IIAC Preview 2012
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletics Conference – 31 qualifiers
Friday, February 24, 2012 at Coe
Returning Qualifiers/All-Americans:
Hood (Cornell, 8th, 125), Mendoza (Luther, 125), Greiner (Central, 133), Mirocha (Wartburg, 4th, 133), Holmes (Loras, 133), Snider (Cornell, 133), LeClere (Coe, 141), Schwebke (Cornell, 149), Warcynski (Dubuque, 149), Locke (Coe, 7th, 149), Loughlin (Cornell, 157), Hambleton (Cornell, 165), LeClere (Coe, 2nd, 165), Banks (Wartburg, 2nd, 174), King (Coe, 174), Azinger (Wartburg, 184), Roberts (Cornell, 184), Tate (Wartburg, 1st, 197), Johnson (Dubuque, 6th, 197), Broll (Buena Vista, 184), Burkle (Coe, 285)
Another year, and little has changed at the top of the Iowa Conference. Wartburg continued their long streak of conference dual meet wins and comes into the tournament ranked first in the nation. Coe, however, is trying to make a run this year, and they did manage to outpoint the Knights at an early season invitational. They are the #3 team in the NCAA. Also ranked in the top 30 are Cornell at #6, Luther, at #10, and Dubuque at #21, making the IIA as tough as usual. Byron Tate will be looking for his third NCAA title and is the only returning NCAA champion in the conference. There are six other returning 2011 All-Americans and a big group of returning qualifiers. Wartburg reloaded last year’s NCAA championship team and will be tough to beat. Also of note is the loss of a few qualifiers from last year. The conference will select just one wildcard after the top three finisher qualify automatically.
125 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Anderson (Wartburg, 2nd), Taylor (Dubuque, 3rd), Mendoza (Luther, 4th), Gotto (Coe, 5th), Hood (Cornell, 6th), Pfantz (Loras, Contender), Mogg (Buena Vista, Contender)
In case you weren’t counting, that’s seven names that appear in our rankings and five in the top ten. It is very likely that a former All-American will be left home, and it seems likely the wildcard will come from this weight. Anderson has burst onto the scene, winning the starting spot and has separated himself from the rest of the pack here. Taylor has only wrestled a few matches, but they were wins against Mendoza, Mogg, and Pfantz. The rest of the top guys have traded wins all year, so it should be a great weight on Friday afternoon.
133 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Mirocha (Wartburg, 8th), Snider (Cornell, 9th), Westfall (Coe, 10th), Holmes (Loras, Contender), Sokol (Dubuque, HM)
This is a competitive weight class without a clear favorite. Mirocha was an All-American last year, but he has lost to Westfall who has lost to Snider who lost to Mirochas, so it’s anyone’s title to win. Holmes and Snider were qualifiers last year, as was Greiner (Central) at 125, but Greiner has a losing record this season. Based on the rankings, a few of these guys will fight it out for low placements at the NCAA tournament, but the experienced group could certainly overperform those rankings.
141 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Silvestri (Wartburg, 3rd), Windquist (Luther, Contender), LeClere (Coe, Contender)
This weight class does not have nearly the firepower of the first two, and newcomer Silvestri looks to be the class of the bunch with wins over Keeter (Augsburg) and Zobac (North Central). Windquist has had a nice 28 win season so far including a win over LeClere, who has not had nearly the success of years past. Furseth of Dubuque and Courier of Simpson have also topped 20 wins at this weight.
149 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Locke (Coe, 4th), Waggenhoffer (Wartburg, 9th), Wood (Loras, HM), Warcynski (Dubuque, HM)
Locke was an All-American last year and can put points on the board. He has no DIII losses so far this year. Waggenhoffer is another newcomer from Wartburg that helps keep the team on top year after year. He lost close to Locke and has defeated everyone else in the conference. Warcynski has qualified to the NCAAs before but is low in the rankings, while Schwebke (Cornell), another qualifier doesn’t appear at all. Wood has wins over both of those guys, so some returning qualifiers are probably staying home.
157 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Handley (Coe, 5th), Welter (Wartburg, 7th), Loughlin (Cornell, 9th)
Three top ten wrestlers and three spots at the tournament. Loughlin has the most NCAA experience, but he has failed to place in two trips so far when he has been seeded. Handley defeated Welter 2-1 and hasn’t seen Loughlin yet. Welter defeated Loughlin, setting up the seeding nicely. Any of these three look like they could be All-Americans, even if they are a step below the top three of Ponce, Kulchytskyy, and Larson.
165 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: LeClere (Coe, 1st), Williams (Wartburg, 2nd), Bonte (Luther, 6th), Hambleton (Cornell, 7th)
Here is another weight class with wildcard possibilities with four in the top ten. LeClere was the NCAA runner-up last year, but his status is a bit uncertain. He defaulted his last match in the middle January and has not competed since. Williams is very good on top and in position to capitalize if LeClere is either not competing or not at full strength. His only DIII loss of note is to Myers of Olivet. Bonte and Hambleton have split matches this year, and either would have a case for a wildcard if he takes 4th.
174 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Banks (Wartburg, 4th), King (Coe, 5th), Einerson (Dubuque, 8th)
Banks was a surprise finalist out of the 8th seed last year, and he seems to have righted the ship after some early defeats. He has wins this semester over King and Einerson, securing himself the top seed in the tournament. King was a qualifier a year ago and seems primed to make it to the second day in La Crosse. Einerson has lost to Banks and King, but he has beated every other DIII opponent he has faced.
184 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Azinger (Wartburg, 4th), Broll (Buena Vista, 10th), Ball (Coe, HM), Lowy (Central, HM), Kirkland (Loras, HM), Roberts (Cornell, HM)
Azinger placed at 174 in 2010 before falling a match shy last season. This year, his only loss to a DIII opponent was 3-1 to the third ranked Rau (Elmhurst). Broll dropped to 184 for the second semester and has beaten Roberts. Roberts has lost a number of matches in the IIAC after qualifying for the NCAAs last season and may be on the outside looking in this year. Ball moved up from 174 part way through the year and has performed consistently.
197 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Tate (Wartburg, 1st), Flegel (Luther, 5th), Coolidge (Cornell, 6th), Johnson (Dubuque, 7th), Horner (Coe, Contender)
Tate is a two time national champion, and he should continue his dominance over Division III like he did last season. His 31 DIII wins includes just 5 regular decisions. Johnson was an All-American last year but lost to Coolidge and Flegel. He may garner wildcard support if he takes 4th. Flegel has had an excellent season, as has Coolidge, though Flegel did win their matchup.
285 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Burkle (Coe, 4th), Fank (Wartburg, 6th)
It is not a great weight class in the conference, but it still has two in the top ten. Burkle qualified last year but did not place. This year, his only DIII losses are to #3 Anderson (Whitewater), and a bumped up Tate in a tournament. He beat Fank 7-3. Fank steps into the spot filled by NCAA champ Helgerson and has acquitted himself well as a freshman with a win over the All-American Mayer (UW-Lax). Others to watch are Sefcik (Buena Vista) and Crawford (Central).