Wrestling team receives #8 seed at NWCA National Duals and will face Luther

The Olivet College wrestling team has received the #8 seed for the 2009 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Jan. 10 and 11 at the University of North Iowa. As the eighth seed, Olivet will open competition against #9 Luther (Iowa) College on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. CT.

The winner of the Olivet vs. Luther match will face the winner of the #16 Wabash (Ind.) College vs. #1 Wartburg (Iowa) College on Saturday at 1 p.m., while the losers of each match will face each other at the same time.

"If we have learned anything about the National Duals, it's that we focus our concern on one thing – the next opponent, and in this case that happens to be Luther," said Olivet Head Coach Todd Hibbs. "Coach Mitchell has one of the class wrestling programs in the nation at Luther.

"They are a top ten program year in and year out, they have tough, well-conditioned wrestlers and a fan base to envy. They currently have five team members nationally ranked, and a sixth who could be. Matchups like this dual are the reason that we choose to travel to the National Duals. We look forward to the challenge."

The Comets, ranked No. 14 in the latest NWCA poll, are making their third straight trip to the National Duals. In 2007, Olivet was the 13th and wrestled to an eighth-place finish with wins against Heidelberg (Ohio) College and North Central (Ill.) College. In 2008, the Comets were the ninth seed and did not place with their only win against Buena Vista (Iowa) University.

Olivet has three wrestlers ranked in their respective weight class. Seniors Jason Brew (Sparta) and Kyle Vanderhyde (Sparta) are second at 157 and 174 pounds, respectively. Sophomore Vince Tucker (Clio) has climbed to the No. 7 spot at 141 pounds.

Brew enters weekend with a 17-2 record. His only two losses were against NCAA Division I wrestlers. Vanderhyde, who was named the Division III Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2007 National Duals, has a 19-4 record. Only one of his losses was against a Division III competitor. Tucker has posted a 13-3 record and has not suffered a loss to a Division III wrestler.