No. 2 Ohio State (15-1)
Three years ago, while having a sub-par year, Ohio State brought in one of the top recruiting classes in the country, with the anticipation of being a powerhouse in a couple of years.
The time has come after a redshirt season and a freshman campaign and the highly recruited Tommy Rowlands, Jeff Ratliff and John Clark have shown their worth. This weekend these individuals, along with rest of the team, got all the way to the finals of the National Duals, before bowing to Minnesota.
All-American Rowlands earned Freshman of the Year honors last year. He was also NCAA runner up, when he lost in the finals to John Lockhart. With Steve Mocco's loss last weekend, Rowlands jumped him and gained the No. 1 ranking at heavyweight.
Ohio State jumped five spots in the most recent poll to No. 2, giving the Buckeyes their highest ranking ever.
"There is no question that as our performance over the weekend earned us the No. 2 spot in the nation," Ohio State coach Russ Hellickson said in a press release. "The question now is how difficult will it be for us to maintain that position because it is new territory for our guys. We do deserve the ranking and now we have to prove it."
No. 3 Iowa (10-2)
For years, Iowa was the first team that came to mind when discussing college wrestling. The Hawkeyes were as dominant as any team in any sport, reeling off 26 straight Big Ten championships, and were a near mortal lock to take home the NCAA championship every year.
Things have changed slightly with the retirement of Dan Gable following the 1997 season. Iowa failed to win the national championship for the first time since 1994 last year and finished an unheard of third at the Big Ten tournament.
"I think everyone has set Iowa as a target," Illinois head coach Mark Johnson said. "Every program has tried to raise themselves to the level of Iowa. They're responsible for the conference's top to bottom strength. I don't know if they'll be as dominant as they were ever again, but they'll always be strong."
Still, when NCAA runner-up is looked at as having a down year, you are doing something right. The Hawkeyes still have a pair of national championship contenders and a host of All-American candidates.
Freshman heavyweight Mocco, one of the most highly sought recruits in history, is living up to the hype. The New Jersey native has only one loss on the season and is at or near the top of every poll. Mike Zadick, a classic hard-nosed Iowa wrestler, is poised for a title run at 149.
No. 14 Illinois (7-1)
After a strong fifth-place finish at the NCAA tournament last season, the Illini are forced to replace two of their strongest wrestlers, Pat Quirk and Adam Tirapelle, both national finalists last year.
Expected to carry the load will be junior Matt Lackey at 165 pounds and senior Lockhart at heavyweight. Both are coming off breakout seasons that
saw Lockhart win an NCAA championship and Lackey finish third in the country.
Helping the Illini during this rebuilding year is former Penn State national champion Jeremy Hunter. Hunter is in his first year as an Illinois assistant and, to this point, has been a great addition.
"He's a great young man," Johnson said.
"Our guys really like him. We've encouraged him to be a more vocal leader and given him a lot of responsibility and he's as responded well."
No. 20 Purdue (11-1)
When your wrestling program needs an injection of fresh talent, where do you go?
Well, Pennsylvania would not be a bad choice, and that is exactly what Purdue head coach Jesse Reyes did when he signed three-time PIAA champion Chris Fleeger of Loyalsock last spring.
As a true freshman, Fleeger has not disappointed. He is currently ranked fourth in the country and did not lose a match until earlier this month when he fell to top ranked Stephen Abas of Fresno State.
Included in his first season as a Boilermaker was a return trip to Pennsylvania and an Outstanding Wrestler award at the Mat-Town Invitational.
Although Fleeger is the cornerstone of the team, he is not the only star. Heavyweight Jake Vercelli, a returning All-American, is currently ranked in the top eight and is a serious contender for the Big Ten title in the conference's toughest weight.
Indiana (6-4)
The Hoosiers return one All-American, No. 1 Viktor Sveda. With Cael Sanderson moving up a weight class to 197 pounds, Sveda is expected to compete for the NCAA championship at 184 pounds. Sveda has recently set the Indiana record for career wins and pins. Sveda is well respected around the wrestling community and Penn State included.
"He's a hard-nosed kid, wrestles good in every position on the mats, and wrestles hard for seven minutes every time out," Penn State coaching assistant Ross Thatcher said.
Indiana needs other wrestlers to step up and compete at the same level as Sveda to become a more competitive team. 125-pounder Greg Schaefer has stepped up to the challenge and has turned in strong early season performance, compiling a record of 15-2.
Coyote Cooper, the Hoosiers' 141-pounder, has been a solid contributor as well, posting eight wins against two losses.
National qualifier Ty Matthews was another wrestler that coach Duane Goldman was counting on, but is out with an injury. Injuries have really slowed Indiana's progress early this season.
"Injuries have hurt us," Goldman said. "Our heavyweight is out. 197-pounder (Matthews) and national qualifier is out. 165-pounder May is out this semester with academic ineligibility. Cooper hasn't wrestled since the Midlands. Right now there is a bigger fish to fry."
