Regular Season Poll #1
EDMOND, Okla. - The University of Nebraska at Omaha wrestling team remains the unanimous No. 1 pick, according to the first official regular season poll released Wednesday by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association.
UNO, which went undefeated in duals at 13-0, won its sixth national title last year and the fourth in the last six years, garnered all eight first-place votes in balloting of coaches from around the country to finish with 160 points. UNO sat atop the poll in all seven rankings last season.
Newberry moved up one spot to No. 2 with 152 points, while Adams State and Central Oklahoma both climbed up two spots, coming in third and fourth. Pittsburgh-Johnstown jumped from 10th to fifth to round out the top five.
UNO has wrestlers ranked individually in seven of the 10 weight classes.
The Mavericks are led by top-ranked Esai Dominguez at 149 pounds and Aaron Denson at 174 pounds. Dominguez is 10-4 on the year and has placed in the top four in all three opens that he has competed in on the year.
Denson compiled an 8-3 record on the year with five wins coming by fall. He turned in a third-place finish at 184 pounds at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 21.
Three other Mavericks are ranked No. 2 in their weight class. Cody Garcia at 133 pounds, Jacob Marrs at 197 pounds and Elijah Madison at heavyweight.
Garcia currently sports a 9-0 record with a team-high seven pins on the year. He earned first-place finishes at the Daktronics Open and Harold Nichols Open. The senior three-time All-American did not compete at the Kaufman-Brand Open due to an injury.
Marrs has a 7-3 record on the year with five wins coming by fall. He placed second at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 21.
Madison has posted an 8-3 record on the year. The redshirt freshman placed second at the Harold Nichols Open on Nov. 14.
Austin Boehm is No. 3 at 184 pounds and Ryan Pankoke is ranked eighth at 165 pounds to round out the Maverick ranked wrestlers.
UNO grapplers will be back on the mat this weekend after having last week off when they travel to Hays, Kan., for the Fort Hays Open on Saturday, Dec. 5. Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
