This final set of rankings includes just the 18 wrestlers at each weight that have qualified for the 2018 NCAA Championships. Brackets are set to be released on Monday evening.
Based on the average number of points scored by wrestlers at last year’s tournament, here is the predicted top five teams using these individual rankings.
Jordan Newman will look for his 2nd title at 184 lbs.
Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 23-24, 2018
Location – Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN
Teams (17) – Augsburg, Chicago, Concordia-Moorhead, Concordia Wisconsin, Elmhurst, Lakeland, MSOE, Pacific, St. John’s, St. Olaf, Wheaton, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Platteville, Stevens Point, Whitewater
Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – Carlos Fuentez (Wheaton, 4), Mike Tortorice (Whitewater, 8), Zach Villareal (La Crosse, 9), Victor Gliva (Augsburg, 10)
133 – Sam Bennyhoff (Augsburg, 4), Anthony Munoz (Elmhurst, 5), Hazen Rice (Whitewater, 8), Scott Arneson (Platteville, 9)
141 – David Flynn (Augsburg, 2)
149 – Alex Wilson (Augsburg, 5)
157 – Ryan Epps (Augsburg, 1), Mark Choinski (Oshkosh, 3)
165 – Lucas Jeske (Augsburg, 1), Keone Derain (Elmhurst, 6), Frank Aiello (Wheaton, 7), Mitch Hertel (La Crosse, 8)
174 – Jon Goetz (Platteville, 8)
184 – Grant Wedepohl (Platteville, 4), Sean O’Neil (La Crosse, 5), Luke Dodd (St. John’s, 7), Dan Squires (Stevens Point, 9), Nick Stencel (Whitewater, 10)
197 – Jordan Newman (Whitewater, 1), Wesley Schultz (La Crosse, 3)
285 – Austin Bellile (MSOE, 10)
Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
2. Augsburg
7. La Crosse
9. Whitewater
15. Platteville
18. Elmhurst
19. Wheaton
29. Oshkosh
Augsburg has a tough team that broke Wartburg’s stranglehold on the National Duals back in January, though the Knights managed to top the Auggies in the annual Battle of the Burgs later on. Three returning All-Americans and six wrestlers in the top ten give Augsburg a great shot to again win the regional and then compete for another NCAA team title. Lucas Jeske finished 3rd last year and will be a top contender at 165. David Flynn is ranked 2nd at 141 after finishing 3rd a year ago at the same weight. Ryan Epps has the top spot at 157 after missing the podium by one point last year at 149. Victor Gliva is the third returning All-American for Augsburg hoping to improve on last year’s 8th place finish. In the mix and just outside the rankings at 197 is Lance Benick, a midseason addition who was a FILA Cadet world medalist in high school and spent some time at Arizona State.
The rankings above may not reflect the reality of the entries, especially in the case of Whitewater. Bonomo, Stencel, and Newman are all entered at a weight class lower than where they have wrestled all year. None of the three have wrestled a single match at their respective entered weights of 165, 174, and 184. Jordan Newman was the NCAA champion at 184 lbs. last season but wrestled all year at 197 where he was the top ranked wrestler all year. He steps into a weight class with four other ranked individuals, though Nick Stencel’s road may have gotten easier with the move down to 174.
La Crosse has four ranked wrestlers and appears somewhere in the d3wrestle.com rankings at nine of the ten weights. They have a balanced lineup with some to level firepower. Wesley Schultz proved he can win any match when he pinned a pair of All-Americans (including Newman) at the Wheaton Invitational. Schultz, Zach Villareal, Mitch Hertel, and Sean O’Neil are all looking for their first trip to the NCAA Championships. Platteville, Elmhurst, and Wheaton should have some wrestlers in the mix as well. Platteville has three ranked entries as well as the top ranked wrestler at both 174 and 184. Elmhurst has two highly ranked wrestlers in Munoz and Derain as well as Jimmy McAuliffe who just knocked off 2x All-American Chris Williams in the CCIW Championships. Carlos Fuentez leads Wheaton’s contingent and is looking for his first podium finish after qualifying in 2015 and 2017.
