INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA released Thursday the second of four coaches’ panel rankings and a preliminary release of the ratings percentage index for the 2015-16 wrestling season, with 23 Southern Conference wrestlers appearing in either or both of the lists.
The final rankings and RPI will be two of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers and seeding for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This year’s event is March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches’ rankings to earn spots in their qualifying tournaments for the 2016 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. In order to be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days.
To be eligible for an RPI ranking, a wrestler must have a minimum of 17 Division I matches at a given weight class.
The SoCon’s 23 ranked individuals are:
125 pounds
Appalachian State’s Vito Pasone (No. 30 coaches/No. 24 RPI)
Gardner-Webb’s Cortez Starkes (33/32)
133 pounds
Campbell’s Nathan Kraisser (25/17)
Gardner-Webb’s Tyler Ziegler (No. 28 RPI)
141 pounds
Chattanooga’s Mike Pongracz (22/29)
Appalachian State’s Michael Longo (No. 31 RPI)
149 pounds
The Citadel’s Matt Frisch (30/25)
Gardner-Webb’s Chris Vassar (32/12)
SIUE’s John Fahy (No. 30 RPI)
157 pounds
Chattanooga’s Kamaal Shakur (26/21)
The Citadel’s Aaron Walker (29/19)
165 pounds
Appalachian State’s Forrest Przybysz (26/20)
Campbell’s Paul Duggan (28/31)
174 pounds
Appalachian State’s Nick Kee (22/19)
Chattanooga’s Sean Mappes (No. 33 coaches)
184 pounds
Chattanooga’s John Lampe (28/20)
Gardner-Webb’s Hunter Gamble (33/15)
Campbell’s Ville Heino (No. 30 RPI)
197 pounds
Chattanooga’s Scottie Boykin (No. 26 coaches)
The Citadel’s Marshall Haas (No. 28 coaches)
Heavyweight
Appalachian State’s Denzel Dejournette (5/10)
Chattanooga’s Jared Johnson (12/14)
Gardner-Webb’s Boyce Cornwell (33/22)
Full rankings available here.