Jan. 17, 2007
NORFOLK, VA -- The Monarchs were in the "others receiving votes" category of this weeks Top 25 USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Coaches Poll. The Monarchs are also well-represented in the individual rankings with five ODU wrestlers currently ranked nationally.
Old Dominion, coming off a 4-2 weekend at the Virginia Duals, is receiving votes in the team rankings for the first time this season. The rankings are voted by a representative from each Division I wrestling conference and one wild card. The Monarchs (6-3, 1-0) are off to their best start since 1995-96 when the team went 7-2 in the first nine duals under head coach Gray Simons. That team finished with a record of 12-5.
"We are obviously pleased to be receiving votes," said head coach Steve Martin. "We believe our program is headed in the right direction. As a staff, we feel like we are just at the beginning because the majority of our lineup is freshman."
The Monarchs have been in and out of the individual rankings all year. Christian Staylor started the season ranked 18th in the 125-lb. weight class by InterMat. This week Staylor was found at 16th in his new weight class, the 133-lb. group, by Amateur Wrestling News.
David Mendoza is also in the AWN rankings at 20th in the 197-lb. class. Three more Monarchs are found in the wrestlingreport.com rankings in Jesse Strawn at 184-lbs. (23rd), Ryan Williams at 141-lbs. (28th), and Chris Brown at 157-lbs. (30th).
ODU has five duals this weekend against conference opponents, including the number six team in the nation, Hofstra. The Monarchs are slated to wrestle the Colonial Conference Association's number one, two, and three teams back-to-back-to-back this weekend.