Teams (17) – Brockport, Centenary, Cortland, Elizabethtown, Hunter, Ithaca, Keystone, Mount St. Vincent, Muhlenberg, Oneonta, Oswego, RIT, Scranton, Stevens, TCNJ, Ursinus, USMMA
Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – Jonathan Haas (Brockport, 3)
133 – Troy Stanich (Stevens, 1), Austin Sisco (Oneonta, 10)
141 – Brett Kaliner (Stevens, 3), Ben Brisman (Ithaca, 4), Joe Ghione (Elizabethtown, 5), Max Nauta (Centenary, 8)
149 – Sean Peacock (Brockport, 10)
157 – Zach Wilhelm (Stevens, 4)
165 – Nick Velez (Ithaca, 3)
174 – Dan Kilroy (TCNJ, 7)
184 – Jake Ashcraft (Ithaca, 1)
197 – Triston Engle (Brockport, 6), Etinii Udott (Centenary, 9)
285 – Jake O’Brien (Ithaca, 2), James Bethel (Oneonta, 3)
Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
3. Ithaca
6. Stevens
15. Brockport
23. Centenary
25. Oneonta
30. TCNJ
Ithaca was 2nd in the Northeast region last year and is the top team here. With four wrestlers ranked in the top four and a third place finish at the National Duals, the Bombers are a formidable team. Jake Ashcraft has ascended to the top spot at 184 lbs. and is supported by past All-Americans Nick Velez and Jake O’Brien. Stevens will give Ithaca a test here. The Ducks lineup is heavily slanted to the first six weights, but all six of them won the Centennial Conference two weekends ago. Top ranked Troy Stanich has just one loss in two years and will be a favorite to win the whole thing in Cleveland. All-American Zach Wilhelm, NCAA qualifier Dylan Van Sickell, and Centennial champ Thomas Poklikuha are all tough returners along with freshman start Brett Kaliner.
Brockport returns a pair of All-Americans in Jonathan Haas and Triston Engle. Haas was ranked #1 until a recent loss and finished 3rd in the NCAA last season. Engle has 24 pins and was 4th in the nation last year. Oneonta and TCNJ each return a 2017 All-American. Dan Kilroy placed 8th as a freshman for TCNJ and returns in his quest to move up the podium. James Bethel was an All-American in 2015 for Oneonta, took 2016 off, and then returned in 2017 to place again. He is ranked third but will have to deal with #2 O’Brien if he wants to win this weekend.
The 141 lbs. weight class is extremely tough here with four ranked wrestlers. #3 Brett Kaliner has given Stevens an outstanding freshman for the second straight year. #4 Ben Brisman of Ithaca spent most of last year at 149 but has settled in at 141 this year and been outstanding. Joe Ghione of Elizabethtown transferred in for his final season and a late drop to 141 has proven to be the right call as he has dominated at the weight. Max Nauta is the only returner at this weight of the four and he qualified for the NCAA Championships out of the East region. His only DIII loss this year is an 8-7 setback to Brisman last month. Someone very good will not get to go to Cleveland at 141 in the Mideast.
Owen Doster is looking to improve on last year’s 7th place finish
Date – Friday and Saturday, February 23-24, 2018
Location – Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN
Teams (18) – Adrian, Alma, Baldwin Wallace, Case, Heidelberg, John Carroll, Manchester, Mount St. Joseph, Mount Union, Muskingum, Ohio Northern, Olivet, Otterbein, Thomas More, Trine, Wabash, Washington & Jefferson, Waynesburg
Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
10. Wabash
11. Mount Union
12. Baldwin Wallace
25. John Carroll
30. Waynesburg
There should be real competition for the top spot in the team race here. Wabash, Mount Union, and Baldwin Wallace are 10, 11, and 12 in the tournament rankings, while Olivet also has good depth that will help score in this format. Wabash has finished the NCAA tournament with a trophy in each of the past three seasons, and the Little Giants return All-American Owen Doster as well as round of 12 finisher Darden Schurg. Freshman Kyle Hatch will bolster the lineup in his first postseason. Mount Union has three ranked wrestlers as well. Midseason transfer Jairod James announced his presence with a Wheaton title, and the former Kent State wrestler will be a threat to win the whole thing. Baldwin Wallace is strong across the board and recently won seven matches against Mount Union in a late season dual meet. Anthony Arroyo is a returning All-American at 165 who scores points in bunches.
Olivet has just one wrestler in the top ten, but like the other top contenders here, they can put ten solid wrestlers on the mat. Waynesburg is led by All-American heavyweight Jake Evans. The team has few weak spots and could contend at multiple weights this weekend including 125 and 197. John Carroll has a pair of ranked training partners in Brezovec at 141 and Lasko at 149. Brezovec will have a tougher go of it this week with two other ranked wrestlers in his weight, but both will be seeded to qualify. Ohio Northern also has two ranked wrestlers in Clayton Davidson and Nate Barcaskey. Each is looking for his first trip to the championships.
Otterbein is looking to qualify a wrestler in their second year as a program. Their best shot is sophomore Drew Kasper at 197. Kasper transferred to Otterbein from Indiana Tech after his high school coach Brent Rastetter was hired to start the brand new Cardinals team. The former Ohio state champion is also the brother of Duke All-American heavyweight Jacob Kasper who is ranked 3rd at that weight in Division I.
