Spartan Wrestling Cracks Top 20 In Three Preseason Polls
10/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Oct. 12, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State wrestling team is well represented in several preseason team and individual rankings. As a team, the Spartans are ranked as high as 14th by The Wrestling Mall. MSU is ranked 16th by Wrestling International Newsmagazine (W.I.N.) and 18th by Amateur Wrestling News.
Individually, the Simmons brothers, both seniors, are once again at the top of their respective weight classes. Nick, a three-time All-American who has placed fourth at the NCAA Championships the past two years, enters the season ranked third at 125 pounds by The Wrestling Mall, Amateur Wrestling News and W.I.N. Magazine. Nick won his second straight Big Ten title last season and compiled an impressive 36-2 overall record.
Andy, who placed fifth at the NCAA Championships last spring at 141 pounds en route to earning All-America honors for the second consecutive year, debuts his senior year at No. 1 by Amateur Wrestling News and No. 2 by W.I.N. Magazine. Andy went 36-6 his junior year and won the Big Ten title for the first time in his career.
Andy enters the season 15th on MSU's all-time wins list with 101, while Nick is in 17th with 97 victories. Nick is just 10 falls away from Jim Mason's all-time record of 45 set from 1980-84.
Two other Spartans begin the season ranked individually. Franklin Gomez (Brandon, Fla.) is ranked 15th by The Wrestling Mall and 20th by W.I.N. Magazine at 133 pounds. Gomez, who wrestled at 125 pounds last season, put together a 23-3 overall record and placed second at three tournaments (Eastern Michigan Open; Michigan State Open; Penn State Open). Junior Joe Williams (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) begins the season at No. 14 at 184 pounds by W.I.N. Magazine. Williams, hampered by injuries his first two years, looks to make an impact in the starting lineup this season for the Spartans.
Michigan State starts the season at the Eastern Michigan Open on Saturday, Nov. 4 in Ypsilanti, Mich.
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