Maryville is No. 1 for the first time in NCAA Div. II wrestling poll

EDMOND, Okla. -- Maryville (Mo.) earned its first-ever No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Division II wrestling poll Monday as the Saints earned the favorite’s tag for the 2015 national championship, according to the pre-season rankings released by the Division II Wrestling Coaches Association.


Maryville, a fourth-year program that will serve as host institution for the 2015 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in St. Louis next March, received five first-place votes and finished with 151 points in balloting of head coaches from around the country. The Saints return five All-Americans from last year’s third-place team in addition to an All-American from the season before and all six wrestlers are in the pre-season individual rankings.


Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) is second in the poll with 142 points, while Nebraska-Kearney earned two first-place votes and came in third with 134 points. Defending national champion Notre Dame (Ohio) received the remaining first-place vote and is fourth with 122 points, one ahead of St. Cloud State (Minn.).


Rounding out the top 10 is McKendree (Ill.), Mercyhurst (Pa.), Western State (Colo.), Central Oklahoma and Lindenwood (Mo.).


UNK is the only team with more than one top-ranked individual as133-pounder Daniel DeShazer and 197-pounder Romero Cotton topped their respective weights.


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

Rank /School (State)/Points/Last Year’s Finish

1. Maryville (Mo.) 151 3rd

2. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 142 4th

3. Nebraska-Kearney 134 2nd

4. Notre Dame (Ohio) 122 1st

5. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 121 6th

6. McKendree (Ill.) 116 10th

7. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 114 22nd

8. Western State (Colo.) 94 20th

9. Central Oklahoma 87 5th

10. Lindenwood (Mo.) 77 7th

11. North Carolina-Pembroke 54 11th

12. Central Missouri 53 18th

13. Kutztown (Pa.) 52 17th

14. Lake Erie (Ohio) 51 25th

15. Augustana (S.D.) 45 24th

16. Upper Iowa 44 15th

17. Ashland (Ohio) 34 14th

18. California Baptist 30 12th

19. Newberry (S.C.) 29 16th

20. Colorado Mesa 23 19th


Others receiving votes: Adams State (Colo.), Findlay (Ohio), Fort Hays State (Kan.), Gannon (Pa.), Indianapolis (Ind.), Southwest Minnesota, Tiffin (Ohio), Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)

DIV. II INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS


125 Pounds

1. T.J. North, Augustana (S.D.)

2. Matt Turek, Gannon (Pa.)

3. Gerald Huff, Adams State (Colo.)

4. Garrett Evans, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

5. Josh Kieffer, Indianapolis (Ind.)

6. Willie Bohince, Mercyhurst (Pa.)

7. Tanner Johnshoy, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

8. Blake Bosch, Minnesota State-Moorhead

133 Pounds

1. Daniel DeShazer, Nebraska-Kearney

2. Michael Labry, Ashland (Ohio)

3. Nate Rodriguez, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

4. Zak Hale, Anderson (S.C.)

5. Matt Paulus, Upper Iowa

6. Zac Shank, Western State (Colo.)

7. Ryan Bohince, Mercyhurst (Pa.)

8. Martin Ramirez, Adams State (Colo.)

141 Pounds

1. Daniel Ownbey, North Carolina-Pembroke

2. Josh Myers, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

3. Darick Lapaglia, Maryville (Mo.)

4. Kyle Webb, Lindenwood (Mo.)

5. Maurice Miller, Notre Dame (Ohio)

6. Justin Keiffer, Indianapolis (Ind.)

7. Jordan Roths, Upper Iowa

8. Corbin Bennetts, Western State (Colo.)

149 Pounds

1. Frank Cagnina, Central Missouri

2. Jay Hildreth, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

3. Keenan Hagerty, Maryville (Mo.)

4. Jeremy Landowski, Mercyhurst (Pa.)

5. Andrew Bannister, Notre Dame (Ohio)

6. Brent Fickel, Ashland (Ohio)

7. Spencer Rutherford, Central Oklahoma

8. Colin Landowski, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)

157 Pounds

1. Jonatan Rivera, Notre Dame (Ohio)

2. Clint Poster, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

3. James Martinez, Colorado Mesa

4. Derrick Weller, Lindenwood (Mo.)

5. Brady Bersano, California Baptist

6. John Crowley, Colorado School of Mines

7. Josh Ballard, McKendree (Ill.)

8. Chase White, Nebraska Kearney

165 Pounds

1. Chris Watson, Central Oklahoma

2. Nick Haferkamp, McKendree (Ill.)

3. Dimitri Willis, Maryville (Mo.)

4. Cody Quinn, Minnesota State-Mankato

5. Gabe Fogarty, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

6. Ty Loethen, Central Missouri

7. Bo Candelaria, Kutztown (Pa.)

8. Matt Vandermeer, Lake Erie (Ohio)

174 Pounds

1. Elliot Copeland, Western State (Colo.)

2. Zeb Wahle, Maryville (Mo.)

3. Jacob Begin, Southwest Minnesota

4. August Mizia, Mercyhurst (Pa.)

5. Josh Rodriguez, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

6. Joe Pittman, Newberry (S.C.)

7. Luis Alba, McKendree (Ill.)

8. Clayton Jennissen, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

184 Pounds

], Dallas Smith, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

2. Nick Brughardt, Maryville (Mo.)

3. Kyle Piatt, Western State (Colo.)

4. Jared Holliday, Newberry (S.C.)

5. Jon Inman, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

6. Jon Vogt, McKendree (Ill.)

7. Blake Sorenson, Upper Iowa

8. Zack Zelcs, Gannon (Pa.)

197 Pounds

1. Romero Cotton, Nebraska-Kearney

2. Julian Smith, McKendree (Ill.)

3. Evan Rosborough, Lake Erie (Ohio)

4. Kenny Breauz, Lindenwood (Mo.)

5. Sam Mangum, Western State (Colo.)

6. Paco Petana, Colorado Mesa

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

8. Andrew Reggi, San Francisco State (Calif.)

285 Pounds

1. Ziad Haddad, Kutztown (Pa.)

2. Donnell Walker, Maryville (Mo.)

3. Austin Goergen, St. Cloud State (Minn.)

4. Cole Wilson, Southwest Minnesota

5. Logan Hopp, Upper Iowa

6. Chris Giddens, North Carolina-Pembroke

7. Peter Anguiano, Western State (Colo.)

8. Andy Welton, Mercyhurst (Pa.)