NCAA DI Rankings Updated (12/5/2023)

NCAA DI rankings have been updated following the meatgrinder of a tournament in Las Vegas. As you would expect, there were significant changes at pretty much every weight. With a month's worth of action under our belts, this season is starting to take form and we'll rely less and less on 2022-23 results. 

Some notable items to point out:

There's a new number one at 133 lbs. Ryan Crookham of Lehigh. While most of our attention was focused on Vegas, Crookham's Lehigh team traveled to top-ranked Penn State. The dual result was lopsided in the Nittany Lions favor; however, Crookham did notch another significant win. He defeated 2023 NCAA 5th place finisher and Big Ten runner-up Aaron Nagao, who had held the number three spot in the rankings, at the time. With his win, he had beaten the wrestlers who were ranked #2 and #3, plus teammate Connor McGonagle, who was ranked sixth, at the time. Typically, I don't like moving someone off the number one spot without a loss, but this weight class hasn't been typical since Crookham defeated Vito Arujau the second week of the season. With little results from Arujau or Fix to go by this year, in the second to last match of the 2022-23 campaign, Arujau majored Fix, 11-3. 

At this point, I'm more comfortable with Crookham's results, going Crookham (#1), Arujau (#2), Fix (#3). 

The good thing is that these wrestlers can sort it all out on the mat. Lehigh travels to Oklahoma State on Friday. Fix had to pull out of the CKLV late due to a minor injury, so hopefully, he'll be able to compete. 

In addition to 133, other significant movement includes a new number two at 165 lbs after Izzak Olejnik's great tournament. Also, Jesse Mendez (141), Caleb Henson (149), Julian Ramirez (165), Edmond Ruth (174), Dustin Plott (184), Rocky Elam (197), and Yonger Bastida (285) are all new three's at their respective weights.