BIG YES FOR UNO
Mavericks return all ten starters from 2004 title team
The following is a breakdown of the top ten teams in Div. II, according to the preseason rankings:
1. Nebraska-Omaha
The Mavericks came virtually out of nowhere to win last year’s national championship. But nobody will be surprised if they repeat.
With all 10 starters back, including six All-Americans, UNO starts the season ranked No. 1.
Four Mavericks — two-time national champ Les Sigman (heavyweight) along with NCAA runner-ups Dustin Tovar (125) and Patrick Allibone (149), and thir
d-place finisher J.D. Naig (165) — are ranked No.1.“We have the target on us, but if you can’t handle it you don’t deserve to be No. 1,” Coach Mike Denney said. “Last year we were young and pretty relaxed going into nationals. We didn’t have much pressure on us because we weren’t the favorite.
“With the guys we have back, we are ready for that challenge of starting No. 1. We can’t be satisfied.”
UNO All-Americans Eli Dominguez (second at 141) and Mitch Waite (third at 133) also are ranked.
The Mavericks host this year’s national meet. “It will be exciting,” Denney said.
2. Augustana
The Vikings may be the team best equipped to prevent the Mavericks from repeating. Augustana returns national champion Tom Meester (184) along with All-Americans Ryan King (third at 149), Dusty Wilking (sixth at 174) and Aaron Graumann (eighth at 125).
“We are real excited about this season,” Coach Jason Reitmeier said. “The prospects for this team look awfully good. Omaha is the overwhelming favorite with all the guys they have back. But we definitely think we have a shot at them.”
The Vikings also picked up one of the nation’s best transfers when Tim Boldt (197) came to Augustana after South Dakota State moved out of Division II. Boldt, a junior, placed fifth at nationals as a freshman. He entered last year’s NCAA meet ranked third, but was not allowed to compete after he failed a pre-meet skin test.
3. Nebraska-Kearney
The Lopers had their best season in school history when they won the National Duals and were second in the NCAA championships two years ago.
But Coach Marc Bauer has another team that could rival that one. The Lopers bring back three All-Americans, including national champ Jeff Sylvester (197), from the team that returns everybody.
| UNO heavyweight Les Sigman half way to earning four NCAA championships |
“I honestly believe this team, up and down the line-up, is a little better than the team we had two years ago,” Bauer said. “We have great leadership and experience, and the talent is there.”
Two-time national qualifier Aaron Dalton (165) and national qualifiers Matt True (141) and Caleb Young (174) also are back. Gabe Re (149), who won 29 matches two years ago at 141, is back after redshirting last season.
4. Shippensburg
Perennial power Pitt-Johnstown is not the highest ranked Division II team from Pennsylvania in the preseason. To many people’s surprise, Shippensburg is one spot ahead of their in-state rivals to open the 2004-05 campaign.
Shippensburg features four wrestlers who start the season ranked in the top six nationally.
They include sophomore Jamie Thomas (third at 125), senior Zach Leathers (fifth at 149), sophomore Mark Murphy (sixth at 165) and junior Corey Jacoby (second at 184).
Thomas and Jacoby both placed fourth in the nation last March while Leathers was fifth. Murphy was a national qualifier last season.
Shippensburg placed 11th in the country last year with 38 points.
The Red Raiders are scheduled to wrestle at Pitt-Johnstown on Dec. 1.
5. (tie) Fort Hays State
Heavyweight Andrew Ubben may be the wrestler with the best chance to stop Nebraska-Omaha wrestler Les Sigman’s quest to become a four-time NCAA champion.
Ubben lost out on that chance in last year’s heavyweight finals when he had to default his match with Sigman when he injured ligaments in his right knee in the first period. Sigman shot in for a takedown and Ubben was injured near the edge of the mat.
Sigman and Ubben, both juniors, start this season ranked 1-2. Sigman is halfway to winning four Div. II national crowns.
Ubben’s second-place finish last year matched the best finish in school history by a Fort Hays State wrestler. Ubben was 31-7 last season.
Ubben’s teammate, senior Aaron Meister, starts this season ranked No. 1 at 174. Meister placed fourth at the national tournament last season.
