Wrestling Up To #8 In Poll
Time for our weekly look at the NCAA wrestling rankings. The Illini had a good week with dual wins over Northwestern and Wisconsin, and were rewarded by most of the pollsters as a result. Here are this week's polls:
Intermat bumped up the Illini one spot from #9 to #8 this week. The Illini benefited from a loss by Minnesota to Michigan on Friday night, as the Gophers dropped from #8 to #11. Individually, no big changes for Illinois wrestlers this week. Jimmy Kennedy (133) is ranked #3, Mike Poeta (157) is #2, Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165) is #15, Jordan Blanton (184) #12, and John Wise (Hwt) #9. John Dergo (174) continues to be unranked, but can rectify that with a win over Indiana's Trevor Perry (#15) on Friday night.
W.I.N. Magazine gave the Illini a nice bump up this week from #14 to #10. Six Illini are ranked in the individual rankings by W.I.N., led once again by Poeta (#2) and Kennedy (#3). Smith-Bergsrud is #15 this week, Dergo #13, Blanton also #13, and Wise #9.
In the Amateur Wrestling News' weekly individual rankings, six Illini are also recognized. AWN has Poeta ranked #1 again this week, followed by Kennedy at #5, Smith Bergsrud #16, Dergo #18, Blanton #15 and Wise #9.
WrestlingReport.com's team rankings, which measure teams on tournament strength rather than dual meet strength, rate Illinois at #13 this week. Individually these rankings, which go 33 deep, recognize nine of Mark Johnson's ten starters. Starting at 125, freshman B.J. Futrell checks in at #28 this week. Kennedy is #3, Ryan Prater (141) #30, Poeta #5, Smith-Bergsrud #14, Dergo #13, Blanton #12, Patrick Bond (197) #24 and Wise #16.
Finally we check in with d1collegewrestling.net. These team rankings have lately appeared to me to be about a week behind, though the site says they were updated yesterday. The Illini are at #12 this week, and this is the only poll in which they're ranked behind Minnesota, who as we mentioned lost on Friday night. As for the individual rankings, which go 25 deep, Kennedy is #2, Poeta #4, Smith-Bergsrud #18, Dergo #19, Blanton #12 and Wise #9.
A reminder that Illinois is home this Friday night to take on Indiana. Start time is 7 pm. If you can't make it to Huff, just turn on your radio to WDWS. I'll call the play-by-play.
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