NIACC wrestling team ranked 7th in initial poll
MASON CITY - The NIACC wrestling team is ranked seventh in the NJCAA preseason poll released on Tuesday.
Defending national champion Clackamas is ranked No. 1 and Pratt CC is ranked second and Western Wyoming is ranked third.
NIACC placed 12th at last year's NJCAA Division I national meet and returns two all-Americans (Christian Minto and Jose Valdez).
Minto is ranked first at 165 pounds in the preseason poll. Valdez is ranked second at 197 pounds and transfer Deville Dentis is ranked second at 149 pounds.
The Trojans' Clarence Lee-Green is ranked eighth at 133 pounds.
At last season's national tournament, Minto completed a perfect season with a 13-6 victory over Iowa Central's Keaton Geerts in the 165-pound title match. Minto completed the 2021 season with a 13-0 record and moved his career mark to 35-1.
Valdez dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to Cloud County's Zach Ferris in last season's 197-pound national title match. Valdez was 12-1 in 2021 and has a career record of 20-6.
Ferris also returns for the 2021-22 season and is ranked No. 1 at 197 pounds.
Dentis placed third at the national tournament at 149 pounds for Clackamas in 2021.
Lee-Green, a two-time national qualifier, was 6-5 in the 2021 season at 125 pounds. Lee-Green has a career record of 25-15.
