The updated wrestling rankings are out today.  It looks like the Illini are holding their ground in most of the polls as the get ready to take on #1 team in the country, the Iowa Hawkeyes, on Sunday January 25.

First, we'll look at the individual rankings from the Amateur Wrestling News.  Six Illini wrestlers are ranked in AWN's top 20 rankings, led by Mike Poeta, who re-entered the rankings in the top spot at 157 lb. after making his 2008-2009 debut last weekend with wins over wrestlers from West Virginia and Pittsburgh.  Jimmy Kennedy checks in at #2 this week at 133, Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165) is ranked 12th, John Dergo (174) is also #12, Jordan Blanton (184) is ranked 16th, and Heavyweight John Wise checks in at #7.

Next up are the rankings from W.I.N. Magazine.  The team rankings are quite different, as the Illini check in at #15 this week.  Expect that ranking to rise as the impact of Poeta returning to the lineup takes full effect during the Big Ten season.  Individually, Poeta is #2 behind Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs.  Elsewhere, Kennedy is ranked fourth, Smith-Bergsrud #17 (down four spots), Dergo 14th, Blanton also #14 and Wise 10th.

Still waiting for the individual rankings from Intermat, but their team poll has been released.  The Illini are unchanged this week at #7.  Other Big Ten teams in this poll include (of course) Iowa at #1, Ohio State 5th, Minnesota 9th, Penn State 14th, Wisconsin 15th, Michigan 17th, Northwestern 19th, Indiana 20th and Purdue unranked, but receiving votes.

I'll share the Intermat individual rankings, plus the rankings from d1collegewrestling.net in tomorrow's entry.

bmoline@wdws.com