5. (tie) Pitt-Johnstown
The Mountain Cats are a team with very few weak spots.
Pitt-Johnstown returns seven national qualifiers, including four All-Americans, from the team that placed fifth at the national tournament last season. Seniors Ryan Ickes (149), Mark Glova (165) and Howard Bell (197) are each ranked third in the country.
Bell is a three-time All-American after placing eighth as a freshman, sixth as a sophomore and fourth a year ago.
Junior Thad Benton, a 2003 All-American at 133, will move up to 141 this season. He starts the season ranked seventh.
National qualifiers Matt Roncolato (sixth at 157), Zach Majocha (sixth at heavyweight) and Ryon Mazzocco (eighth at 125) also are ranked in the preseason poll.
Coach Pat Pecora begins his 29th season at Pitt-Johnstown. The Mountain Cats were 17-4 in dual meets last season.
7. Truman State
The Bulldogs are coming off a historic season when they crowned just their second national champion in school history.
Merrick Meyer became the school’s first NCAA champ in 36 years when he knocked off defending champ Shane Barnes of Adams State, 6-3, in the 141-pound finals. He avenged a 15-3 loss to Barnes in the 2003 national finals.
Meyer finished 30-6 last season and the senior three-time All-American starts this season ranked No. 1. He is 96-20 in his college career.
Truman State also brings back an All-American in senior Gregg Nurrenbern at 184 pounds. Nurrenbern placed seventh at nationals and finished his junior season 34-12. He starts the season ranked third in the nation.
8. Central Oklahoma
The Bronchos lost four-time national champ Cole Province and two-timer Shawn Silvis, but still return seven starters from the team that was third at nationals.
Central Oklahoma’s preseason ranking is the lowest for the Bronchos since they joined Division II in 1990. Central Oklahoma has won six Div. II national titles.
“We are going to do everything in our power to keep ourselves in the thick of things,” Coach David James said, “and I don’t have any doubt that we will do that.”
Central Oklahoma’s Kevin Lochner is ranked second at 197 after placing third in the nation last season.
The Bronchos’ Chris Saferite, second in the nation three years ago at 125, has moved up to 133.
Central Oklahoma’s Wade Bramlitt is back after placing seventh at 141 as is Bryan Tapley, who was eighth at 184.
Jerod Goodwin (149), an All-American in 2003, also is back.
9. Minnesota State
The Mavericks of Mankato, Minn., fresh off hosting the 2004 nationals, feature two of the nation’s best sophomores in Jason Rhoten (149) and Travis Krinkie (174).
Rhoten was the North Central Conference Freshman of the Year last season after placing fourth in the nation at 141. He was 32-6 last season. He plans to move up a weight this year and is ranked sixth at 149.
Krinkie was eighth in the nation last season and starts this season ranked fourth. He was 20-9 as a freshman.
“Jason and Travis are exactly the caliber of wrestlers that we want to build our program around in the years to come,” Coach Jim Makovsky said. “You can expect more big things from this pair.”
Minnesota State also welcomes back senior All-American Josh Janousek at 197 and senior national qualifier Mike Engelmann at heavyweight.
Janousek is ranked fifth and Engelmann is ranked eighth.
10. San Francisco State
The Gators bring back one of the best wrestlers in Division II in talented senior Donald Lockett.
Lockett made Central Oklahoma’s Cole Province work for his fourth national title at 133 last season before Province prevailed 6-3. Lockett, also an Academic All-American, starts this season ranked No. 1.
Lockett knocked off Cornell’s Travis Lee, an NCAA Division I champion in 2003, last season at the Midlands Championships.
San Francisco State sophomore heavyweight Daren Murphy, a returning national qualifier, is ranked seventh.
The Gators also return national qualifiers in junior Pacifico Garcia (141) and senior Luke Santos (149).
Santos just missed reaching the semifinal round at nationals last year, dropping a double-overtime bout to Nebraska-Omaha’s Patrick Allibone in the quarterfinals. Allibone went on to place second.
Santos was ranked second entering the national tournament.
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