From: UNI Athletics Media Relations To: Michelle Van Dorn Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2015 11:55:40 AM Subject: Sixth Panther Cracks MAC Wrestling Rankings CONTACT: Michelle Van Dorn ([email protected] / (319) 273-5455) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CLEVELAND, Ohio – A sixth Panther cracked the top four in the latest Mid-American Conference wrestling rankings. UNI’s Jarrett Jensen earned a No. 4 ranking at 157 pounds for the first time in the 2014-15 season. The Panthers have one wrestler leading the conference with Cooper Moore at 165 pounds. The six ranked Panthers are: 125 pounds – No. 2 Dylan Peters 157 pounds – No. 4 Jarrett Jensen 165 pounds – No. 1 Cooper Moore 174 pounds – No. 4 Curt Maas 184 pounds – No. 3 Cody Caldwell 285 pounds – No. 2 Blaize Cabell The team slipped one spot in the ranks to end up fourth, but the Panthers are just three points away from runner-up Old Dominion. Two-time defending MAC Champion Missouri Tigers (32.0 points) were selected first in the conference. THE MAC In 2014, the MAC crowned its ninth individual national champion (J’Den Cox of Missouri), placed nine All-Americans at nationals and had a conference-best 43 wrestlers seeded in the 2014 NCAA Wrestling Championship. Seven of the MAC wrestlers who won their respective weight class at the 2014 MAC Wrestling Championships return this season: Peters (UNI, 125); Drake Houdashelt (Missouri, 149); Ian Miller (Kent State, 157); Moore (UNI, 165); Cody Walters (Ohio, 174); Jack Dechow (Old Dominion, 194) and J’Den Cox (Missouri, 197). In the fall of 2012, the MAC announced the addition of Missouri, Northern Iowa and Old Dominion as affiliate members in the sport of wrestling. All three universities joined the MAC with five-year agreements, as Missouri and Northern Iowa joined the MAC for the 2013 conference tournament and then to participate in regular season and tournament action for the next four consecutive years (2013-14 season thru 2016-17 academic season). Old Dominion joined the MAC for the 2013-14 regular season and tournament through the 2017-18 academic season. The rankings will be released each month throughout the season, with one additional ranking system (two total) in January and February. The 2014-15 preseason rankings, voted on by the league’s head coaches in an open forum are as follows: 2015 January MAC Weight Class Rankings: 125 – 1. Alan Waters (Missouri, Senior); 2. Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa, Sophomore); 3. Brandon Jeske (Old Dominion, Sophomore); 4. Max Soria (Buffalo, Senior). 133 – 1. Mack McGuire (Kent State, Junior); 2. Kagan Squire (Ohio, Junior); 3.Vincent Pizzuto (Eastern Michigan, Junior); 4. Matt Manley (Missouri, Sophomore). 141 – 1. Lavion Mayes (Missouri, Sophomore); 2. Chris Mecate (Old Dominion, Junior); 3. Zach Horan (Central Michigan, Junior); 4. Tyler Small (Kent State, Senior). 149 – 1. Drake Houdashelt (Missouri, Senior); 2. Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion, Junior); 3. Tywan Claxton (Ohio, Junior); 4. Mike DePalma (Kent State, Junior). 157 – 1. Ian Miller (Kent State, Junior); 2. Joey Lavallee (Missouri, Sophomore); 3. Spartak Chino (Ohio, Junior); 4. Jarrett Jensen (Northern Iowa, Junior). 165 – 1. Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa, Sophomore); 2. Tristan Warner (Old Dominion, Senior); 3. Harrison Hightower (Ohio, Senior); 4. Mikey England (Missouri, Senior). 174 – 1. Cody Walters (Ohio, Junior); 2. Johnny Eblen (Missouri, Senior); 3. Caleb Marsh (Kent State, Senior); 4. Curt Maas (Northern Iowa, Sophomore). 184 – 1. Willie Miklus (Missouri, Redshirt Freshman); 2. Jack Dechow (Old Dominion, Sophomore); 3. Cody Caldwell (Northern Iowa, Junior); 4. CJ Brucki (Central Michigan, Redshirt Freshman). 197 – 1. J’Den Cox (Missouri, Sophomore); 2. Phil Wellington (Ohio, Junior); 3. Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois, Sophomore); 4. Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion, Sophomore). HWT – 1. Devin Mellon (Missouri, Senior); 2. Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa, Junior); 3. Jake Henderson (Old Dominion, Senior); 4. Mimmo Lytle (Kent State, Sophomore). The preseason team rankings were also decided in the same forum. The nine schools were ranked based on the number of first through fourth-place votes that were earned in the individual voting system. A first-place vote was worth four team points; a second-place vote earned three team points; third-seeded votes were worth two team points, while a fourth-place tally earned one point in the team ranking system. The January team rankings for the MAC are as follows: 2015 MAC January Rankings 1. Missouri (32.0) 2. Old Dominion (17.0) 3. Ohio (16.0) 4. Northern Iowa (14.0) 5. Kent State (13.0) 6. Central Michigan (3.0) t-7. Eastern Michigan (2.0) t-7. Northern Illinois (2.0) 9. Buffalo (1.0) The 2015 MAC Wrestling Championships will be held March 7-8 and hosted by the University of Missouri in Columbia, MissourI. Last year, Missouri won its second consecutive MAC Championship with 118.5 points, followed by second-place Northern Iowa (116 points). Old Dominion (97 points) finished third, followed by Ohio (94.5 points), Central Michigan (85.5 points), Kent State (67 points), Eastern Michigan (57.5 points), Northern Illinois (50 points) and Buffalo (12.5 points).
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 18:43:04 +0000
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