Tiffin, Ohio – October 27, 2010 – The Heidelberg University wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Nathan Shearer, has been ranked 27th in the Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Preseason Poll.
A committee of ranked members from the NWCA voted on a preseason poll that was announced on Friday, October 22. Heidelberg is one of three teams ranked in the NWCA from the Ohio Athletic Conference, including Ohio Northern University (16th) and the University of Mount Union (28th).
The Student Princes are five-time defending OAC Tournament Champions and have won three of the last five OAC Dual Championships (2006, 2008, and 2009). Heidelberg has not finished lower than third in OAC dual standings since 2002. For the 2010-11 season, Shearer will step in as the 12th head coach in the program’s history. Shearer assisted last year’s head coach, Jason Miller in bringing Heidelberg to the top of the OAC.
Leading the list of returners are Tom D’Alessandro (Mayfield Hts., Ohio / Mayfield) and Matt Curley (Brecksville, Ohio / Lakewood) whom are both nationally ranked. In 2010, D’Alessandro and Curley were nationally ranked and OAC champions for their respective weight class.
D’Alessandro comes off his sophomore campaign with a 29-10 record overall and 5-0 in the OAC. D’Alessandro finished in first place in his weight class. Last season, he was a national qualifier and returns to this season ranked 8th in the NWCA preseason poll.
Curley will return to the Berg for his senior year. The two-time nationally ranked returnee was selected 7th for the preseason national poll. Curley is coming off a 26-4 overall record and 7-0 in the OAC.
Heidelberg opens the 2010-11 season at Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, November 9. Then following on Nov. 20, Heidelberg returns to Olivet for the annual Olivet Duals.
