NIACC wrestling team ranked 2nd in preseason ratings

MASON CITY - The NIACC wrestling team is ranked No. 2 in Intermat's preseason NJCAA Division I rankings released Tuesday.

NIACC, which placed 13th at last season's national meet, returns three all-Americans and six national qualifiers.

Western Wyoming is ranked No. 1 in the preseason rankings.

Top returners for the Trojans are all-Americans Brock Luthens (133), Tony Mendoza (149) and Zack Santee (285). At last season's national meet, Luthens was seventh and Mendoz and Santee placed fifth.

Other returning national qualifiers for NIACC are Hunter Luke (141), Mason Carpenter (174) and Reldon Miller (184).

In Intermat's preseason ratings, Mendoza is ranked second at 149 pounds and Santee is ranked second at 285. Luthens is ranked third at 133, Luke is ranked third at 141, Miller is third at 184 and Carpenter is fifth at 174.

NIACC opens its season Wednesday in a dual meet at No. 5 Ellsworth. The ICCAC dual on the Ellsworth campus is slated to start at 7 p.m.

Other Iowa teams ranked in the preseason poll are No. 8 Iowa Central, No. 19 Iowa Western and No. 27 Iowa Lakes.

Intermat's NJCAA Division I rankings - Western Wyoming, NIACC, Clackamas, Harper, Ellsworth, Northeast Oklahoma, Barton, Iowa Central, Cloud County, Cowley, North Idaho, Neosho, Northeastern, Northwest Wyoming, Mercyhurst NE, Triton, Niagara, RCTC, Southwest Oregon, Iowa Western, Jamestown, Itasca, Colby, Northland, Umpqua, Iowa Lakes.