Wrestling: Six Wrestlers Nationally Ranked
November 09, 2007 06:14 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
November 9, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Six members of the 2007-08 West Virginia University wrestling team have earned a top 20 ranking in the InterMat/NWMA/NWCA Preseason Division I Individual Wrestling Rankings.
The six starters, all NCAA qualifiers from the 2006-07 season, are led by two-time All-American Brandon Rader. Rader has garnered a No. 5 preseason ranking in the 149-pound division after finishing sixth in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and going undefeated in both Eastern Wrestling League play and dual meets.
Heavyweight Dustin Rogers’ impressive tournament showing last March earned him a No. 10 ranking. Rogers fell one win shy of becoming WVU’s first heavyweight All-American after upsetting the No. 11 and No. 6 seeds.
Zac Fryling is ranked No. 15 at the 157-pound class. The three-time NCAA qualifier finished last season with a 21-8 overall record, including 5-1 in EWL play.
174-pounder Kurt Brenner is coming off a solid season and is ranked No. 16 after finishing second at the EWL tournament. Brenner also posted a 21-8 record, including a 5-1 mark in EWL meets.
David Jauregui earned a No. 17 spot in the 149-pound division after posting his second consecutive 20-win season last year. He also posted an impressive 9-1 record in dual meets and tied for first on the team with six major decisions.
Jared Villers rounds out the individual accolades for the Mountaineers, ranking at No. 18 in the 197-pound class. Villers led the team with 27 wins last season, posting 6 EWL wins and nine dual meet wins as well.
WVU begins their season on Sunday, Nov. 18, in the “Sprawl + Brawl” dual meet against No. 3 ranked Iowa State and Sacred Heart at Binghamton University in Vestal, N.Y. The Mountaineers will face Sacred Heart at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 1:15 p.m. match against Iowa State.
