KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Montana State University-Northern wrestlers Isaac Bartel and Nick Kunz remain the top-ranked wrestlers in their individual weight classes, but the Lights slipped three spots to No. 15 in the latest NAIA wrestling coaches' poll.
Bartel and Kunz were each ranked No. 1 in the NAIA's first poll of the 2020-21 season, which was released in mid-November. Kunz is the reigning 125-pound national champion, while Bartel placed second at 197 pounds for coach Tyson Thivierge and the Lights.
MSU-Northern wrestlers Chase Short and Nakoda Siegel are both ranked in the 174-pound weight class, with Short 10th and Siegel No. 13. Former Bozeman standout and current Eastern Oregon wrestler Keegan Mulhill joins the Lights' duo in the weight division, and is ranked No. 9 in this edition of the poll, the same spot he held last month.
Despite not wrestling competitively yet this season, the Lights fell to No. 15 in the polls, garnering 59 total points. Three teams -- Cumberland (Tenn.), Oklahoma City and Southeastern (Fla.) -- are tied for the No. 7 spot, while two more ties occupy the No. 10 and No. 13 positions in the poll, which can be found below.
The University of Providence made its debut in the 2020-21 polls, both in receiving votes (26) in the team rankings and with a pair of Argos earning individual rankings.
Jordan Komac, son of head coach Steve Komac, is ranked No. 5 in the 165-pound division, while Hayden Schrull of Helena is 11th at 184.
MSU-Northern has yet to update its wrestling schedule online, while Providence is scheduled to host an intra-squad scrimmage on Monday, Jan. 4 before traveling to the Rapid City Duals in South Dakota on Jan. 6.
The preseason top 25 coaches' poll can be found below. For individual rankings, please click here.
2020-21 NAIA wrestling coaches' poll
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Grand View (Iowa) | 215 |
| 2 | Life (Ga.) | 157 |
| 3 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 147 |
| 4 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 133 |
| 5 | Indiana Tech | 90 |
| 7 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 83 |
| 7 | Oklahoma City | 83 |
| 7 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 83 |
| 10 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 62 |
| 10 | Graceland (Iowa) | 62 |
| 12 | Marian University (Ind.) | 61 |
| 13 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 60 |
| 13 | Doane (Neb.) | 60 |
| 15 | Montana State-Northern | 59 |
| 16 | Eastern Oregon University (Ore.) | 56 |
| 16 | Missouri Valley | 56 |
| 18 | Ottawa University | 50 |
| 19 | Lourdes (Ohio) | 47 |
| 20 | York (Neb.) | 44 |
Recieving Votes: Vangaurd (Calif.) 42, Saint Mary (Kan.) 40, Arizona Christian 30, Providence (Mont.) 26, Warner Pacific (Ore.) 26, Baker (Kan.) 25, Briar Cliff (Iowa) 24, Concordia (Neb.) 23, Southern Oregon 22, Bluefield (Ga.) 21, Hastings (Neb.) 21, Texas Wesleyan 20, Williams Baptist (Ark.) 20, William Penn (Iowa) 19. Brewton-Parker (Ga.) 17, Thomas Moore (Ky.) 16, Midway (Ky.) 15, Morningside (Iowa) 15, Dickinson State (N.D.) 14, Northwestern (Iowa) 13, Corban (Ore.) 12, Rochester (Mich.) 10, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 8, Simpson (Calif.) 7, Life Pacific (Calif.) 5, Lincoln (Ill.) 4, Midland (Neb.) 3, Truett-McConnell (Ga.) 3, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 2
