CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Results of the 2022-23 American Rivers Conference Wrestling Preseason Poll (as voted on by the league's head coaches):
| 2022-23 American Rivers Conference Coaches' Preseason Wrestling Poll |
| Rank |
School (1st place votes) |
Points |
2021-22 Dual Meet Record |
| 1. |
Wartburg (8) |
64 |
13-1 overall, 8-0 A-R-C (A-R-C Champions) |
| 2. |
Coe |
54 |
11-5 overall, 6-2 A-R-C |
| 3. |
Loras (1) |
53 |
12-1 overall, 7-1 A-R-C |
| 4. |
Central |
43 |
12-4 overall, 5-3 A-R-C |
| 5. |
Luther |
33 |
9-5 overall, 4-4 A-R-C |
| 6. |
Dubuque |
31 |
5-8 overall, 3-5 A-R-C |
| 7. |
Simpson |
21 |
7-7 overall, 2-6 A-R-C |
| 8. |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
13 |
4-9 overall, 0-8 A-R-C |
| 9. |
Buena Vista |
12 |
2-12 overall, 1-7 A-R-C |
*Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams.
The Wartburg College Knights are the coaches' choice to win the 2022-23 American Rivers Conference championship. Wartburg earned 64 points in the poll, recording eight first-place votes (coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams). Finishing the 2021-22 season in third, Coe College garnered 54 points to take the number-two spot in this year's poll. Loras College is picked to finish third in 2022-23. The Duhawks totaled 53 points and recorded one first-place vote.
New Coaches: Jeren Glosser, Loras College - Glosser was promoted to head coach after serving as the assistant coach for the Duhawks in the 2021-22 season. He came to Loras after a year as an assistant coach at NAIA William Penn University. Glosser attended the University of Iowa where he was a four-year letter winner for the Hawkeyes, posting a 74-19 record with 20 career pins.
The Schedule: The 2022-23 season kicks off Wednesday, November 2 with Wartburg traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska for a conference dual against Nebraska Wesleyan. Thursday, November 3 will see Simpson hosting Cornell College out of the Midwest Conference. Four more conference teams begin action on Saturday, November 5th with Buena Vista traveling to Indianola for Simpson's Luther Hill Invitational. Central and Luther are traveling to Stevens Point, Wisconsin for UW-Stevens Point's Pointer Open. Dubuque will start their season at the UW-Platteville Invitational. Coe and Loras begin their 2022-23 campaign at the Luther Open, hosted by Luther College on Saturday, November 12th.
Simpson's first league dual of the year will be at Wartburg on Wednesday, November 9th. Buena Vista will travel to Loras for their first A-R-C dual of the season on Wednesday, November 16th. Coe will host their first A-R-C dual of the season on November 17th against Central. Luther's first A-R-C dual of the year comes Friday, December 2nd, when the Norse host Wartburg. Dubuque will kick off their 2022-23 conference campaign at the annual conference duals on January 21st.
The annual A-R-C duals will bring the league's nine institutions into action under the same roof on Saturday, January 21st. This year's conference duals will take place at Five Flags Center in Dubuque, Iowa with Loras College hosting.
The path to the 2023 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships will begin with the NCAA Lower Midwest Regional on February 24 - 25 at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield, Illinois. The Lower Midwest Regional is hosted by Millikin University. The top three wrestlers from each weight class earn the privilege to compete at the NCAA Championships. Additionally, the top three wrestlers at each weight class from the American Rivers Conference, earn All-Conference honors.
2021-22 Season Review: A year ago, the league claimed 22 of the 30 national qualifying spots available at the Lower Midwest Regional. Of those 22, 12 captured All-American honors. The conference saw Wartburg's
Zayren Terukina take home a second-place trophy (141lbs.). There were four wrestlers who finished third, three earned fourth, two placed in fifth, one in sixth, and one took eighth. Third-place finishers were Central's
Shandon Akeo (125lbs.), Loras'
Jacob Krakow (174lbs.), Wartburg's
Kyle Briggs (184lbs.), and Coe's
Kaleb Reeves (285lbs.). Coe's
Will Esmoil (165lbs.), Wartburg's
Zane Mulder (174lbs.), and Loras'
Shane Liegel all took home fourth.
Brady Kyner (125lbs.) and
Kristian Rumph (149lbs.) of Wartburg were the fifth-place finishers for the conference.
David Hollingsworth (157lbs.) of Wartburg was the lone sixth-place finisher. Wartburg's
Joe Pins (133lbs.) picked up All-American honors with an eighth-place finish.
