released Oct. 24 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Under first-year coach Eric Keller, who served as a top assistant to Miller — who led the Knights to ten team titles since 1996 — the 2013-14 programs has seven wrestlers ranked among in the Top 10 of their individual weight classes … and not one wrestler is ranked No. 1.

Ranked right behind the Knights is the traditional rival Augsburg, which has won 11 all-time NCAA Division III team championships, but fell to tenth in last year’s national tournament, the Auggies lowest national finish since 1987. Heavyweight Chad Johnson, who won last year’s individual title among the big men, is Augsburg’s only top-ranked wrestlers.

Both Springfield (Mass.) College and The College of New Jersey featured two top-ranked wrestlers each. Leading their weight classes for Springfield are 133-pound junior Derek Adams , who finished fourth in last year’s nationals, and 2013 defending national champion Devin Biscaha at 157 pounds.  The top-ranked wrestlers for TCNJ are 174-pound senior Zach Zotollo and 184-pound senior Brian Broderick.

National Wrestling Coaches Association

Division III Team Ranking – October 24, 2013

1.            Wartburg College (IA)            41            7

2.             Augsburg College (MN)            41            6

3.            Cortland State (NY)            29            5

4.            Luther College (IA)            26            5

5.            Messiah College (PA)            25            4

6. (tie)            Springfield College (MA)            20            2

The College of New Jersey            20            2

8.            Coe College (IA)            17            4

9.            University of Wisconsin – Whitewater            17            2

10.            University of Wisconsin –  Oshkosh            16            2

11.            Concordia College (WI)            15            2

12.            Waynesburg University (PA)            14            3

13.            Elizabethtown College (PA)            14            2

14.            Washington and Jefferson College (PA)            13            2

15.            Wilkes University (PA)            12            4

16. (tie)            Ithaca College (NY)            12            2

Loras College (IA)            12            2

New York University            12            2

Brockport State (NY)            12            2

20. (tie)            Cornell College (IA)            11            2

Centenary College (NJ)            11            2

22. (tie)            University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire            10            1

Ursinus College (PA)            10            1

24.            Concordia College – Moorhead (MN)            9            3

25.            University of Dubuque (IA)            9            2

26. (tie)            Delaware Valley College (PA)            8            1

Wabash College (IN)            8            1

28.            Stevens Institute of technology (NJ)            7            2

29. (tie)            Johns Hopkins University (MD)            7            1

Johnson and Wales University (RI)            7            1

Thiel College (PA)            7            1

Williams College (MA)            7            1

National Wrestling Coaches Association

Division III Individual Ranking

125 lbs.

1. Christopher Donaldson – Ursinus College (jr)

2. Mike Fuenffinger – Augsburg College (jr)

3. Matthias Ellis – SUNY Brockport (jr)

4. Paul Bewak – Johns Hopkins University (jr)

5. Daniel Page – Central College (so)

6. Sean Ambrocio – Concordia University – Wisconsin (jr)

7. Jacob Spearman – Washington & Jefferson College (so)

8. Delian Schneider – Heidelberg College (jr)

9. Michael Fleck – Wilkes University (so)

10. Jesse Gunter – Baldwin Wallace College (so)

133 lbs.

1. Derek Adams – Springfield College (jr)

2. Alex Gomez – Ithaca College (jr)

3. Jimmy Gotto – Coe College (sr)

4. Evan Obert – Luther College (so)

5. Miguel Venecia – Elmhurst College (so)

6. Nathan Giorgio – US Coast Guard Academy (jr)

7. Ryan O’Boyle – McDaniel College (so)

8. Brandon Preston – Trine University (jr)

9. Zachory Huxford – Centenary College (sr)

10. Jacob Bergeron – Concordia College – Moorhead (jr)

141 lbs.                                                                                                                                               

1. Nathaniel Behnke – UW Eau Claire (so)

2. Brandon Jones – New York University (sr)

3. Brian Travis – University of Dubuque (so)

4. Kaleb Loht – Messiah College (jr)

5. Brian Bistis – Cortland State (sr)

6. Tom Kuehn – Augsburg College (jr)

7. Charlie Glatz – York College (sr)

8. Dominick Giacolone – Ithaca College (sr)

9. Bryant Roby – University of Mount Union (jr)

10. Ben Mikac – Oneonta State (sr)

149 lbs.

