Penn State opens at No. 1 in USA Today/NWCA/AWN Div. I Coaches Poll
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by Jason Bryant NWCA
Three-time defending NCAA champion Penn State starts the year off at No. 1 as the Nittany Lions garnered seven of 10 possible first-place votes in the first USA Today/NWCA/AWN Division I Coaches Poll. The ranking is a based off a team's dual meet strength.
Coach Cael Sanderson's squad returns five All-Americans including NCAA champion Ed Ruth, (184) past NCAA champion David Taylor (165) and a pair of NCAA runner-ups, Nico Megaludis (125) and Matt Brown (174). The Nittany Lions also return starters Andrew Alton and Morgan McIntosh, who are both coming off redshirt years.
Minnesota, which returns eight All-Americans, came in second to start the season. The Golden Gophers won the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals last season, will start the season ranked second.
Oklahoma State, Iowa and Oklahoma round out the top five. Oklahoma State returns NCAA champion Chris Perry (184), while Iowa returns NCAA champion Derek St. John (157). Oklahoma, which went 4-6 last season, will be much improved after the return of redshirt senior and All-American Jarrod Patterson at 125 pounds and the arrival of two transfers from Wisconsin, Andrew Howe (174) and Travis Rutt (197). Both Howe and Rutt redshirted last season.
Cornell, Illinois, Virginia Tech, Edinboro and Ohio State round out the top 10.
Big Ten teams occupy five of the top 10 spots and and 10 of the top 25. Oregon State comes in at No. 11, followed by Nebraska, Missouri, Virginia and the newest member of the ACC, Pittsburgh.
Rank Team (First) Points 2012-13 Record
1 Penn State (7) 397 13-1
2 Minnesota (3) 392 16-2
3 Oklahoma State 379 17-1
4 Iowa 371 20-3
5 Oklahoma 357 4-6
6 Cornell 333 14-4
7 Illinois 324 7-6
8 Virginia Tech 302 14-3
9 Edinboro 296 10-6
10 Ohio State 291 11-4
11 Oregon State 287 11-4
12 Nebraska 286 11-6
13 Missouri 278 15-3
14 Virginia 274 16-4
15 Pittsburgh 271 9-6
16 Iowa State 264 9-4
17 Bloomsburg 216 17-3
18 Northern Iowa 207 9-5
19 Michigan 205 10-7
20 Wisconsin 200 7-8
21 Northwestern 196 9-8
22 Lehigh 162 10-7
23 Purdue 113 10-3
24 Central Michigan 104 16-3
25 Maryland 98 14-8
Others receiving votes: Old Dominion 77, Ohio 71, North Carolina 61, Boise State 49, Stanford 49, Penn, 32, Wyoming 22, North Dakota State 19, Arizona State 17.
Points are tallied with 40 points for first place, 39 for second, 38 for third and so on.
Coach Cael Sanderson's squad returns five All-Americans including NCAA champion Ed Ruth, (184) past NCAA champion David Taylor (165) and a pair of NCAA runner-ups, Nico Megaludis (125) and Matt Brown (174). The Nittany Lions also return starters Andrew Alton and Morgan McIntosh, who are both coming off redshirt years.
Minnesota, which returns eight All-Americans, came in second to start the season. The Golden Gophers won the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals last season, will start the season ranked second.
Oklahoma State, Iowa and Oklahoma round out the top five. Oklahoma State returns NCAA champion Chris Perry (184), while Iowa returns NCAA champion Derek St. John (157). Oklahoma, which went 4-6 last season, will be much improved after the return of redshirt senior and All-American Jarrod Patterson at 125 pounds and the arrival of two transfers from Wisconsin, Andrew Howe (174) and Travis Rutt (197). Both Howe and Rutt redshirted last season.
Cornell, Illinois, Virginia Tech, Edinboro and Ohio State round out the top 10.
Big Ten teams occupy five of the top 10 spots and and 10 of the top 25. Oregon State comes in at No. 11, followed by Nebraska, Missouri, Virginia and the newest member of the ACC, Pittsburgh.
Rank Team (First) Points 2012-13 Record
1 Penn State (7) 397 13-1
2 Minnesota (3) 392 16-2
3 Oklahoma State 379 17-1
4 Iowa 371 20-3
5 Oklahoma 357 4-6
6 Cornell 333 14-4
7 Illinois 324 7-6
8 Virginia Tech 302 14-3
9 Edinboro 296 10-6
10 Ohio State 291 11-4
11 Oregon State 287 11-4
12 Nebraska 286 11-6
13 Missouri 278 15-3
14 Virginia 274 16-4
15 Pittsburgh 271 9-6
16 Iowa State 264 9-4
17 Bloomsburg 216 17-3
18 Northern Iowa 207 9-5
19 Michigan 205 10-7
20 Wisconsin 200 7-8
21 Northwestern 196 9-8
22 Lehigh 162 10-7
23 Purdue 113 10-3
24 Central Michigan 104 16-3
25 Maryland 98 14-8
Others receiving votes: Old Dominion 77, Ohio 71, North Carolina 61, Boise State 49, Stanford 49, Penn, 32, Wyoming 22, North Dakota State 19, Arizona State 17.
Points are tallied with 40 points for first place, 39 for second, 38 for third and so on.
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