VANDE VELDE, WHITEHEAD NAMED IN NAIA RANKINGS; SWEDES RECEIVING VOTES
LINDSBORG, KAN. – The NAIA announced the 2023-24 NAIA Men's Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll for the preseason. The Bethany College Swedes Wrestling Team made the rankings as RV, or receiving votes, with eight votes.
The Swedes were one of six KCAC teams named in the national rankings. Ottawa led the pack with a No. 9 ranking while the other four (Saint Mary, Oklahoma Wesleyan, Avila, & York) joined Bethany as receiving votes.
Bethany College also had two athletes make the individual rankings. The individual rankings are a top-25 list of individuals by weight class. At 184lbs, Triston Vande Velde earned a preseason rank of 25th in the nation. At 285lbs, Rocky Whitehead earned a preseason rank of 21st in the nation.
"I'm really excited to start the season off with a national ranking," said Head Coach Mitchell Houghton. "I'm also really excited for the guys in the national rankings, and most of all, I'm excited to see where the season goes!"
To read the full article by the NAIA, click here.
The Swedes will start the season off with a tall task as they open with No. 9 ranked Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas on October 31st, 2023.
~#RockarStockar~