NIACC ranked No. 11 in preseason wrestling poll, Anderly ranked No. 1

NIACC's Austin Anderly is ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Intermat preseason poll at 141 pounds.
NIACC's Austin Anderly is ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Intermat preseason poll at 141 pounds.
November 6, 2017

MASON CITY - The NIACC wrestling team is ranked No. 11 in the preseason NJCAA Division I rankings released Monday.

Ellsworth is ranked No. 1, Iowa Western is No. 2, Iowa Central is No. 4 and Iowa Lakes is No. 7.

NIACC placed seventh at the NJCAA national meet in 2017. The Trojans return three national qualifiers from last year's team in Austin Anderly, Ryan Faught and Jaylen Lee.

In the individual preseason rankings by Intermat, Anderly is ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds, Faught is ranked seventh at 165 pounds and Lee is ranked fourth at 184 pounds.

Anderly earned all-American honors by placing fifth at 141 pounds at last season's national meet in Council Bluffs. Anderly was 14-7 with 2 two falls, one technical fall and four major decisions as a freshman.

NIACC opens its season Wednesday in a dual meet at No. 2 Iowa Western.

NJCAA Division I wrestling rankings

Ellsworth, Iowa Western, North Idaho, Iowa Central, Western Wyoming, Colby, Iowa Lakes, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Northwest, Clackamas, NIACC, RCTC, Niagara County, Nassau, Pratt, Barton, Norwest Kansas Tech, Southwestern Oregon, Spartanburg Methodist, Muskegon.