Mavs Battle Limestone in 1st Round of National Dua
Jan 8, 2009 | General
Team/Individual Rankings
Division II Bracket
Official Tournament Website
The top-ranked University of Nebraska at Omaha wrestling team will return to action this weekend when they compete in the NWCA National Dual Meet in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 10-11.
The Mavericks, who finished second last year to Minnesota State, will battle Limestone (S.C.) College at 9 a.m. in the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa.
Records & Rankings
The Mavericks maintain their No. 1 ranking in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association poll released on Jan. 6. They received seven of eight first-place votes and had 159 points total. Newberry (S.C.) moved up to second place with 143 total points while Nebraska-Kearney remains steady at third with 142 points. Nine Mavs are among the top eight in their individual weight classes.
UNO wrestlers ranked in their weight class include:
1. Cody Garcia, 133
6. Mario Morgan, 141
6. Esai Dominguez, 149
1. Todd Meneely, 157
3. Aaron Denson, 165
1. Ross Taplin, 174
2. Austin Boehm, 184
3. Jacob Marrs, 197
4. Tony Lewis, 285
The Coach
Mike Denney is in his 30th season as the Maverick head coach. The Dakota Wesleyan graduate has a 276-109-5 career mark. He has twice been named the NCAA II National Coach of the Year and led the 1991, 2004, 2005, and 2006 Mavericks to NCAA II national championships. Denney has coached 157 All-Americans and 28 national champions during his career.
Last Week
The Mavericks crowned three champions at the Dana College Open last week. Sophomore Mario Morgan placed first at 141 pounds while senior Tony Lewis and freshman Elijah Madison, wrestled unattached, were crowned co-champions at 285 pounds. Senior Ross Taplin earned the tournament's Most Falls Award (11:28) and finished second at 174 pounds with a 4-1 mark on the day.
Outlook
Coming off a third place finish at the 2008 NCAA II National Championships last March, the Mavericks return eight All-Americans and two national champions to a lineup seeking their fourth national title in the last six years.
On Deck
The Mavericks will host the Brand Open on Saturday, Jan. 17 in the Sapp Fieldhouse. The open will begin at 9 a.m.
