Wrestling ranked No. 18 in latest NWCA Rankings; Reed, Layman remain ranked as individuals
By Tim Glon
| NWCA Poll 11-28-23 (.pdf) | NWCA Preseason Individual Regional Rankings |
ADA — The Ohio Northern wrestling team is ranked No. 18 in the first National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Tournament Poll for the 2023-24 season.
The Polar Bears received 12.5 points in the poll and are tied with Central (Iowa) for 18th in the poll.
Augsburg (Minn.) is the top-ranked team in the poll with 89.5 points, Wartburg (Iowa) is second with 54.5 points, and Wisconsin-EauClaire is third with 39.5 points.
Wisconsin-La Crosse and Alvernia (Pa.) round out the top five.
Baldwin Wallace is the only other OAC school to appear in the poll at No. 6.
Individually, junior two-time All-American Jacob Reed (Canal Winchester/Lancaster) is ranked second nationally at 141 pounds and junior Gavin Layman (Chesterton, Ind.), a returning national qualifier, is 13th at 184.
The NWCA also released individual regional rankings of the top six wrestlers in each weight class.
In the Central Region, Reed is ranked first at 141 pounds, Layman is second at 184, junior Dylan Le (Dublin/Scioto) is second at 133 pounds, junior Teagan Hendricks (Jamestown/Greenview) is second at 165, junior Colin Mellott (Wapakoneta) is fourth at 125, junior Jayden Jones (Ashland) is fifth at 157 and junior Adam Myers (Springfield/STEM Academy) is sixth at 174.
The Polar Bears (4-1 overall, 1-0 OAC) will face off at No. 6 Baldwin Walace on Tuesday night at 7 pm.
National Wrestling Coaches Association - Tournament Poll #1
Nov. 28, 2023
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) | Total Points |
Prev. Rank |
| 1. | Augsburg (Minn.) | 89.5 | 1 |
| 2. | Wartburg (Iowa) | 54.5 | 2 |
| 3. | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 39.5 | 9 |
| 4. | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 39 | 5 |
| 5. | Alvernia (Pa.) | 38 | 6 |
| 6. | Baldwin Wallace | 33.5 | 3 |
| 7. | Johnson & Wales (R.I.) | 29 | 4 |
| 8. | Castleton State (Vt.) | 27 | 11 |
| 9. | North Central (Ill.) | 23 | 7 |
| 10. | Wabash (Ind.) | 20 | 10 |
| 11. | Coast Guard (Conn.) | 19.5 | 9 |
| 12. | College of New Jersey | 19 | 14 |
| McDaniel (Md.) | 19 | t21 | |
| 14. | New York U. | 16.5 | t15 |
| 15. | Concordia (Minn.) | 16 | 18 |
| 16. | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 15.5 | t23 |
| 17. | Centenary (N.J.) | 13.5 | NR |
| 18. | Ohio Northern | 12.5 | 13 |
| 19. | Central (Iowa) | 12.5 | NR |
| 20. | Millikin (Ill.) | 11.5 | t21 |
| 21. | Williams (Mass.) | 11 | 17 |
| Springfield (Mass.) | 11 | NR | |
| Muhlenberg (Pa.) | 11 | NR | |
| Elizabethtown (Pa.) | 11 | NR | |
| 25. | Stevens (N.J.) | 10.5 | 12 |
| Loras (Iowa) | 10.5 | NR |