By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
FAYETTE, Iowa – The National Wrestling Coaches Association released its 2019-20 preseason rankings for NCAA Division II on Wednesday (Oct. 30). Fort Hays State starts the year ranked No. 17, while Brandon Ball (141 pounds) and Efe Osaghae (165 pounds) rank individually.
Ball will start the year ranked No. 2 at 141 pounds. He enjoyed a stint as the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation last year from February 4 through the end of the season in March. He was champion of Super Region 4 and went on to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, finishing 2018-19 with a record of 28-2. Ball was 27-0 all the way up to the national semifinal match, where he lost to eventual national runner-up Isaiah Royal of Newberry. Royal begins this season as the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 141. Ball is a two-time All-America performer for FHSU, also claiming a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in his redshirt-freshman year of 2016-17. He has an impressive career collegiate record of 114-21 entering his senior season.
Osaghae will start the year ranked ninth at 165 pounds. Last year he was ranked at 157 pounds, moving all the way up to No. 2 in the nation by early February. However, the 2017-18 All-America performer fell short of qualifying for nationals last year by getting knocked out of the Super Region tournament in a pair of close matches. Osaghae finished last year with a 24-5 record and has an overall collegiate record of 70-23 entering his junior year.
Team rankings are based on the tournament-power index rating. As a team, FHSU generates 20 points in the preseason rankings. The 20 points ties FHSU with Adams State and Limestone for a ranking of 17th in the rankings. The tournament-power index rating is explained below.
This is a tournament-power index ranking. The poll is not based on a team’s dual strength. TPI Point Totals are broken down by the following individual rankings: 1st=20pts, 2nd=16pts, 3rd=13pts, 4th=12pts, 5th=10pts, 6th=9pts, 7th=7pts, 8th=6pts, 9th=4pts, 10th=3pts, 11th=2pts, 12th=1pt.