Oct. 14: The Wrestling Falcons were ranked No. 7 in the nation when the NAIA Coaches Preseason Poll was released Tuesday.
The top ranking in the history of NDC Athletics comes on the heels of a 2007-08 season that saw the program develop its first National Champion (Victer Crenshaw) and close out the season with a 13th-place finish at the NAIA National Championship Tournament.
The preseason ranking was earned on the strength of a solid recruiting class and four returnees being ranked in the Top-8 of their weight classes. Junior Adam Koballa (Twinsburg, Ohio) highlighted that group with a No. 1-ranking at 141 pounds.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The 2008 Preseason NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll has been announced this afternoon (Oct. 14). Defending National Champion Lindenwood (Mo.) begins this season right where they left off. The Lions are No. 1 after receiving 70 total team points. Lindenwood has won three of the last four national titles.
Coming in at No. 2 are the Oaks of Menlo (Calif.) who collect 55 total team points. McKendree (Ill.) is ranked No. 3 after receiving 54 total team points. Great Falls (Mont.) checks in at No. 4 in the poll after collecting 49 total team points. Rounding out the Top 5 are both Embry Riddle (Ariz.) and Missouri Valley, who tie with 43 total team points respectively.
The first regular season NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll will be announced on Nov. 18.
2008 Preseason NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll- Oct. 14
|
|
LAST
|
|
TOTAL TEAM
|
|
RANK
|
YEAR
|
SCHOOL
|
POINTS
|
|
1
|
1
|
Lindenwood (Mo.)
|
70
|
|
2
|
T13
|
Menlo (Calif.)
|
55
|
|
3
|
2
|
McKendree (Ill.)
|
54
|
|
4
|
4
|
Great Falls (Mont.)
|
49
|
|
T5
|
9
|
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)
|
43
|
|
T5
|
T7
|
Missouri Valley
|
43
|
|
7
|
19
|
Notre Dame (Ohio)
|
42
|
|
8
|
3
|
Dickinson State (N.D.)
|
37
|
|
9
|
T13
|
Southern Oregon
|
34
|
|
10
|
5
|
Oklahoma City Univ.
|
29
|
|
11
|
6
|
Dana (Neb.)
|
23
|
|
12
|
15
|
Morningside (Iowa)
|
21
|
|
13
|
18
|
William Penn (Iowa)
|
20
|
|
T14
|
T10
|
Montana State-Northern
|
19
|
|
T14
|
12
|
Northwestern (Iowa)
|
19
|
|
T16
|
17
|
Missouri Baptist
|
16
|
|
T16
|
NR
|
California Baptist
|
16
|
|
18
|
T7
|
Campbellsville (Ky.)
|
13
|
|
T19
|
16
|
King (Tenn.)
|
11
|
|
T19
|
T10
|
Cumberlands (Ky.)
|
11
|
Individual Ratings
|
125
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Corey Borges
|
MSU Northern
|
|
2
|
Billy Exline
|
Missouri Valley
|
|
3
|
Jose Hernandez
|
Menlo
|
|
4
|
Cody Dennis
|
Morningside
|
|
5
|
Jon Olanowski
|
Lindenwood
|
|
6
|
Tyler Savage
|
Notre Dame
|
|
7
|
Chauncey Phillips
|
California Baptist
|
|
8
|
Jarrod Wiens
|
Hastings
|
|
|
|
|
|
133
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Ray Stephens
|
Lindenwood
|
|
2
|
Wade Lowe
|
McKendree
|
|
3
|
Julian Gunnels
|
Briar Cliff
