Two Wolverines Ranked in Coaches' Panel Ranking

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has announced the first coaches' panel ranking for the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and Utah Valley University has two Wolverines currently ranked.

Second-year freshman Haiden Drury leads the way for UVU by being ranked 13th at 133 pounds while redshirt sophomore Evan Bockman is tabbed 24th at 197. Drury leads the Wolverines on the season with a 14-4 record, while Bockman follows with a 9-6 clip.

The coaches' rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have five Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.

In the latest InterMat and FloWrestling polls, UVU has a total of five Wolverines ranked, as 2021 All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier Taylor LaMont is ranked as high as 12th at 125, Drury 15th at 133, Bockman 24th at 197, redshirt sophomore Jacob Armstrong 29th at 184, and redshirt freshman Kekana Fouret 30th at 174.

After having last week and this week's scheduled dual meets against Air Force, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, and No. 10 Iowa State postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, the Wolverines are set to return to the mat next Saturday, Jan. 29 when they'll welcome No. 9 Missouri and Wyoming to Lockhart Arena for a pair of Big 12 duals.

The coaches ranking is one of several criteria that will be evaluated by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee during the at-large selection and seeding process along with head-to-head competition, quality wins, Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), conference tournament placement, results versus common opponents and win percentage.

A full description of the entire selection process for the 2022 Division I Wrestling Championships is available at ncaa.org.

The 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships take place March 17-19 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit as the event returns to Michigan for the first time since being held in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2007. Last season, four Wolverines qualified to compete at the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis and two of the four went on to earn All-American finishes.