INDIANAPOLIS – Feb. 23, 2017 – The NCAA released the latest Coaches’ Panel Rankings and rating percentage index (RPI) for the 2016-17 season on Thursday morning. Additionally, the NCAA released the qualifier allocations for the NCAA Championships with the Big 12 Conference awarded 38 spots heading into next weekend’s conference championship. 

The rankings and RPI will be used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers and seeding for the NCAA Championships. This year’s event is March 16-18 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. 

The five Cowboy wrestlers that were ranked in the first and second Coaches’ Panel Rankings all remain in the third rankings. Junior All-American Bryce Meredith is the highest ranked Poke coming in at eighth at 141 pounds. Senior Drew Templeman is 12th at 125 pounds, while redshirt sophomore Branson Ashworth sits 13th at 165 pounds. Both senior Cole Mendenhall (149) and Archie Colgan (157) are each ranked 18th in their respective weights. 

Four Cowboys are ranked in the release of the RPI. Colgan is 11th at 157 to lead UW as Ashworth is 13th at 165 pounds. Meredith is 16th at 141 with Mendenhall 22nd at 149 for the Brown and Gold.  

The NCAA announced that the Big 12 will receive 38 automatics bids to the NCAA Championships. Those 38 bids will be up for grabs at the Big 12 Championship next weekend at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. 

Each qualifying tournament was awarded spots per weight class based on current year data.  Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage at the weight class; RPI; and coaches’ ranking. 

For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his qualifying tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class.  Each qualifying tournament, with automatic qualifying status, was awarded a minimum of one wrestler per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds.  NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish.

After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 49 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 7.  All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers.  The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; quality wins; coaches’ ranking; results against common opponents; RPI; qualifying event placement; and winning percentage.

125: 4

133: 4

141: 4

149: 4

157: 3

165: 5

174: 3

184: 2

197: 5

285: 4

A full description of the entire selection process is in the 2017 Division I Wrestling Championships Pre-Championships Manual which is available at NCAA.org.