Nine Husker wrestlers earned spots in this week’s RPI Rankings and Coaches Panel Rankings. The NCAA also announced its qualifier allocations for the NCAA Championships.
Senior Robert Kokesh (174) took the top spot in the Coaches Panel Rankings, and holds the No. 2 position in the RPI Rankings. Two other Huskers are in the top 10 in both sets of rankings: James Green (157) and Anthony Abidin (141). Green, a three-time All-American, is sixth in the RPI and third in the panel rankings. Abidin is eighth in both rankings.
2014 NCAA qualifier TJ Dudley is 11th in the RPI and 15th in the panel rankings at 184 pounds. Sophomore Tim Lambert (125), who also went to nationals last year, is 13th in both polls. At 149 pounds, Justin Arthur claimed the No. 19 spot in both rankings.
Sophomores Collin Jensen (HWT) and Eric Montoya (133) also achieved spots in both sets of rankings. Jensen is 17th in the RPI and 25th in the panel rankings. Montoya is 24th in both polls. Junior Austin Wilson (165) garnered the 24th spot in the RPI Rankings, while sophomore Aaron Studebaker (197) took the No. 15 position in the panel rankings.
The Big Ten has the most allocated qualifiers of any conference with 86. There are 12 spots at 133 pounds, while 174 and 184 pounds each have 10 spots. There are nine spots at 197 pounds and heavyweight, while eight spots are allocated for 141, 157 and 165 pounds. There are seven at 149 and five at 125.
The Huskers travel to Columbus, Ohio next weekend for the Big Ten Championships. The tournament’s first three sessions will be streamed on BTN Plus (subscription required) and the final session will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The NCAA Championships are set for March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo.
RPI Rankings (Feb. 26, 2015)
125: #13 Tim Lambert
133: #24 Eric Montoya
141: #8 Anthony Abidin
149: #19 Justin Arthur
157: #6 James Green
165: #24 Austin Wilson
174: #2 Robert Kokesh
184: #11 TJ Dudley
HWT: #17 Collin Jensen
NCAA Coaches Panel Rankings (Feb. 26, 2015)
125: #13 Tim Lambert
133: #24 Eric Montoya
141: #8 Anthony Abidin
149: #19 Justin Arthur
157: #3 James Green
174: #1 Robert Kokesh
184: #15 TJ Dudley
197: #15 Aaron Studebaker
HWT: #25 Collin Jensen