Wrestlers of the American Rivers Conference will look to fight their way back to the top of the national championship award stand in 2023. This year's championship will be held March 10-11 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia.
| 1st |
|
Wartburg College
Head Coach: Eric Keller (13th season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 13-1 overall, 8-0 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 1st
2021-22 NCAA Finish: 1st (National Champions)
Returning All-American(s): 5
All-American(s) Lost: 2
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 7
Eric Keller - "Wartburg wrestling is simply focused on getting better each and every day and reaching our full potential. The one thing we can control is our day to day focus, fight, and effort. Our goal is to enjoy the journey, which means having fun every step of the way. The American Rivers Conference is the best wrestling conference in the nation. We feel fortunate to be a part of a conference that understands, appreciates, and values this great sport." |
| Key Returners: |
| Joe Pins - 133lbs (Sr.) |
2x All-American: 2022 (8th), 2021 (3rd) |
| Zayren Terukina - 141lbs (Sr.) |
2022 NCAA Runner-Up |
| Kris Rumph - 149lbs (Sr.) |
3x All-American: 2022 (5th), 2021 (2nd), 2020 (First Team) |
| David Hollingsworth - 157lbs (Sr.) |
2x All-American: 2020 (6th); 2021 NWCA National Champion |
| Zane Mulder - 174lbs (Jr.) |
2x All-American: 2022 (4th), 2021 (2nd) |
| 2nd |
|
Coe College
Head Coach: John Oostendorp (23rd Season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 11-5 overall, 6-2 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 3rd
2021-22 NCAA Finish: 6th
Returning All-American(s): Will Esmoil (4th), Kaleb Reeves (3rd)
All-American(s) Lost: 0
Returning All-Region: 7
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 5
John Oostendorp - "I am excited about our team that returns 5 past National Qualifiers and 7 All-Region wrestlers. We are returning a team that has some experience and has shown the ability to score a lot of bonus points. As always the conference will be very competitive and we are looking forward to the challenges that this conference brings on a weekly basis." |
| Key Returners: |
| Alex Friddle - 133lbs. (Sr.) |
3x All-Region; 2021 NWCA National Champion |
| Bryce Parke - 141lbs. (So.) |
2022 National Qualifier; A-R-C Freshman of the Year |
| Riley Wright - 149lbs. (Sr.) |
2020 National Qualifier |
| Brady Henderson - 157lbs. (Sr.) |
2021 NWCA National Runner-Up |
| Will Esmoil - 165lbs. (Jr.) |
2022 All-American (4th) |
| Tristin Westphal - 174lbs (Sr.) |
2022 National Qualifier |
| Ryker Kurimski - 174/184lbs. (Sr.) |
2021 NWCA All-American |
| LJ Richardson - 184lbs (So.) |
N/A |
| Jake Voss - 197lbs (So.) |
11-1 before injury |
| Matt Arsenault - 197lbs/HWT (So.) |
2022 All-Region |
| Kaleb Reeves - HWT (Sr.) |
2022 All-American (3rd) |
| 3rd |
|
Loras College
Head Coach: Jeren Glosser (1st season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 12-1 overall, 7-1 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 2nd
2021-22 NCAA Finish: 11th
Returning All-American(s): 7
All-American(s) Lost: 1
Returning All-Region: 7
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 3
Jeren Glosser - "Last year's 13-1 (7-1) Loras College Duhawks return 7 All-American's and are hungry to compete for a 22-23 A-R-C championship this season." |
| Key Returners: |
| Shane Liegel - 184lbs (Sr.) |
2022 All-American (4th), 2021 NWCA All-American (1st), 2020 All-American |
| Wyatt Wriedt - HWT (Sr.) |
2021 NWCA All-American (1st), 2020 All-American |
| Daniel Ruiz - 149lbs (Sr.) |
2021 NWCA All-American (7th), 2020 All-American |
| Gabe Fiser - 165lbs (Sr.) |
2021 NWCA All-American (4th) |
| Jalen Schropp - 141lbs. (Jr.) |
2021 NWCA All-American (6th) |
| Jared Hensley - 125lbs (Sr.) |
2021 NWCA All-American (7th) |
| Zeke Smith - 157lbs (Sr.) |
2021 NWCA All-American (4th) |
| 4th |
|
Central College
Head Coach: Eric Van Kley (16th season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 12-4 overall, 5-3 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 4th
2021-22 NCAA Finish: 21st
Returning All-American(s): 0
All-American(s) Lost: 1
Returning All-Region: 4
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 2
Eric Van Kley - "The A-R-C continues to be the leading Division III Wrestling Conference in the country. Central is excited for the upperclassmen we have returning along with the influx of new faces in our program." |
| Key Returners: |
| Brock Beck - 141lbs (Jr.) |
All-Region; 2 year starter |
| Rob Areyano - 149lbs (5th year) |
2x National Qualifier |
| Peyton Hammerich - 184lbs (Sr.) |
All-Region |
| Gage Linahon - 197lbs (Jr.) |
