Six Bucknell Wrestlers Listed in Second NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The NCAA released this week the second of four coaches' panel rankings for the 2015-16 wrestling season and Bucknell is well represented with six grapplers listed in the top 33 of their weight class. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn spots in their qualifying tournaments for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. Thirty-three wrestlers are ranked in each weight class, mirroring the size of the NCAA Championships brackets.

Bucknell's six wrestlers in the rankings are senior Paul Petrov (9th at 125 pounds), Tyler Smith (27th at 141), Victor Lopez (25th at 149), Rustin Barrick (23rd at 174), Tom Sleigh (23rd at 184) and Joe Stolfi (7th at 285). Petrov and Stolfi are the highest ranked EIWA individuals in their weight classes.

Additionally, the NCAA released the RPI through matches of Feb. 7 and five Bison are listed in the top 33 in their weight classes. Petrov (14th at 125), Smith (20th at 141), Lopez (22nd at 149), Barrick (21st at 174) and Sleigh (21st at 184) all show up in the RPI listings. Stolfi, who is 13-1 on the year, has not wrestled the minimum 17 matches to be listed in the RPI.

Petrov, Smith, Sleigh and Stolfi represented Bucknell at the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

The Bison have a busy weekend ahead as they wrestle at American (11 a.m.) and George Mason (3 p.m.) on Saturday, and at Penn (3 p.m.) on Sunday.