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NCAA announces allocations for NCAA Championships
By By Dick Kelly
Date Posted: 2009-02-27
The NCAA on Thursday announced the qualifier allocations for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
Each qualifying tournament, including the Big 12 Conference Championships, has been awarded spots per weight class based on Division I winning percentage, rating percentage index and coaches ranking.
The Big 12, for example, has been allocated 37 wrestlers to the national tournament. Broken down by weight classes, the conference has been allocated three wrestlers at 125, 133, 141 and 174 pounds; two wrestlers at 149; four at 157 and 184; and five at 165, 197 and 285.
All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers and those wrestlers who don’t earn an automatic berth to the national tournament through the qualifying tournament, will still have an opportunity to wrestle for a national championship. That’s because the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet to select 52 at-large qualifiers covering all 10 weight classes. Those selections, which will be announced on March 11, will be based on head-to-head competition, qualifying event placement, quality wins, results against common opponents, winning percentage, RPI, coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that particular weight class.
Iowa State coach Cael Sanderson said he doesn’t have a problem with the announced allocations.
“It just depends on how they allocate the other (52) qualifiers,†Sanderson said.
A prime example of the situation ISU faces comes at 149 pounds where the Cyclones’ Mitch Mueller resides. Based on the NCAA allocations, Mueller would have to finish first or second at the Big 12 Championships on March 7 to become an automatic qualifier to the national tournament. But if he finishes third or lower, he can still become an at-large selection.
“The conference tournament is set up now so you’ve got to go in there and you’ve got to wrestle,†Sanderson said. “It’s always been like that, but I think this just adds a little bit to that.â€
Contrast that with the allocations at 165, 197 and 285, where the conference has been allocated five wrestlers in each weight class. With only five wrestling teams in the conference, it doesn’t take a mathematician to know that all five are automatic qualifiers. Sanderson said the incentive for those five wrestlers is earning a high seed at the national tournament.
“You’ve got to beat everybody so I guess in the big picture it’s not life and death, but every time we step on the mat we want to be at our best and we want to wrestle hard,†Sanderson said.
Sanderson said the nice thing his team has going is that with the exception of 174-pound Duke Burk, all ISU wrestlers are ranked 19th or better by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches Panel and by the NCAA Division I Wrestling RPI. Burk, who has battled injuries much of the season, is ranked 15th by the coaches panel, but is not listed in the RPI rankings.
“If your objective is to get the top individuals (to the national tournament), this is about as fair as you can be,†Sanderson said, noting that since all ISU wrestlers are ranked among the best in their respective weight classes, all 10 could easily advance to the national championships, regardless of how well they do at the Big 12 Championships.
“We’ve got to get in there and wrestle to our ability, there’s no question about that,†Sanderson said. “I would guess (the Big 12 Conference) is going to get a couple more wrestlers (in each of the weight classes).â€
The Big 12 Championships are March 7 at Lincoln, Neb., and Sanderson said he doesn’t think the allocations will take away from the tournament.
“I think it adds to the tournament,†Sanderson said. “Now, it’s pretty cut and dried to get in at a few weights. You’re leaving it up to a committee if you don’t take one of those guaranteed spots. In a way, it adds more to our conference meet, but I would think we’ll have a lot of wrestlers from the conference that should get a wild card anyway. Hopefully, they’re trying to get the best kids (to the national tournament).â€
Dick Kelly can be reached at (515) 663-6928, or dkelly@amestrib.com.
By By Dick Kelly
Date Posted: 2009-02-27
The NCAA on Thursday announced the qualifier allocations for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
Each qualifying tournament, including the Big 12 Conference Championships, has been awarded spots per weight class based on Division I winning percentage, rating percentage index and coaches ranking.
The Big 12, for example, has been allocated 37 wrestlers to the national tournament. Broken down by weight classes, the conference has been allocated three wrestlers at 125, 133, 141 and 174 pounds; two wrestlers at 149; four at 157 and 184; and five at 165, 197 and 285.
All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers and those wrestlers who don’t earn an automatic berth to the national tournament through the qualifying tournament, will still have an opportunity to wrestle for a national championship. That’s because the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet to select 52 at-large qualifiers covering all 10 weight classes. Those selections, which will be announced on March 11, will be based on head-to-head competition, qualifying event placement, quality wins, results against common opponents, winning percentage, RPI, coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that particular weight class.
Iowa State coach Cael Sanderson said he doesn’t have a problem with the announced allocations.
“It just depends on how they allocate the other (52) qualifiers,†Sanderson said.
A prime example of the situation ISU faces comes at 149 pounds where the Cyclones’ Mitch Mueller resides. Based on the NCAA allocations, Mueller would have to finish first or second at the Big 12 Championships on March 7 to become an automatic qualifier to the national tournament. But if he finishes third or lower, he can still become an at-large selection.
“The conference tournament is set up now so you’ve got to go in there and you’ve got to wrestle,†Sanderson said. “It’s always been like that, but I think this just adds a little bit to that.â€
Contrast that with the allocations at 165, 197 and 285, where the conference has been allocated five wrestlers in each weight class. With only five wrestling teams in the conference, it doesn’t take a mathematician to know that all five are automatic qualifiers. Sanderson said the incentive for those five wrestlers is earning a high seed at the national tournament.
“You’ve got to beat everybody so I guess in the big picture it’s not life and death, but every time we step on the mat we want to be at our best and we want to wrestle hard,†Sanderson said.
Sanderson said the nice thing his team has going is that with the exception of 174-pound Duke Burk, all ISU wrestlers are ranked 19th or better by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches Panel and by the NCAA Division I Wrestling RPI. Burk, who has battled injuries much of the season, is ranked 15th by the coaches panel, but is not listed in the RPI rankings.
“If your objective is to get the top individuals (to the national tournament), this is about as fair as you can be,†Sanderson said, noting that since all ISU wrestlers are ranked among the best in their respective weight classes, all 10 could easily advance to the national championships, regardless of how well they do at the Big 12 Championships.
“We’ve got to get in there and wrestle to our ability, there’s no question about that,†Sanderson said. “I would guess (the Big 12 Conference) is going to get a couple more wrestlers (in each of the weight classes).â€
The Big 12 Championships are March 7 at Lincoln, Neb., and Sanderson said he doesn’t think the allocations will take away from the tournament.
“I think it adds to the tournament,†Sanderson said. “Now, it’s pretty cut and dried to get in at a few weights. You’re leaving it up to a committee if you don’t take one of those guaranteed spots. In a way, it adds more to our conference meet, but I would think we’ll have a lot of wrestlers from the conference that should get a wild card anyway. Hopefully, they’re trying to get the best kids (to the national tournament).â€
Dick Kelly can be reached at (515) 663-6928, or dkelly@amestrib.com.
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