Oskaloosa--The Penn wrestling team dropped a few spots from the preseason poll to now hold the #15 position in the NAIA's first regular-season ranking of the year.

Penn is tied with Notre Dame (Ohio) at #15, while Great Falls (Mont.) jumps three positions from the preseason poll to take over the new top spot. Lindenwood (Mo.) remains second, while Oklahoma City makes a huge move from #10 all the way to #3. Dana (Neb.) is fourth and Campbellsville (Ky.) is fifth to round out the top five in the rating.

Fellow Iowa institutions Morningside and Northwestern are tied at 11th, while Waldorf is 20th to also represent the state in the poll.

Individually, Penn has two wrestlers ranked nationally. Jordan Wall (Jr., Liberty, N.C., Eastern Randolph HS) is up one spot to third at 285 pounds and Shamar Haynes (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Ellsworth CC) also improved one position to sixth at 125 pounds.

The Central Region's first rating was also released this week and Penn is ranked second as a team with 86 points, trailing only Missouri Valley's 107 points. Waldorf is third (79), Oklahoma City is fourth (73), Bacone (Okla.) is fifth (64), York (Neb.) is sixth (34), and Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) is seventh (0) to round out the rating.

Nine Statesmen grapplers find themselves ranked regionally, highlighted by Wall, who is first at 285 pounds.

A foursome of wrestlers, led by Haynes at 125 pounds, are all ranked second regionally. Edgar Haynes (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Missouri Baptist), at 141 pounds, Nick Burgey (Fr., Easton, Pa., Valley Forge Military College), at 149 pounds, and Melvin Bell (Fr., Forest Park, Ga., Forest Park HS), at 157 pounds, are also rated #2 at their respective weights.

Royce Thomas (Sr., Santa Rosa, Calif., Santa Rosa JC) is third at 184 pounds, while Josh Malott (Fr., Cuba City, Wis., Darlington HS) is fourth at 133 pounds. Aaron Palacios (Fr., Salinas, Calif., North Monterey HS), at 165 pounds, and Josh Cohen (Fr., Edgewater, Fla., Citadel), at 174 pounds, are both fifth.

Penn is back in action next Monday as it faces York in dual-meet action at 6 p.m. in York, Neb.