Following its stirring win Friday, UW-Platteville has vaulted up nine spots to 20th in the BRUTE-ADIDAS National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Team Ranking.
The Pioneers improved to 7-5 overall with their 22-13 victory over UW-Whitewater, then ranked 15th, in the final regular season match of the year.
UW-Platteville will compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships Sunday at UW-La Crosse. The Pioneers will face a loaded conference field that includes third-ranked UW-La Crosse, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Eau Claire, ranked 17th and 18th, respectively, and UW-Whitewater, now 23rd. Each conference individual champion will automatically qualify for the NCAA III national championships, held this this year in Dubuque on March 2-3. Nine additional at-large selections will be made from the WIAC as well.
The conference wrestling championship website, with live updates throughout the day, is: http://www.uwlax.edu/athletics/mwrestle/wiacchampionships/index.html.