KANSAS CITY, MO. – Despite dropping out of the Top 25, the Eastern Oregon Men's Wrestling team continues to earn national recognition in the latest NAIA rankings, receiving 34 votes in the third edition of the poll, announced Thursday morning by the NAIA national office.
Four Mountaineers are individually ranked, with two new Mounties entering the individual rankings for the first time this season.
Kai Carson and
Cole Cross joined
Eric Karas and
Nico Rodriguez as they all earned spots based on their strong performances since the last poll.
Carson entered the rankings at No. 21 with 48 points after a standout performance in both the Spokane Open and the Doane Open, where he placed 3rd in both tournaments. He finished 5-1 at the Spokane Open and earned a pin at the Wayland Baptist Dual. Despite suffering a first-round loss to No. 19 at Doane, Carson mounted an impressive six-match comeback to secure 3rd place.
Cross also cracked the rankings, earning the No. 20 spot with 13 points. He finished 3rd at the Spokane Open with a 5-1 record and reached the 5th/6th place rounds at the Doane Open, securing a key victory over No. 20 before reaching the match limit.
Karas continues to hold a spot in the rankings, moving up to No. 20 with 19 points after a dominant 17-0 technical fall victory at the Wayland Baptist Dual. Rodriguez remains the highest-ranked individual on the team, sitting at No.8 with 116 points. Rodriguez placed 2nd at the Spokane Open, going 4-1 and earning a win over No. 14 Shane Mattson. He followed that up with a solid 7-4 victory at the Wayland Baptist Dual and a 3rd-place finish at the Doane Open, where he posted wins over No. 23, No. 17, and No. 19.
While the team has dropped out of the Top 25, its continued success in individual performances ensures that they remain in the national conversation.
Rankings are determined through a voting process conducted by a panel of head coaches from each conference, using a points-based system that evaluates both team and individual performances.
To view the full rankings release, visit the
NAIA Rankings Press Release.
