2009-10 NCAA Division II Wrestling Rankings - Dec. 2, 2009

EDMOND, Okla. -- Nebraska-Omaha maintained its stranglehold on the NCAA Division II wrestling rankings Wednesday as the defending national champion Mavericks were the unanimous No. 1 pick in the first regular season poll, it was announced by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association.

UNO received all eight first-place votes in balloting of coaches from around the country to finish with 160 points. The Mavericks were No. 1 in all seven polls last season en route to running away with their fifth Division II national title.

Newberry (S.C.) moved up one spot to No. 2 with 152 points, while Adams State (Colo.) and Central Oklahoma both jumped two spots in coming in third and fourth, respectively, and Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) jumped from 10th to fifth.

Western State (Colo.), Augustana (S.D.), Nebraska-Kearney, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State (Minn.) rounded out the top 10. Augustana made the biggest leap in the rankings, moving from 19th in the preseason poll to No. 7.

UNO is led by top-ranked individuals Esai Dominguez (149 ) and Aaron Denson (174) and has three more wrestlers ranked second -- 133 Cody Garcia, 197 Jacob Marrs and heavyweight Elijah Madison.

The 2010 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships will be held March 12-13 in Omaha, Neb.

The top 20 poll, with points and the teams’ ranking in the preseason following by the top-eight rankings at each weight:

Rank School (State) Points Last Ranking
1. Nebraska-Omaha 160 1st
2. Newberry (S.C.) 152 3rd
3. Adams State (Colo.) 137 5th
4. Central Oklahoma 126 6th
5. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 120 10th
6. Western State (Colo.) 117 7th
7. Augustana (S.D.) 116 19th
8. Nebraska-Kearney 113 4th
9. Minnesota State 95 2nd
10. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 99 8th
11. Wisconsin-Parkside 76 12th
12. Upper Iowa 75 9th
13. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 62 14th
14. West Liberty (W.Va.) 54 16th
15. San Francisco State (Calif.) 44 13th
16. Central Missouri 41 15th
17. Gannon (Pa.) 37 17th
18. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 17 11th
19. Findlay (Ohio) 12 NR
T20. Chadron State (Neb.) 9 18th
T20. North Carolina-Pembroke 9 NR
Others receiving votes: Kutztown (Pa.), Mesa State (Colo.), Minnesota State-Moorhead.

NCAA Division II
Individual Rankings
125 Pounds
1. Arsenia Barksdale, Adams State (Colo.)
2. Tommy Edgmon, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
3. Matt Oliver, Newberry (S.C.)
4. Andy Forstner, Minnesota State
5. Chris Sheetz, Kutztown (Pa.)
6. Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma
7. Russell Weakley, North Carolina-Pembroke
8. Cody Zimmerman, Wisconsin-Parkside

133 Pounds
1. Shane Valko, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
2. Cody Garcia, Nebraska-Omaha
3. Naveed Bagheri, San Francisco State (Calif.)
4. Joey Morrison, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Trison Graham, Central Oklahoma
6. Kyle Pedretti, Upper Iowa
7. Rhett Breed, Mesa State (Colo.)
8. Nick Wykoff, West Liberty (W.Va.) 

141 Pounds
1. Ben Lockett, San Francisco State (Calif.)
2. Jay Sherer, Augustana (S.D.)
3. Jeremy Parker, Limestone (S.C.)
4. Jimmy Savala, Chadron State (Neb.)
5. Nate Nauroth, Shippensburg (Pa.)
6. Adam Whetsone, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
7. Gabe Suarez, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
8. Cory Bloodgood, Central Missouri

149 Pounds
1. Esai Dominguez, Nebraska-Omaha
2. Craig Becker, Wisconsin-Parkside
3. Mitch Smith, West Liberty (W.Va.)
4. William Forrest, Central Missouri
5. Joey Deaguero, Adams State (Colo.)
6. Colby Robinson, Central Oklahoma
7. Jacob Roberts, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
8. Jordan Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 

157 Pounds
1.         Andy Lamancusa, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
2.         Danny Grater, Fort Hay State (Kan.)
3.         Denis Ryzhov, Central Missouri
4.         Noomis Jones, Adams State (Colo.)
5.         Ryan Etherton, Nebraska-Kearney
6.         Travis Elg, Minnesota State
7.         John Sundgren, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
8.         Michael Lybarger, Findlay (Ohio) 

165 Pounds
1.         Josh Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
2.         Travis Eggers, Upper Iowa
3.         Tad Merritt, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4.         Taylor May, Nebraska-Kearney
5.         Kyle Keane, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
6.         Skye Wells, Western State (Colo.)
7.         Gavin Nelson, Augustana (S.D.)
8.         Ryan Pankoke, Nebraska-Omaha 

174 Pounds
1.         Aaron Denson, Nebraska-Omaha
2.         Mitch Norton, Upper Iowa
3.         J.J. Davis, North Carolina-Pembroke
4.         Chris Barrick, Shippensburg (Pa.)
5.         Justin Shannon, Findlay (Ohio)
6.         Luke Rynish, Wisconsin-Parkside
7.         Ben Becker, Minnesota State
8.         Carl Serk, Augustana (S.D.)

184 Pounds
1.         Kyle Sand, Adams State (Colo.)
2.         Bryant Blanton, Newberry (S.C.)
3.         Austin Boehm, Nebraska-Omaha
4.         Lucas Haag, Wisconsin-Parkside
5.         Nick Henning, Augustana (S.D.)
6.         Patrick Walsh, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
7.         Charlie Pipher, Western State (Colo.)
8.         Derek Ross, Nebraska-Kearney 

197 Pounds
1.         Keeno Griffin, Newberry (S.C.)
2.         Jacob Marrs, Nebraska-Omaha
3.         Ty Copsey, Augustana (S.D.)
4.         Donavan McMahill, Western State (Colo.)
5.         Pat Mahan, Minnesota State
6.         Lucas Munkelwitz, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
7.         Scott Snyder, Kutztown (Pa.)
8.         Tony Chavarria, Colorado State-Pueblo 

285 Pounds
1.         Brady Wilson, Minnesota State-Mankato
2.         Elijah Madison, Nebraska-Omaha
3.         Dustin Finn, Central Oklahoma
4.         Charlie Alexander, Western State (Colo.)
5.         Frank McGrath, Gannon (Pa.)
6.         Steve Franklin, San Francisco State (Calif.)
7.         Nathan Sharp, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
8.         Jeff Schossow, Adams State (Colo.)