NCAA Releases Wrestling Coaches’ Panel Rankings
1/23/2014 | Wrestling
BLOOMSBURG- The NCAA released Thursday the first of three coaches’ panel rankings for the 2013-14 wrestling season. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This year’s event is March 20-22 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Ok. Bloomsburg University has six wrestlers ranked in the initial coaches’ panel rankings.
At 133 pounds Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) is ranked 22nd, while at 149 pounds Bryce Busler (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley) is 18th; and Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) is 16th at 165 pounds. Also, Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) is 25th at 174 pounds with Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) the Huskies highest ranked wrestler at 197 pounds, while Justin Grant(Easton/Easton) is ranked 14th at 285 pounds.
Four Bloomsburg wrestlers, Veltre, Dessino, Perry and Grant are the highest ranked EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) wrestlers in the rankings.
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 2014 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.
The Huskies will be back in action on Saturday at 7 p.m. visiting Edinboro starting at 7 p.m.
The full rankings of each weight class are available atNCAA.com.