The Gannon wrestling team is tabbed fifth in the NCAA Division II Super Region One preseason rankings released this week by Chris Basford of d2wrestle.com. In addition, the Golden Knights have wrestlers ranked among the top eight in nine of the 10 individual weight classes.

Notre Dame (Ohio) is the region’s top-ranked team with 71 points. Pitt-Johnstown (59), Mercyhurst (44), Kutztown (43) and Gannon (35) complete the top five. Shippensburg (30), East Stroudsburg (27), West Liberty (23), Millersville (14) and Seton Hill (7) round out the top 10.

Matt Turek (Madison, Ohio/Madison) headlines Gannon’s group of ranked wrestlers, being tabbed as the region’s top 125-pound grappler. The redshirt junior earned all-america honors last year with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships. His run included two victories against nationally-ranked opponents during the first day.

The Madison, Ohio, native placed third at the NCAA Division II Super Regional One. He finished the 2012-13 campaign with a 29-10 overall record. It represented the 16th-highest single-season victory total in school history. Among his finishing moves were eight major decisions, four technical falls and four pins.

Zack Zelcs (Ridgway, Pa./Ridgway) is ranked second at 184 pounds. The redshirt junior qualified for the national championships last season for the second time during his career, earning all-america honors with an eighth-place finish. He opened the event with an 8-3 victory against the fourth-ranked wrestler in the country.

The Ridgway, Pa., native completed the 2012-13 campaign with a 13-8 overall record, including five major decisions and one pin. Zelcs was 5-2 in dual competition.

A complete list of Gannon’s regionally-ranked preseason wrestlers follows.

Weight Class – Name (Year) | Region One Ranking | 2012-13 Records