Ben Swarr of Messiah is a two-time finalist and 2016 NCAA Champion
Date – Friday and Saturday, February 23-24, 2018
Location – Franklin County High School, Rocky Mount, VA
Teams (18) – Averett, Delaware Valley, Ferrum, Gettysburg, Greensboro, Hampden-Sydney, Johns Hopkins, King’s, Lycoming, Messiah, Penn College, Penn State Behrend, Southern Virginia, Thiel, Washington & Lee, Wilkes, York
Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 –
133 – Hunter Harris (Messiah, 7)
141 –
149 – Greg Warner (York, 4), Stephen Maloney (Messiah, 7), Trevor Corl (Lycoming, 10)
157 –
165 – Jeff Hojnacki (Messiah, 5), Jackson Drum (York, 10)
174 – Ben Swarr (Messiah, 3), Brandon Conrad (Lycoming, 10)
184 –
197 – Kyle Koser (Messiah, 5)
285 – Garrett Wesneski (Lycoming, 5), Paul Triandafilou (Gettysburg, 8)
Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
4. Messiah
21. Lycoming
23. York
After four straight Mideast team championships, Messiah moves into the Southeast region looking to keep the streak alive. With five wrestlers who have NCAA experience, including three past All-Americans, they are the team to beat in this region. Ben Swarr is a two-time finalist at 174 lbs. who won the 2016 title, while Kyle Koser and Jeff Hojnacki are each looking for a second trip onto the NCAA podium.
York and Lycoming each have some high level firepower and will hope to steal the top spot away from Messiah. York has split a pair of dual meets with the Falcons this year and features one of the three returning All-Americans in this region in 2x placewinner Greg Warner. Jackson Drum has come on strong in his sophomore season and gives the Spartans two ranked wrestlers. Lycoming has three ranked wrestlers in Trevor Corl, Brandon Conrad, and Maryland transfer Garrett Wesneski who will all have a good shot to get through to Cleveland. Ferrum should not be overlooked as well. The Panthers won the East region last season, though two of their stars, NCAA runner-up Zach Beckner and qualifier Collin Saunders, have battled injuries this season.
There are several wrestlers in this tournament who were All-Americans prior to last season that missed the podium. Matthew Grossmann of Wilkes was the 2015 NCAA Champion at 133 lbs. as a freshman but has yet to return to the tournament. Jeff Hojnacki of Messiah placed 6th at 165 lbs. in 2016 but did not qualify last season. Paul Triandafilou of Gettysburg placed 5th in 2016 and qualified last season before falling in the round of 12. All three will hope to get back on the podium in Cleveland.
Eric DeVos is the defending champ and a 2x finalist at 174 lbs.
Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 24-25, 2018
Location – Five Flags Center, Dubuque, IA
Teams (17) – Augustana, Buena Vista, Central, Coe, Cornell, Dubuque, Huntingdon, Loras, Luther, MacMurray, Millikin, Nebraska Wesleyan, North Central, Simpson, University of the Ozarks, Wartburg, Westminster
Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – CJ Pestano (Central, 1)
133 – Brock Rathbun (Wartburg, 3)
141 – Josh Martin (Cornell, 1)
149 – Cross Cannone (Wartburg, 1), Phillip Opelt (Cornell, 2), Jimmy Davis (Loras, 3), Bradan Birt (Millikin, 6)
157 – Logan Thomsen (Wartburg, 2), Quincy Kalkbrenner (Dubuque, 5), Cole Erickson (Coe, 6), Egan Berta (North Central, 8)
165 – Mike Ross (Wartburg, 2)
174 – Eric DeVos (Wartburg, 1), Jake Voss (Coe, 5), Nathan Fritz (Central, 6)
184 – Tyler Lutes (Wartburg, 2), Christos Giatras (Augustana, 6), Keajion Jennings (Millikin, 8)
197 – Kyle Fank (Wartburg, 2), Guy Patron (Loras, 4)
285 – Lance Evans (Wartburg, 1), Quin Gilliam (Loras, 7)
Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
1. Wartburg
8. Loras
13. Cornell
14. Central
15. Coe
21. Millikin
25. North Central
With seven wrestlers ranked first or second (and an eighth ranked third), Wartburg is well-positioned to defend their NCAA and Regional championships of a year ago. The Knights have five returning All-Americans including three finalists. Eric DeVos is a two-time finalist who returns to defend his title at 174 lbs., while Cross Cannone and Logan Thomsen were both 2nd last year. Lance Evans finished 4th at heavyweight, while Kyle Fank was 5th at 197. Wartburg has won their region each of the past five years and should cruise to a sixth straight title.
