The Open Mat Preseason Rankings


INDIANAPOLIS – Another wrestling media publication has released 2020-21 preseason rankings for Division II with The Open Mat announcing early team and individual weight class projections this week.
 
The Great Midwest Athletic Conference was well represented in the FloWrestling rankings and is anticipating a similar turnout for the Intermat/NWCA rankings when revealed as well.
 
The Open Mat had Tiffin and Findlay ranked as teams and eight wrestlers from seven different weight classes also ranked. There is no coaches committee providing rankings for The Open Mat or Flo Wrestling.
 
The conference will feature six programs in the sport this season: Findlay, Kentucky Wesleyan, Lake Erie, Ohio Valley, Tiffin and new associate member Ashland. Five of those member institutions are part of Super Region 3 for NCAA Championship qualification.
 
Findlay led all Great Midwest programs with four individuals ranked followed by defending conference champion Tiffin with three.
 
It is presumed that Ashland, which had four wrestlers in the FloWrestling preseason rankings, was not included in The Open Mat due to the pending announcement of a head coach.
 
Tiffin retained top-10 team billing and Findlay is ranked 14th. The Oilers were headlined by redshirt senior James Wimer who is ranked No. 2 at 157 pounds. Wimer was an NCAA All-American in 2019, a second team all-conference pick by the coaches and was 29-14 during that season.
 
First team all-conference senior Zachary Collins sets the table at 125 pounds and is ranked No. 10. Collins is the conference's active career leader in wins by decision with 24 and is 14th in total wins with 31.
 
Senior Nate Vandermeer has 34 career victories in two seasons for Findlay and heads into the year ranked seventh at 174 pounds. Vandermeer has 14 pins from 2018 and tied for third among all Great Midwest grapplers in that category.
 
Vandermeer has a record of 34-22 while picking up second team all-conference honors in 2019-20.
 
RS sophomore and last year's Great Midwest co-Freshman of the Meet Branson Proudlock is also in a similar spot ranked seventh at 141 pounds.
 
Tiffin's placement in the rankings were pretty consistent with FloWrestling with Chris Donathan and Nick Mason still ranked No. 2 at 149 and 197, respectively. Senior Bryan LaVearn is ranked eighth at 165 pounds.
 
Lake Erie's Chris Droege is still perceived among the nation's best by The Open Mat with another seventh-place rating at 197.


Great Midwest Wrestlers - The Open Mat (TOM) Rankings

125 Pounds
No. 10 - Zachary Collins (Findlay)

141 Pounds
No. 7 - Branson Proudlock (Findlay)

149 Pounds
No. 2 - Chris Donathan (Tiffin)

157 Pounds
No. 2 - James Wimer (Findlay)

165 Pounds
No. 8 - Bryan LaVearn (Tiffin)

174 Pounds
No. 7 - Nate Vandermeer (Findlay)

197 Pounds
No. 2 - Nick Mason (Tiffin)
No. 7 - Chris Droege (Lake Erie)