INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA released the second of three coaches’ panel rankings and the first Rating Percentage Index (RPI) for the 2012-13 wrestling season. The final rankings and RPI will be two of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The Southern Conference has nine wrestlers in the coaches’ rankings and 13 in the RPI.

Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches’ rankings to earn spots for their respective qualifying tournaments for the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches’ rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class.

To be eligible for an RPI ranking, a wrestler must have a minimum of 17 Division I matches at a given weight class. The top 33 wrestlers in the RPI are listed for each weight class.

Representing the SoCon in the coaches’ rankings are: Chattanooga’s Nick Soto (19^th) and Campbell’s Eric Montoya (26^th) at 125 pounds; The Citadel’s Ugi Khishignyam (7^th) and Chattanooga’s Dean Pavlou (26^th) at 141 pounds; Appalachian State’s Zack Strickland (24^th) and Chattanooga’s Josh Condon (26^th) at 165 pounds; Chattanooga’s Niko Brown (20^th) at 197; and The Citadel’s Odie Delaney (13^th) and Gardner-Webb’s Travis Porter (32^nd) at heavyweight.

In the RPI, the SoCon is represented by: Soto (11^th), Appalachian State’s Dominic Parisi (22^nd) and Montoya (27^th) at 125; Chattanooga’s Marvin Lopez (29^th) at 133; Khishignyam (5^th) and Pavlou (20^th) at 141; Condon (17^th) and Strickland (30^th) at 165; Appalachian State’s Colin Hedash (32^nd) at 174; Brown (12^th) at 197; and Delaney (10^th), Chattanooga’s Kevin Malone (28^th) and Porter (33^rd) at heavyweight.

The full rankings and RPI of each weight class are available here.