EDMOND, Okla. — The St. Cloud State University wrestling team has been picked as the number two ranked team in the first Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll of the 2012-13 season.
The Huskies have finished as the runner-up for two consecutive seasons at the NCAA Division II championships and finished the 2011-12 season with a perfect 21-0 dual meet record. SCSU captured the 2012 NCAA Division II Super Region 3 championship and also was the number one team at the NWCA Division II National Duals in 2012.
The St. Cloud State Wrestling team returns four NCAA All-Americans from last year’s team and this group includes seniors Andy Pokorny and Jake Kahnke, who have been ranked as the number two wrestlers in the nation at 133- and 285-pounds respectively in this year’s preseason poll.
Senior Shamus O’Grady has received a fifth place ranking among DII wrestlers at 184-pounds and senior Jacob D. Horn is ranked seventh in the nation at 157-pounds. SCSU will also return 2011 All-America recipeint Eric Ellington, who was a redshirt at SCSU in 2011-12.
The Huskies will open up their season on Friday, November 2, as they host their Annual Black/Red Classic at 7 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall.
Nebraska-Kearney is the preseason favorite to win a second straight NCAA Division II title in 2013, according to the first Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll of the season.
The Lopers, who captured their second Division II championship last year, received five of the eight first-place votes cast in balloting of head coaches from around the country to finish with 146 points and edge out St. Cloud State (Minn.) for No. 1.
The Huskies, last year’s national runner-up, had 142 points in coming in second by one point over seven-time Division II champion Central Oklahoma. Newberry (S.C.) earned one first-place vote and is fourth with 138 points, while Grand Canyon (Ariz.) had the remaining two first-place nods and is fifth with 135.
Rounding out the top 10 is Findlay (Ohio), Upper Iowa, Notre Dame (Ohio), Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) and Wisconsin- Parkside. Notre Dame is expected to make a big splash in its first year as a Division II member after winning NAIA titles in 2010 and ’11 and the NWCA crown last year.
The top 20 poll, with points and each team’s finish in last year’s national tournament following by the individual rankings at each weight:
2012-13 Division II Preseason Rankings (PDF)
1. Nebraska-Kearney 146
2. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 142
3. Central Oklahoma 141
4. Newberry (S.C.) 138
5. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 135
6. Findlay (Ohio) 129
7. Upper Iowa 117
8. Notre Dame (Ohio) 76
9. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 75
10. Wisconsin-Parkside 74
11. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 69
12. North Carolina-Pembroke 64
13. Minnesota State-Mankato 61
14. Adams State (Colo.) 58
15. Maryville (Mo.) 54
16. Augustana (S.D.) 46
17. San Francisco State (Calif.) 31
18. Kutztown (Pa.) 29
19. Limestone (S.C.) 20
T20. Colorado Mesa 18
T20. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 18
Others receiving votes: Ashland (Ohio), Indianapolis (Ind.), Mary (N.D.), Northern State (S.D.), Shippensburg (Pa.), Western State (Colo.)
Individual Rankings
125 Pounds
1. Kyle McCrite, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
2. Ben Sergent, Findlay (Ohio)
3. Chris Kochinsky, Shippensburg (Pa.)
4. David Demo, Minnesota State-Mankato
5. Garrett Evans, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
6. Gerald Huff, Adams State (Colo.)
7. Jesse Hillhouse, Colorado State-Pueblo
8. Jeff Vesta, Newberry (S.C.)
133 Pounds
1. Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa
2. Andy Pokorny, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
3. Ryan Fillingame, Adams State (Colo.)
4. Dave Fogle, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
5. Mike Magaha, Limestone (S.C.)
6. Justin Reinsma, Southwest Minnesota
7. Jose Matos, Gannon (Pa.)
8. Kody Young, Mercyhurt (Pa.)
141 Pounds
1. B.J. Young, Newberry (S.C.)
2. Daniel Owenbey, North Carolina-Pembroke
3. Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma
4. Evan Yenolevich, Kutztown (Pa.)
5. Trevor Johnson, Mary (N.D.)
6. Tywan Claxton, King (Tenn.)
7. Naveed Baheri, San Francisco State (Calif.)
8. Cody Shivener, Notre Dame (Ohio)
149 Pounds
1. Raufeon Stotts, Nebraska-Kearney
2. Keenan Hagerty, Maryville (Mo.)
3. Bobby Ward, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
4. Nate Herda, Augustana (S.D.)
5. Dylan Phillipy, San Francisco State (Calif.)
6. Dan Telhada, Anderson (S.C.)
7. Ryan Maus, Truman State (Mo.)
8. Deral Brown, Newberry (S.C.)
157 Pounds
1. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin-Parkside
2. Taylor Knapp, Newberry (S.C.)
3. Bobby Williams, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
4. Braden Turner, East Stroudsburg State (Pa.)
5. Jeremy Bommarito, Limestone (S.C.)
6. Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma
7. Jacob D. Horn, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
8. Jeffery Pelton, Notre Dame (Ohio)
165 Pounds
1. Mason True, Findlay (Ohio)
2. Matt Vandermeer, Lake Erie (Ohio)
3. Cody Quinn, Minnesota State-Mankato
4. Chester Granard, Colorado Mesa
5. Chris Watson, Central Oklahoma
6. Isaiah Jimenez, San Francisco State (Calif.)
7. Trevor Grant, Colorado State-Pueblo
8. Wade Gobin, Upper Iowa
174 Pounds
1. Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke
2. Elliot Copeland, Western State (Colo.)
3. Travis Sheehy, Newberry (S.C.)
4. Jon Bittinger, Notre Dame (Ohio)
5. Kelly Henderson, Central Oklahoma
6. Brendan McKeown, East Stroudsburg State (Pa.)
7. Matt Littleton, West Liberty (W.Va.)
8. Jacob Cramer, Tiffin (Ohio)
184 Pounds
1. Adam Walters, Findlay (Ohio)
2. Tanner Keck, Central Oklahoma
3. Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa
4. Dallas Smith, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
5. Shamus O’Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
6. Nick Peterson, Colorado Mesa
7. Matt Gille, Wisconsin-Parkside
8. Celic Bell, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
197 Pounds
1. Joseph Brandt, Ashland (Ohio)
2. Carl Broghammer, Upper Iowa
3. Matt Baker, Maryville (Mo.)
4. Jayd Docken, Augustana (S.D.)
5. Chris Leak, Chadron State (Neb.)
6. Tanner Kriss, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
7. Matt Lenagh, Nebraska-Kearney
8. Kyle Folk Freund, Newberry (S.C.)
285 Pounds
1. Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.)
2. Jake Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
3. Kevin Barrett, Nebraska-Kearney
4. James Malechek, Wisconsin-Parkside
5. Orlando Scales, Notre Dame (Ohio)
6. Tyrell Fortune, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
7. Andrew Tumlin, Findlay (Ohio)
8. Cody Dauphin, Central Oklahoma