All-Region & National Qualifier |
| 5th |
|
Luther College
Head Coach: Dave Mitchell (27th season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 9-5 overall, 4-4 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 5th
2021-22 NCAA Finish: 46th
Returning All-American(s): 2
All-American(s) Lost: 1
Returning All-Region: 3
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 1
Dave Mitchell - "We are excited to get rolling with the 2022-2023 season. The American Rivers Conference will once again be the best NCAA Division III Wrestling Conference in the country and the Lower Midwest Regional will be the toughest regional in the country. That is a credit to the coaches and institutions working hard to make it that way. That being said, we have a good returning group and a really good freshman class and are very excited to push Luther to make a jump in both the A-R-C and the Lower Midwest Regional." |
| Key Returners: |
| Donovan Corn - 197lbs (Sr.) |
2021 All-American; 2022 NCAA Qualifier |
| Christian Chavez - 125lbs (Sr.) |
2021 All-American |
| Ryan Cripe - 141lbs (Jr.) |
2022 NCAA Lower Midwest Regional Placewinner (8th) |
| Braeden Hendel - 157lbs (So.) |
2022 NCAA Lower Midwest Regional Placewinner (8th); Scholar All-American |
| Marcus Mandler - 165lbs (Sr.) |
2022 NCAA Lower Midwest Regional Placewinner |
| Cullen Quick - 285lbs (Jr.) |
20-5 record during 2021-22 season |
| 6th |
|
University of Dubuque
Head Coach: Jon McGovern (20th season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 5-8 overall, 3-5 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 6th
2021-22 NCAA Finish: N/A
Returning All-American(s): 0
All-American(s) Lost: 0
Returning All-Region: 3
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 0
Jon McGovern - "I am excited about this season. The recruits and returners on the team have goals to be the best and they are putting in the work. With the addition of several top recruits and Olympic Medalist Dennis Hall to our staff, the culture and expectations are high." |
| Key Returners: |
| Pilo Perez - 184lbs. (Sr.) |
2022 All-Region (5th) |
| Devinaire Hayes - 149lbs. (Sr.) |
2022 All-Region (8th) |
| Luke Radeke - 165lbs. (Sr.) |
2022 All-Region (7th); 2x NWCA Academic All-American |
| Tyler Thurston - 197lbs (Jr.) |
2021 Junior Greco All-American |
| 7th |
|
Simpson College
Head Coach: Dylan Peters (4th season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 7-7 overall, 2-6 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 7th
2021-22 NCAA Finish: N/A
Returning All-American(s): Dylan McChesney (2021 NWCA 5th Place)
All-American(s) Lost: 0
Returning All-Region: 3
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 0
Dylan Peters - " I look forward to this upcoming season. Our team is filled with many great leaders. Having the ability to have multiple 5th-year guys come back and continue the improvement of the program is exciting. The Simpson wrestling program has a different environment than in years past. Competing in the American Rivers Conference is always a challenge. I'm excited to see where this team stacks up against the nation's best programs." |
| Key Returners: |
| Dylan McChesney - 125lbs. (5th year) |
2x NWCA Academic All-American; 2021 NWCA All-American (5th); 2x Lower Midwest Regional Placer: 2020 (6th), 2022 (7th) |
| Zach Stewart - 141lbs. (Sr.) |
22-8 record last season; All-Region (2022) |
| Shyler Langley - 174lbs. (5th year) |
27-12 record last season; All-Region (2022) |
| 8th |
|
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Head Coach: Brandon Bradley (7th season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 4-9 overall, 0-8 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 9th
2021-22 NCAA Finish: N/A
Returning All-American(s): 0
All-American(s) Lost: 0
Returning All-Region: 1
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 0
Brandon Bradley - "The program is looking forward to the upcoming season and competing and representing the top conference in the country! The roster will be at it's highest with over 40 wrestlers working towards their goals and team goals daily." |
| Key Returners: |
| Zeth Gerkensmeyer - 165/174lbs. (Jr.) |
2022 All-Region (8th) |
| 9th |
|
Buena Vista University
Head Coach: Sean White (2nd season)
2021-22 Dual Record: 2-12 overall, 1-7 A-R-C
2021-22 Conference Finish: 8th
2021-22 NCAA Finish: N/A
Returning All-American(s): 0
All-American(s) Lost: 0
Returning All-Region: 0
Returning NCAA Qualifier(s): 0
Sean White - "Effort and attitude is the main focus, keep building!" |
| Key Returners: |
| Garret Bruce - 165lbs. (Sr.) |
2021 Scholar All-American |
| Axel Hernandez - 141lbs. (Sr.) |
2021 Scholar All-American |
| Brandon Foster - 125lbs. (Gr.) |
N/A |
