Cyclone Wrestlers Appear in Preseason Poll

09.03.2008 | Men's Wrestling

By: cyclones.com

AMES, Iowa ? The Iowa State wrestling team has garnered a top-five national ranking in a preseason poll released by W.I.N. Magazine. Individually, a Cyclone wrestler is ranked in all but two weight classes. Six Iowa State wrestlers reside within the top 10.

The ISU wrestling team is ranked as the third best team in the country. Iowa holds down the top position, followed by Ohio State.

Iowa State's wrestling team has received second-place ranking in W.I.N. Magazine's Tournament Power Index, just one point out of first place. This ranking is based on how a school's individually-ranked wrestlers would finish at the NCAA Championship according to W.I.N. Magazine's current ranking.

Jake Varner, a redshirt junior and two-time NCAA runner-up at 184 pounds, is listed as the top preseason pick at 197 pounds. Varner is rated ahead of Maryland's Hudson Taylor, who placed third in the 197-pound weight class at last year's NCAA Championships.

Nick Gallick and David Zabriskie, both redshirt juniors, are listed as second in their respective weight classes. Gallick is coming off a fifth-place showing in the 141-pound bracket at last year's NCAA Championship. The preseason favorite at 141 pounds is Ohio State's J Jaggers. Zabriskie, who placed sixth last year at heavyweight, finds himself behind familiar Big 12 Conference foe Jared Rosholt from Oklahoma State. Zabriskie holds a 3-2 career advantage against Rosholt.

Other Cyclone wrestlers find themselves within the top-10 individually. Nick Fanthorpe, a redshirt junior and the Cyclones' 133-pounder, is listed as sixth. Fanthorpe placed seventh at 133 pounds at last year's NCAA Championship. Cyler Sanderson, a redshirt junior, is listed at fifth in the 157-pound weight class. Sanderson placed seventh last year. Jon Reader, a redshirt sophomore, is placed at fifth after a freshman campaign that saw him place seventh at the NCAA Championship.

The Cyclones have ranked wrestlers at the 125-pound and 149-pound weight classes. Tyler Clark, a sophomore, returns at 125 pounds after qualifying for NCAA Championship last year. W.I.N. Magazine lists Clark at 17th. Mitch Mueller, a redshirt junior, is a two-time qualifier and is ranked at 14th.

Iowa State opens the season against Utah Valley State at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.