NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion wrestling team is ranked No. 16 in the nation in WIN Magazine’s 2015-16 Preseason Tournament Power Index released Wednesday, Sept. 2. Individually, the Monarchs have four wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their respective weight classes, including three returning All-American grapplers who sit within the top 10.
At 125, two-time NCAA Qualifier Brandon Jeske comes in at No. 15 to begin his junior campaign. A season ago, he racked up 14 wins for the Monarchs, including 10 dual meet victories. Jeske also pinned two nationally ranked wrestlers in Sean Boyle of Chattanooga and Paul Petrov of Bucknell to earn crucial bonus points for ODU during the regular season.
Redshirt senior Chris Mecate, fresh off a sixth place finish at the 2015 NCAA Championships that earned him All-American status, is perched at No. 4 at 141. The California native went 24-11 a year ago and bulldozed his way to the NCAA semifinals as the No. 11 seed after upending Minnesota’s sixth-seeded Nick Dardanes in the round of 16 and subduing Oklahoma State’s Dean Heil in the quarterfinals. Mecate is poised to contend for an NCAA crown in his final season for the Monarchs, as he already possesses at least one career win over Evan Henderson of North Carolina, Dean Heil of Oklahoma State and Lavion Mayes of Missouri, who currently occupy the three slots ahead of him in the poll.
At 149, senior Alexander Richardson is tabbed at No. 6 for ODU. A season ago, Richardson, who entered the NCAA Championships as the No. 8 seed, nabbed seventh place with an exclamatory finish, pinning Lock Haven’s Dan Neff in the final round. The returning All-American went 29-9 on the season and placed second at the MAC Championships.
Lastly, junior 184-pounder Jack Dechow, who placed fourth at the NCAA Championships in 2014, is ranked at the No. 10 slot. Dechow earned All-American honors two seasons ago as a freshman after dazzling his way to the semifinals as a No.13 seed. Last year, Dechow compiled a record of 31-3. Despite falling just shy of All-American honors, he was the Monarchs’ lone MAC Champion and their first ever Midlands Champion.
The ODU wrestling team enters the 2015-16 season with three returning NCAA All-Americans, four NCAA Qualifiers and six returning starters.
RANKED MONARCHS BY WEIGHT CLASS
125
15. Brandon Jeske, junior
141
4. Chris Mecate, senior
149
6. Alexander Richardson, senior
184
10. Jack Dechow, junior