Oct. 9, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference wrestling coaches announced the preseason weight class individual rankings in conjunction with the league office today. Eight Bobcats are ranked in their respective weight classes.

Ohio's Kevin Christensen (Springfield, Ohio) is the preseason favorite at 149 pounds. The junior finished second at the MAC championship last year and posted an 11-16 overall record. Fellow junior Jacob Ison (Batavia, Ohio) was picked second in the preseason rankings at 174 pounds. Ison placed third at the conference championship last season.

Bobcats Quentin Keyes (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), Germane Lindsey (Cincinnati, Ohio), Tommy Weinkam (Cincinnati, Ohio), Erik Schuth (Spencerport, N.Y.) and Chris Iammarino (Lyndhurst, Ohio) were all tabbed third in their respective weight classes. Lindsey, only a sophomore, qualified for nationals last season. Junior Clay Tucker (Martins Ferry, Ohio) was picked fourth at 157 pounds.

The preseason rankings, voted on by the league's head coaches in an open forum, are as follows:

125 - 1. Nic Bedelyon (KSU); 2. T.J. Wunnicke (NIU); 3. Dan Bishop (UB); 4. Matt Steintrager (CMU).

133 - 1. Danny Mitcheff (KSU); 2. Conor Beebe (CMU); 3. Quentin Keyes (OU); 4. Sean Clair (EMU).

149 - 1. Kevin Christensen (OU); 2. Clint Sponseller (KSU); 3. Desmond Greene (UB); 4. David Pienaar (EMU).

157 - 1. Steve Brown (CMU); 2. Bryan Deutsch (NIU); 3. Justin Brandle (EMU); 4. Clay Tucker (OU).

165 - 1. Trevor Stewart (CMU); 2. Bryan O'Connor (NIU); 3. Tommy Weinkam (OU); 4. Obie Simpson (KSU)

174 - 1. Mike Miller (CMU); 2. Jacob Ison (OU); 3. Eric Chine (KSU); 4. Nate Rock (UB).

184 - 1. Mickey Moran (UB). 2. Dustin Kilgore (KSU); 3. Erik Schuth (OU); 4. Derek Foore (EMU).

197 - 1. Michael Blackwell (KSU); 2. Jimmy Hamel (UB) 3. Chris Iammarino (OU); 4. John McLure (EMU).

285 - 1. Jermail Porter (KSU); 2. David Wade (EMU); 3. Jared Trice (CMU); 4. Brett Correll (UB).

The preseason team rankings were also decided in the same forum. The six schools were ranked based on the number of first through fourth-place votes that were earned in the individual voting system. A first-place vote was worth four team points; a second-place vote earned three team points; third-seeded votes were worth two team points, while a fourth-place tally earned that team one point in the team ranking system.

Based on the individual rankings, Kent State is expected to edge defending title holder Central Michigan and challenger Ohio in a close call for the 2009 championship. The preseason team rankings for the MAC are as follows:

2008-09 MAC Preseason Poll

1. Kent State (28)

2. Central Michigan (19)

3. Ohio (18)

t-4. Buffalo (13)

t-4. Northern Illinois (13)

6. Eastern Michigan (9)

The 2009 MAC Wrestling Championships will be held March 6-7 and hosted by Eastern Michigan University. The Bobcats open the 2008-09 season Nov. 2 with the Green and White Exhibition at 1 p.m. ET in The Convo.