Six of WIN’s Top-10 Teams in NWCA National Duals

Feb 16, 2015

NEWTON, Iowa — The University of Iowa maintained its No.-1 edge over No.-2 Missouri in this week’s WIN’s Tournament Power Index and Dual-Team Rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic, just in time for this weekend’s NWCA National Duals that will feature both the Hawkeyes and Tigers.

The two-day event, which will be held this Saturday and Sunday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, will also feature four other schools — Minnesota, Ohio State, Cornell and Illinois — that are ranked among the Top 10 in WIN’s rankings this week.

Iowa (15-0) defeated Michigan on Friday to clinch its seventh Big Ten title since a conference dual championship was held in 1999. The Hawks then beat Virginia, 30-6, in its National Duals regional contest with the Cavaliers on Sunday. Missouri (21-0), the Mid-American Conference dual champion, also advanced to the National Duals finals with 34-3 victory over American University on Sunday.

The two schools are separated by 2.5 points (81.5-79) in WIN’s TPI Rankings, which projects where a school will finish in this March’s NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis, based on schools’ currently ranked individuals and not on a team’s dual-meet record. Individual rankings take into consideration how wrestlers have competed over the entire season and not just on recent performances in predicting NCAA tourney finishes.

Point totals are broken down by the following projected placements: 1st – 20 (16 AA points + 4 advancement points); 2nd – 16 (12+4); 3rd – 13.5 (10+3.5); 4th – 12.5 (9+3.5); 5th – 10 (7+3); 6th – 9 (6+3); 7th – 6.5 (4+2.5); 8th – 5.5 (3+2.5); 9th/12th – 2; 13th/16th – 1.5; 17th-20th – 1. TPI points will be lower than the final NCAA tournament points because it does not include bonus points.

Just behind Iowa and Missouri is Minnesota, which is ranked third in WIN’s TPI with 78 points, but ranks fourth in the Team Dual Rankings with a 12-2 mark after beating North Dakota State, 26-9, in one of eight National Dual Regionals.

Ohio State (13-3), ranked No. 3 in the Dual Rankings after dominating Edinboro, 30-7, on Sunday, is ranked No. 7 in WIN’s TPI.

Meanwhile, Cornell (15-1) is ranked No. 4 in the TPI and fifth in the Dual Rankings, while Illinois (13-4) is rated No. 5 in the TPI and No. 9 as a dual-meet team.

Of WIN’s ten top-ranked individuals, six will compete in this weekend’s National Duals: 125-pound Jesse Delgado (Illinois), 133-pound Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 141-Logan Stieber (Ohio State), 149-pound Drake Houdashelt (Missouri), 157-pound Dylan Ness (Minnesota) and 197-pound J’den Cox (Missouri).

WIN’s next updated TPI Rankings, Dual and Individual rankings will be announced on Monday, Feb. 23.           

 WIN’s Feb. 16, 2015 Tournament Power Index

 WIN’s Feb. 16, 2015 Dual Team Rankings

WIN’s Feb. 16, 2015 Individual Rankings

 125 Pounds

 133 Pounds 

 141 Pounds

 149 Pounds  

 157 Pounds  

 165 Pounds

 174 Pounds

 184 Pounds

 197 Pounds            

 Heavyweight