The Huskies, coming off a best-ever runner-up finish in last year's national tournament, received four of the eight first-place votes cast in balloting of coaches from around the country and finished with 153 points in earning the favorite's tag.
Newberry (S.C.), which has won four straight Super Region I titles and was sixth nationally last season, earned three first-place votes and is second in the poll with 150 points. Upper Iowa came in third with 144 points, Nebraska-Kearney had the other first-place vote in finishing fourth with 132 and Grand Canyon (Ariz.) is fifth with 130.
Rounding out the top 10 is Augustana (S.D.), Central Oklahoma, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.), Wisconsin-Parkside and Ashland (Ohio).
Twenty-nine teams received points in the wide-open voting, with first-year program Maryville (Mo.) coming in 15th with 47 points. Nebraska-Omaha had its program disbanded last year after winning its third straight national championship and several members of that team, led by long-time head coach Mike Denney, went to Maryville.
The top 20 poll, with points and each team's finish in last year's national tournament following by the individual rankings at each weight:
Rank School (State) Points Last Year's Finish
1. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 153 2nd
2. Newberry (S.C.) 150 6th
3. Upper Iowa 144 4th
4. Nebraska-Kearney 132 8th
5. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 130 7th
6. Augustana (S.D.) 124 3rd
7. Central Oklahoma 107 13th
8. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 94 T-10th
9. Wisconsin-Parkside 90 9th
10. Ashland (Ohio) 74 20th
11. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 70 25th
12. Minnesota State 69 T-10th
13. Adams State (Colo.) 63 21st
14. Findlay (Ohio) 53 14th
15. Maryville (Mo.) 47 NR
16. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 44 T-22nd
17. Limestone (S.C.) 31 27th
18. North Carolina-Pembroke 28 T-17th
19. San Francisco State (Calif.) 23 T-17th
20. Shippensburg (Pa.) 15 T-22nd
Others receiving votes: Central Missouri, Colorado School of Mines, East Stroudsburg (Pa.), Gannon (Pa.), King (Tenn.), Kutztown (Pa.), Mary (N.D.), Northern State (S.D.), Western State (Colo.).
125:
1. Connor McDonald, Newberry (S.C.)
2. Kyle Pedretti, Upper Iowa
3. Corey Ulmer, Minnesota State-Moorhead
4. Terrell McKinney, Maryville (Mo.)
5. Ben Sergent, Findlay (Ohio)
6. Jerry Huff, Adams State (Colo.)
7. Brandon Davis, Ashland (Ohio)
8. Shane Summerlin, Belmont Abbey (N.C.)
133:
1. Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa
2. Jason Jeremiason, Augustana (S.D.)
3. Ryan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Trison Graham, Central Oklahoma
5. Matt Oliver, Newberry (S.C.)
6. Michael Magaha, Limestone (S.C.)
7. Dan Mandara, Ashland (Ohio)
8. Tyler Nelson, Colorado Mesa
141:
1. Dalton Jensen, Nebraska-Kearney
2. B.J. Young, Newberry (S.C.)
3. Jack Bachman, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Dan Genetin, Ashland (Ohio)
5. Simon Rice, Shippensburg (Pa.)
6. Adam Hluschak, East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
7. Madison Gambrell, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
8. Nick Wykoff, West Liberty (W. Va.)
149:
1. Nate Herda, Augustana (S.D.)
2. Mitchell Means, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
3. Tommy Abbott, Minnesota State
4. Josh Hensley, Adams State (Colo.)
5. Ethan Swope, Gannon (Pa.)
6. Deral Brown, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Nathan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
8. Ryan Maus, Truman State (Mo.)
157:
1. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin-Parkside
2. T.J. Hepburn, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Jordan Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
4. Teddy Bristol, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
5. Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma
6. Marcus Edgington, Augustana (S.D.)
7. J.D. Horn, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
8. Winston Robbins, Upper Iowa
165:
1. Tad Merritt, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
2. Joey Wilson, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke
4. Dylan Granard, Colorado Mesa
5. Sean Brynes, Newberry (S.C.)
6. Isaiah Jimenez, San Francisco State (Colo.)
7. Jordan Larsen, Colorado School of Mines
8. Ronald Tetreault, American International (Mass.)
174:
1. Michael Lybarger, Findlay (Ohio)
2. Luke Rynish, Wisconsin-Parkside
3. Victor Carazo, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
4. Shamus O'Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
5. Kelly Henderson, Central Oklahoma
6. Bryce Sopko, Limestone (S.C.)
7. Carl Serck, Augustana (S.D.)
8. Brendan Eichman, Minnesota State
184:
1. Ross Brunkhardt, Nebraska-Kearney
2. Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa
3. Matt Gille, Wisconsin-Parkside
4. Derek Skala, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
5. Tanner Keck, Central Oklahoma
6. Brady Anderson, Mary (N.D.)
7. Brandon Tressler, King (Tenn.)
8. Londele Cox, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
197:
1. Carl Broghammer, Upper Iowa
2. Dan Scanlan, Limestone (S.C.
3. Luke McPeek, Adams State (Colo.)
4. Matt Baker, Maryville (Mo.)
5. Pat Mahan, Minnesota State
6. Frank Morgan, King (Tenn.)
7. Eddie Ebewo, East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
8. Karl Reed, Newberry (S.C.)
285:
1. Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.)
2. Jacob Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
3. Jacob Southwick, Ashland (Ohio)
4. Jake Elkins, Newberry (S.C.)
5. Zach Rosol, Upper Iowa
6. Fred Hale, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
7. J.D. Ramsey, West Liberty (W. Va.)
8. Cody Beck, Central Missouri
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