1. Greg Sanders – Concordia University – Wisconsin (jr)

2. Will Keeter – Augsburg College (sr)

3. Bobby Dierna – Cortland State (so)

4. Jacob Long – Concordia College – Moorhead (sr)

5. Luke Lohr – Waynesburg College (jr)

6. Mike Polizzi – Stevens Institute of Technology (jr)

7. Mark Hartenstine – Wilkes University (jr)

8. Joe Wood – Loras College (sr)

9. Branden Welter –Wartburg College (jr)

10. Trevor Engle – Cornell College (so)

157 lbs.

1. Devin Biscaha – Springfield College (sr)

2. Josh Etzel – Washington & Jefferson College (sr)

3. Reece Lefever – Wabash College (jr)

4. Jorge Lopez – Williams College (so)

5. Drew Wagonhoffer – Wartburg College (jr)

6. Dimitry Boyer – Coe College (sr)

7. Terner Gott – John Carroll University (jr)

8. Ryan Arne – Saint John’s University (jr)

9. Jon Garrison – University of Mount Union (jr)

10. Richard Jasinski – Ursinus College (jr)

165 lbs.

1. Nazar Kulchytskyy – UW Oshkosh (sr)

2. Chris Burdge – Centenary College (sr)

3. Cole Welter – Wartburg College (sr)

4. Jordan Powell – Thiel College (jr)

5. Collin Crowell – Roger Williams University (sr)

6. Garret Bonte – Luther College (sr)

7. Sam Guidi – Waynesburg College (jr)

8. Nicholas Schuler – Saint John’s University (jr)

9. Ricardo Plummer – Messiah College (sr)

10. Joe Kubica – University of Dubuque (so)

174 lbs.

1. Zach Zotollo – The College of New Jersey (sr)

2. Lou Puca – Cortland State (jr)

3. Landon Williams – Wartburg College (sr)

4. Ben Kramer – Messiah College (sr)

5. Dan Schiferl – UW Oshkosh (sr)

6. James Roach – Saint Olaf College (jr)

7. Anthony Bonaventura – Waynesburg College (sr)

8. Ethan Ball – Coe College (sr)

9. Tom Teigen – Augsburg College (jr)

10. Ryan Dormann – Stevens Institute of Technology (sr)

184 lbs.

1. Brian Broderick – College of New Jersey (sr)

2. Josh Thompson – Messiah College (so)

3. Julian Meaney – Elizabethtown College (sr)

4. Colin Lenhardt – Johnson & Wales University (sr)

5. Dan Olsen – Wheaton College (jr)

6. Jayden DeVilbiss – Luther College (so)

7. Sam Upah – Wartburg College (sr)

8. Ryan Sheldon – Coe College (jr)

9. Richard Dowdley – Heidelberg College (jr)

10. Tyler Beckwith – Cortland State (jr)

197 lbs.

1. Alex Coolidge – Cornell College (sr)

2. Shane Siefert – UW Whitewater (so)

3. Aaron Karns – Delaware Valley College (jr)

4. Matt Hechsel – Augsburg College (jr)

5. Puna Soriano – Wartburg College (sr)

6. Joe Giaramita – Cortland State (so)

7. Nick Perch – Luther College (jr)

8. Matt Transue – Wilkes University (sr)

9. Dustin Wozniak – UW Stevens Point (sr)

10. Donnie Horner – Coe College (jr)

285 lbs.

1. Chad Johnson – Augsburg College (sr)

2. James Buss – Loras College (so)

3. Anthony Edgren – UW Whitewater (jr)

4. Ryan Fank – Wartburg College (jr)

5. Jeremy Rieth – Elizabethtown College (jr)

6. Conner Herman – Luther College (so)

7. John Wilkinson – SUNY Brockport (sr)

8. William Fletcher – Wilkes University (jr)

9. Cody Lovejoy – Ohio Northern University (jr)

10. Cody Kasprick – Concordia College – Moorhead (sr)