EDMOND, Okla. – Augustana wrestling opens the season ranked 16th in the first Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll of the 2012-13 season. The Vikings earned 46 points in the coaches’ poll and are one of four teams in the NSIC that were ranked in the top 20.
Defending national champion Nebraska-Kearney is the preseason favorite earning 146 points. Last season’s runner-up, St. Cloud State, was listed second with 142 points. Upper Iowa was ranked seventh and Minnesota State was ranked 13th.
In the individual rankings, Nate Herda was ranked fourth nationally at 149 pounds. Herda finished the 2011-12 season 23-8, winning the Super Region 3 title at 149 pounds and was a first-team All-NSIC selection.
Jayd Docken was the other Vikings to crack the top eight in the individual rankings coming in at fourth at 197 pounds. Docken went 20-8 last season wrestling at 184 pounds.
Augustana finished 13-3 last season, including 5-2 in the NSIC, which was good for a third-place finish in the final league standings. Augustana went on to finish 10th at the national tournament and qualified seven wrestlers for nationals, three earning All-America honors.
NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Rankings
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