|
|
4
|
Trevor Lofstedt
|
Southern Oregon
|
|
5
|
Frankie Villaescusa
|
Embry-Riddle
|
|
6
|
Jon Gerhold
|
Missouri Valley
|
|
7
|
Andrew Hare
|
Hastings
|
|
8
|
Carlos Alaniz
|
MSU Northern
|
|
|
|
|
|
141
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Adam Koballa
|
Notre Dame
|
|
2
|
Barry Johnson
|
Southern Oregon
|
|
3
|
Eric Graham
|
Missouri Valley
|
|
4
|
Tyler Chang
|
Embry-Riddle
|
|
5
|
Nathan Schweitzer
|
Dickinson State
|
|
6
|
Jermaine Waye
|
McKendree
|
|
7
|
Marcus Cobbs
|
William Penn
|
|
8
|
Adam Manz
|
Dana
|
|
|
|
|
|
149
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Ryan Moyer
|
Lindenwood
|
|
2
|
Brian Graham
|
Missouri Valley
|
|
3
|
Levi Price
|
Northwestern
|
|
4
|
Ryan Jahn
|
McKendree
|
|
5
|
Lee Morrison
|
Menlo
|
|
6
|
Sam Schmitz
|
Lindenwood
|
|
7
|
Matt Burns
|
Grandview
|
|
8
|
Trace Billet
|
Embry-Riddle
|
|
|
|
|
|
157
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Matt Collum
|
Missouri Baptist
|
|
2
|
Nick Zumwalt
|
Dickinson State
|
|
3
|
Jason Spencer
|
Notre Dame
|
|
4
|
Rosh Mosher
|
Great Falls
|
|
5
|
Nik Turner
|
Oklahoma City
|
|
6
|
Sabas Cruz
|
Menlo
|
|
7
|
Melvin Bell
|
William Penn
|
|
8
|
Blake Moore
|
Morningside
|
|
|
|
|
|
165
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Robert Davis
|
Menlo
|
|
2
|
Stan Schlecht
|
Dickinson State
|
|
3
|
Victor Crenshaw
|
Notre Dame
|
|
4
|
Bulla Tuzon
|
Dana
|
|
5
|
Javonte Ashford
|
King
|
|
6
|
Shane Bennett
|
Dickinson State
|
|
7
|
Aaron Winning
|
McKendree
|
|
8
|
Elizardo Arismendez
|
Embry-Riddle
|
|
|
|
|
|
174
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Matt Cauley
|
Lindenwood
|
|
2
|
Hayden Harrison
|
Embry-Riddle
|
|
3
|
Brendon DeCock
|
Great Falls
|
|
4
|
Tom Eaton
|
Northwestern
|
|
5
|
Josh Ghobadpoor
|
Dana
|
|
6
|
Dillon Blackmon
|
Oklahoma City
|
|
7
|
Damion Stephenson
|
Cumberlands (Ky.)
|
|
8
|
Michael French
|
Great Falls
|
|
|
|
|
|
184
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Mitchell Eichenauer
|
Oklahoma City
|
|
2
|
Enock Francois
|
California Baptist
|
|
3
|
Jordan Powers
|
Cumberland (Tenn.)
|
|
4
|
Travous DeGroat
|
Embry-Riddle
|
|
5
|
Rob Nusekabel
|
Cumberlands (Ky.)
|
|
6
|
Jason Pense
|
Great Falls
|
|
7
|
Tom Nesseth
|
Sioux Falls
|
|
8
|
Jason Green
|
Lindenwood
|
|
|
|
|
|
197
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Andrew Sanchez
|
McKendree
|
|
2
|
Alex Calvi
|
Great Falls
|
|
3
|
Glen Jackson
|
Campbellsville
|
|
4
|
Cole Wilson
|
Morningside
|
|
5
|
Chase Locke
|
Southern Oregon
|
|
6
|
Jeremiah Webb
|
Lindenwood
|
|
7
|
Mark Peiffer
|
Dana
|
|
8
|
Charlie Gibbs
|
Missouri Valley
|
|
|
|
|
|
HWT
|
Name
|
Institution
|
|
1
|
Jesse Ruiz
|
Menlo
|
|
2
|
Jordan Wall
|
William Penn
|
|
3
|
Arjan Bhullar
|
Simon Fraser
|
|
4
|
Brad Fraser
|
Great Falls
|
|
5
|
Dan Moore
|
McKendree
|
|
6
|
John Bates
|
Southern Oregon
|
|
7
|
Frank Morgan
|
King
|
|
8
|
Chad Brown
|
Campbellsville
|
