National Wrestling Coaches Association dual rankings: Iowa State, Iowa hold spots as UNI jumps to No. 12

Iowa State and University of Iowa remained steady, while University of Northern Iowa received a modest bump.

All three schools are in the top-12 in college wrestling.

The Cyclones and Hawkeyes are ranked third and fourth, respectively, and UNI climbed three spots to No. 12 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association NCAA Division I dual rankings released Tuesday.

Iowa State is 2-0 and will head to the Journeymen Collegiate Duals, setting up a battle with No. 2 Ohio State (8-0) and No. 20 Lehigh (3-4). The Buckeyes received three first-place votes and won the inaugural National Duals Invitational in November. Iowa State is 10-1 all-time against Ohio State, which won last year’s dual.

Iowa is coming off lopsided victories over University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (37-6) and Utah Valley (33-7) Friday at Journeymen’s “Uncivil War” in Hannibal, Mo. The Hawkeyes moved to 7-2 this season and are idle until Soldier Salute on Jan. 3-4 at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

UNI (3-2) defeated previously 14th-ranked Missouri, 22-14, Sunday at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls. The Tigers fell to No. 17. The Panthers won six matches, posting bonus points in three bonus-point victories.

The Panthers will face their fifth ranked opponent, hosting No. 16 North Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m. UNI won the last meeting between the two programs, 17-16, at the former West Gym on Dec. 18, 2017.

Penn State (4-0) received 13 of 16 first-place votes. The Nittany Lions beat Wyoming, 40-7, and owns a 75-dual win streak, tying for the fifth-longest win streak in college wrestling history. Penn State is one win back Oklahoma State’s major college (NCAA Division I) record of 76 straight victories from 1937-51. St. Cloud State, an NCAA Division II program, holds the overall NCAA win streak record with 77 consecutive from 1917-22.

In the NCAA Division III poll, Wartburg has moved to No. 1 in both the NWCA tournament and dual rankings. The Knights are joined in the dual rankings by American Rivers Conference programs No. 8 Loras, No. 10 Central, No. 11 Coe and 24th-ranked Luther.

The Norse, however, are ranked 10th in the tournament rankings, one spot back of the Duhawks. Coe is No. 15 and Central is 19th.

Cornell is No. 23 in the dual-team poll.

For the complete NCAA Division I dual rankings, visit the NWCA website.

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