NCAA releases first coaches' panel rankings

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA released Thursday the first of four coaches’ panel rankings for the 2014-15 wrestling season. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This year’s event is March 19-21 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

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 2015 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 past 30 days.

The top-ranked wrestlers at each weight class in the inaugural rankings are: Alan Waters, Missouri (125 pounds); Christopher Dardanes, Minnesota (133 pounds); Logan Stieber, Ohio State (141 pounds); Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern (149 pounds); Dylan Ness, Minnesota (157 pounds); Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State (165 pounds); Robert Kokesh, Nebraska (174 pounds); Gabriel Dean, Cornell (184 pounds); J’Den Cox, Missouri (197 pounds) and Bobby Telford, Iowa (Heavyweight).

Coaches' Panel Rankings