Loras is having a fantastic season and should be the second best team in this region. They have a 17-1 record and can put a solid wrestler on the mat at every weight while having a few stars with the potential to get on the podium. Guy Patron shook off an opening round loss at the NCAA Championships last year and reeled off six straight wins to place 3rd at 197. Jimmy Davis also lost his first match before storming back for 5th place. Quin Gilliam qualified at heavyweight last year and fell in the round of 12. This team should send a strong group to Cleveland.
Cornell, Central, and Coe are all strong teams as well that should do well. CJ Pestano is a 2x All-American for Central and he holds the top spot in the rankings at 125. Cornell has a pair of guys ranked in the top two, as Josh Martin holds the top spot at 141 and is looking to return to the tournament for the first time since 2016. Teammate Phillip Opelt is ranked 2nd at 149. He was an All-American in 2016 at 133 and is back looking for more two weight classes up. Millikin’s Chris Williams sits just outside the top ten as of today, but he is a 2x All-American who cannot be counted out at 141. North Central is another tough top-to-bottom team that will not be an easy out for anyone.
Jay Albis is aiming to go one step higher on the podium
Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 24-25, 2018
Location – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA
Teams (17) – Bridgewater State, Castleton, Coast Guard, Johnson & Wales, New England, Norwich, NYU, Plymouth State, Rhode Island, Roger Williams, Springfield, Trinity, University of Southern Maine, Wesleyan, Western New England, Williams, WPI
Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – Peter Del Gallo (Southern Maine, 2), Jay Albis (Johnson & Wales, 5)
133 – Joao Vicente (Johnson & Wales, 6)
141 – Joe Ferinde (Johnson & Wales, 6)
149 –
157 – Ray Jazikoff (NYU, 9), Chris Sullivan (Coast Guard, 10)
165 –
174 –
184 – Khamri Thomas (Johnson & Wales, 3)
197 – Devon Carrillo (Wesleyan, 7), Michael DiNardo (Johnson & Wales, 8)
285 – Isaiah Bellamy (Wesleyan, 4)
Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
5. Johnson & Wales
19. Wesleyan
25. Southern Maine
Johnson & Wales had the best season in program history last year when they finished in 4th place at the NCAA championships with five All-Americans and a pair of finalists. They will be heavily favored in the Northeast region consisting of New England schools plus NYU. Two All-Americans return for JWU, and five of their wrestlers are ranked in the top ten. Jay Albis made an unexpected run to the 133 lbs. final last year, and he has dropped to 125 this year to seek the top spot on the podium. Joe Ferinde returns as well for the Wildcats after a 6th place finish a year ago. Those two, along with Brendon Seyfried of Williams, are the only 2017 All-Americans in this region.
Wesleyan is the only other team with multiple ranked wrestlers in Devon Carrillo at 197 and Isaiah Bellamy at 285 to lock down the top two weights. Carrillo was in the round of 12 last year, while Bellamy has come on strong in his senior year to be ranked in the top four. The upper weight duo also takes the top two spots in falls for all of Division III. Teammate Carter Armendarez was a qualifier and round of 12 finisher last year as well. Roger Williams, WPI, and Coast Guard also have strong teams with depth throughout the lineup that will serve them well in the team standings.
Peter Del Gallo of Southern Maine is one of the few undefeated wrestlers in Division III this year. The sophomore is 34-0, and his best win is over the then-#1 ranked Jonathan Haas of Brockport at the end of last month. His older brother Daniel won the 149 lbs. championship last year for Southern Maine, and Peter hopes to follow in his footsteps to give Southern Maine and the Del Gallo family a second NCAA champion.
This is the final set of rankings before the postseason kicks off. Starting later today, regional previews will be published twice a day until the sixth and final preview is posted on Thursday. Check back later this week for those previews as well as a post on Friday with information about following all six regions.
The d3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Week is Jimmy McAuliffe of Elmhurst. The Blue Jay won the 141 lbs. weight class at the CCIW Championships last Thursday and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. McAuliffe pinned his first two foes before defeating two time All-American and #6 ranked Chris Williams of Millikin in the finals 8-2. His championship was one of three for the Blue Jays and helped the team to a third place finish in the eight team field.
McAuliffe, a freshman from Burbank, Illinois, was 4th last year in the Illinois 3A state championships for Reavis High School. This season, he was 4th at Concordia, 1st at the Elmhurst Al Hanke Invitational, and 5th at Wheaton. He currently has a 17-3 record with seven falls in his first year as a Blue Jay. Elmhurst is off this week as they prepare for the Upper Midwest Regional to be held next weekend at Augsburg College.
It came down to the wire, but all six regions have sites now. The top three wrestlers at each weight will qualify for the 2018 NCAA Championships to be held at the Cleveland Public Auditorium March 9-10, 2018.
Southeast – 
Tuesday
