Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has released the Preseason Division III Men's Coaches Poll, setting the stage for another exciting season of NCAA Division III men's wrestling. The poll follows an unforgettable finish to last season where Johnson & Wales and Wartburg were crowned Co-Champions, a historic feat not seen since 1933, when Iowa State and Oklahoma State shared the team title.
This season's preseason tournament team top 25 poll has 15-time National Champion Augsburg in first with 64.5 points, followed by The College of New Jersey's 42 points. Rounding out the top five are Roanoke College (41.5), Wartburg College (41), and UW-La Crosse (30.5).
Augsburg leads all teams as the only squad with multiple individuals receiving #1 rankings with two, Cooper Willis (165) and Brandt Bombard (184). The following schools each feature one top-ranked wrestler entering the season: North Central, Wabash, Roanoke, SUNY Cortland, Loras, TCNJ, UW-Eau Claire, and Wartburg.
TOP RANKED INDIVIDUALS | NATIONAL RANKINGS |
REGIONAL RANKINGS
125 - Christian Guzman, North Central
133 - James Day, Wabash
141 - Mark Samuel, Roanoke
149 - Angelo Centrone, SUNY Cortland
157 - Eric Kinkaid, Loras
165 - Cooper Willis, Augsburg
174 - Hunter Mays, TCNJ
184 - Brandt Bombard, Augsburg
197 - Ian Pepple, UW-Eau Claire
285 - Mitch Williamson, Wartburg
TOURNAMENT TOP 25 | PDF DOWNLOAD
| RANK |
INSTITUTION |
TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 |
Augsburg |
64.5 |
| 2 |
TCNJ |
42 |
| 3 |
Roanoke |
41.5 |
| 4 |
Wartburg |
41 |
| 5 |
UW La Crosse |
30.5 |
| 6 |
JWU |
26 |
| T7 |
UW Whitewater |
25 |
| T7 |
Loras |
25 |
| 9 |
VTSU Castleton |
24.5 |
| 10 |
North Central |
22 |
| 11 |
SUNY Oneonta |
21.5 |
| 12 |
Elizabethtown |
20 |
| T13 |
Wabash |
19 |
| T13 |
Chicago |
19 |
| T15 |
USCGA |
16.5 |
| T15 |
Luther |
16.5 |
| T17 |
UW Eau Claire |
16 |
| T17 |
SUNY Cortland |
16 |
| 19 |
Ithaca |
15 |
| T20 |
Lycoming |
13 |
| T20 |
Baldwin Wallace |
13 |
| 22 |
Coe |
12.5 |
| 23 |
Adrian |
12 |
| 24 |
Washington & Lee |
11.5 |
| 25 |
Williams |
11 |
TOURNAMENT POLL METHODOLOGY: THIS IS A TOURNAMENT POWER INDEX RANKING; THE POLL IS NOT BASED ON A TEAM'S DUAL STRENGTH. TPI POINT TOTALS ARE BROKEN DOWN BY INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO PLACEMENT POINTS AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: 1ST=16PTS, 2ND=12PTS, 3RD=10PTS, 4TH=9PTS, 5TH=7PTS, 6TH=6PTS, 7TH=4PTS, 8TH=3PTS, 9TH=2PTS, 10TH=1PT, 11TH=.5, 12TH=.5, 13TH=.5, 14TH=.5, 15TH=.5. THE TOP POINT TOTALS WIL BE LOWER THAN THE FINAL ACTUAL NCAA TOURNAMENT POINTS BECAUSE IT DOES NOT include BONUS POINTS OR ADVANCEMENT POINTS.
Ranking Committee
Region 1: Scott Legacy, VTSU Castleton & Mike Sugermeyer, Western New England
Region 2: Anthony Bonaventura, Stevens Institute & Mike Howard, Oswego
Region 3: Joseph Jamison, Ursinus & Corey Luce, NYU
Region 4: Nate Yetzer, Roanoke & Ryan Riggs, Mount Union
Region 5: Grant Zamin, North Central & Jake Fredricksen, Wabash
Region 6: Dave Mitchell, Luther & Eric Keller, Wartburg
Region 7: Tony Valek, Augsburg & Dave Malecek, UW-La Crosse
