Six Pokes Appear In Final NCAA RPI Rankings

 

Four juniors and two redshirt freshman featured

 

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Feb. 27, 2014) Six University of Wyoming wrestlers were featured in the final NCAA rating percentage index rankings, released Thursday.

 

The RPI, along with the NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings, will be two of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The Cowboys on the RPI list include junior Tyler Cox (11^th at 125 pounds), redshirt freshman Cole Mendenhall (33^rd at 141), junior Andy McCulley (25^th at 157), junior Dakota Friesth (23^rd at 165), redshirt freshman Benjamin Stroh (28^th at 184) and junior Shane Woods, who was 24th at 197.

 

In the NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings, Cox was eighth, Mendenhall was unranked, McCulley was 31^st, Friesth was 22^nd, Stroh was 17^th and Woods was 25^th.

 

Wyoming led the Western Wrestling Conference with six wrestlers listed in the RPI or panel rankings, followed by North Dakota State with five and South Dakota State with four. As a conference, the WWC had 21 wrestlers on the lists.

 

Wt. – Name (Coaches Rank/RPI)

125: Junior Tyler Cox (8^th/11^th)

141: Redshirt freshman Cole Mendenhall (NR/33^rd)

157: Junior Andy McCulley (31^st/25^th)

165: Junior Dakota Friesth (22^nd/23^rd) 

184: Redshirt freshman Benjamin Stroh (17^th/28^th)

197: Junior Shane Woods (25^th/24^th)

 

Qualifier Allocations

The NCAA announced on Thursday the qualifier allocations for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and the Western Wrestling Conference/NCAA West Regional was awarded 15 spots. The 15 automatic qualifier spots will be on the line at the WWC Championships/NCAA West Regional Tournament, hosted March 8 in Orem, Utah. 

 

Automatic WWC bids

125 pounds – 2
133 – 1

141 – 1

149 – 1

157 – 2

165 – 3

174 – 1

184 – 2

197 – 1

285 - 1 

 

After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 40 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 12. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class.

 

-ADC-