WRES Enters Top 10 of USA Today/ NWCA Coaches Poll
Dec 02 | Wrestling
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers wrestling cracked the top 10 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll this week, earning the No. 10 spot in the national rankings. The Scarlet Knights (9-1) defeated then-No. 7-ranked Cornell, 21-13, Sunday at the "Grapple at the Garden" to improve to 4-1 against ranked opponents this season.
RU is back in the top 10 of the NWCA Poll for the first time since closing the 2010-11 season ranked tied for ninth after posting a 21-2 dual mark.
RU is ranked the highest it's been all season at No. 11 in Intermat's Dual Rankings and No. 12 in WIN Magazine's Dual Rankings. The Scarlet Knights are No. 15 in Intermat's Tournament Rankings and No. 16 in WIN's Tournament Power Index (TPI).
Ranked No. 16 this week at 125 pounds, Sean McCabe (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) secured his first win over a ranked opponent this season in No. 18 Dalton Macri of Cornell. The 6-5 win finished off a 2-0 day for McCabe at the "Grapple at the Garden" following a fall in 2:16 against Ibrahim Banduka (George Mason).
The Connetquot HS product improved to 6-3 on the season with the performance. McCabe's only three losses this season have come against top-12 opponents. One of his victories was a 2-1 sudden victory win over Ryan Milhof (Oklahoma), who is now ranked No. 17 by Intermat.
Four other Scarlet Knights are ranked, with No. 17 133-pounder Anthony Giraldo (Guttenberg, N.J.), No. 3 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.), and No. 7 heavyweight Billy Smith (Wantage, N.J.) all maintaining their position from the previous week.
Ashnault scored two pins to improve to a team-best 9-0 this season. Smith notched a major decision and decision to bump his record to 8-2 overall. Giraldo went 1-1 with a 16-0 tech fall over Vince Rodriguez (George Mason) and a 6-1 loss to three-time All-American and No. 4-ranked Nahshon Garret (Cornell).
Despite posting the only other win against a ranked opponent over the weekend, 165-pounder Anthony Perrotti (Roseland, N.J.) fell one spot to No. 10 at his weight class. He topped then-No. 10 Duke Pickett (Cornell), 6-2, Sunday.
The Big Ten Conference season begins for Rutgers on Thursday, Dec. 10 at No. 2 Iowa (6-0). Following that dual the Scarlet Knights return home to the Rutgers Athletic Center to take on No. 5 Nebraska (5-0).
Season tickets for the 2015-16 Rutgers wrestling season are still available through the Rutgers Ticket Office. Fans can call 1-866-445-GORU (4678) or visit www.scarletknights.com to purchase new season tickets.
R-Jr. Sean McCabe - 125 Pounds (6-3, 6-3 Duals) | |||||
| Intermat | FloWrestling | The Open Mat | WIN Magazine | ||
| Dec. 2 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 19 | |
R-Fr. Anthony Giraldo - 133 Pounds (7-3, 7-3 Duals) | |||||
| Intermat | FloWrestling | The Open Mat | WIN Magazine | ||
| Preseason | NR | 19 | 15 | NR | |
| Nov. 4 | 20 | 19 | 15 | * | |
| Nov. 11 | 19 | 19 | 14 | NR | |
| Nov. 18 | NR | 19 | 15 | 19 | |
| Nov. 25 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 18 | |
| Dec. 2 | 17 | NR | 16 | 19 | |
R-So. Anthony Ashnault - 141 Pounds (9-0, 9-0 Duals) | |||||
| Intermat | FloWrestling | The Open Mat | WIN Magazine | ||
| Preseason | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | |
| Nov. 4 | 7 | 8 | 7 | * | |
| Nov. 11 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | |
| Nov. 18 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | |
| Nov. 25 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | |
| Dec. 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | |
R-Sr. Anthony Perrotti - 165 Pounds (8-1, 8-1 Duals) | |||||
| Intermat | FloWrestling | The Open Mat | WIN Magazine | ||
| Preseason | 9 | 16 | 11 | 12 | |
| Nov. 4 | 9 | 13 | 11 | * | |
| Nov. 11 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 6 | |
| Nov. 18 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 7 | |
| Nov. 25 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 7 | |
| Dec. 2 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | |
R-Sr. Billy Smith - 285 Pounds (8-2, 8-2 Duals) | |||||
| Intermat | FloWrestling | The Open Mat | WIN Magazine | ||
| Preseason | 8 | 10 | 11 | 8 | |
| Nov. 4 | 8 | 9 | 11 | * | |
| Nov. 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 7 | |
| Nov. 18 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | |
| Nov. 25 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | |
| Dec. 2 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | |
*No new poll released
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