Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney wrestling team is now sixth in the latest regular season edition of the Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Top 25 poll. This poll is a tournament power index (TPI) ranking as teams receive points for individuals ranked. UNK has seven ranked among the 10 weight classes, good for 57 points and the sixth spot. The next rankings will be released in March. St. Cloud State, having won four of the last five national titles, remains number one. The Huskies have 104 points with McKendree (Ill.), Pittsburgh-Johnstown, Notre Dame (Ohio) and Central Oklahoma rounding out the top five.
Individually, Iowa junior Matt Malcom and Delaware grad transfer Anthony Mancini (184 lbs.) are both ranked second in their respective class. Malcom is a team-best 27-7 while Mancini is 11-2 with 10 bonus point wins. Next cracking the top 10 is Lincoln junior Wesley Dawkins (4th/133 lbs.), Iowa junior Josh Portillo (7th/125 lbs.), and Colorado junior Sam Turner (9th/149 lbs.). Finally ranked 12th in their class is Geneva senior Jarrod Hinrichs (285 lbs.) and Lincoln junior Jonathan Killingsworth (149 lbs.). For the second straight winter UNK hosts the NCAA Super Region IV Championships. The 10-team event takes place on Saturday, February 29th, with the top three finishers in each class qualifying for the NCAA Championships March 13-14 in Sioux Falls.
