WAVERLY - The No. 3-ranked Wartburg wrestling team is slated to opens its 2019-20 season this Saturday, Nov. 9 with an American Rivers Conference dual match at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Neb. 

Saturday, Nov. 9 • 12 p.m. • Lincoln, Neb. • WATCH
No. 3 Wartburg Knights (0-0) at Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (1-0)

KNIGHTS RANKED THIRD IN NWCA
The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released the 2019-20 Division III Preseason Team and Individual Rankings Tuesday, Oct. 29, with Wartburg ranked No. 3 and six Knights ranked their respective weight classes.

Six Wartburg student-athletes were ranked throughout different weight classes: 

125 - Brady Kyner, 6th
133 - Kris Rumph, 6th
141 - Brock Rathbun, 5th
149 - Brady Fritz, 6th
174 - Kyle Briggs, 2nd
197 - Kobe Woods, 6th

WARTBURG TABBED SECOND IN A-R-C PRESEASON POLL
The American Rivers Conference released the 2019-20 Wrestling Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday Oct. 23, with Wartburg selected to finish second in the conference standings. The Knights received 59 points and four first place points, edged by 2018-19 NCAA Runner-up Loras College, who collected 61 points and five first place votes. 

THE SERIES
Saturday's match will mark just the fourth meeting between Wartburg and Nebraska Wesleyan, with the Knights holding a 3-0 series advantage. The Orange and Black also opened last season against NWU, winning 39-13 inside Levick Arena.

Date         Home/Away        Result
1/18/17            H                W, 48-0
11/4/17            A                 W, 45-0
11/7/18            H                W, 39-13

WARTBURG

• Wartburg earned its 27th consecutive conference championship last season with an 8-0 A-R-C record along with a 16-1 overall mark. 
• The Knights clinched a seventh-straight central region championship and took sixth at the NCAA Championships in 2019-20. 
• Wartburg hosts Simpson for the home-opening meet Nov. 16, and hosts the Annual Desert Duals in Las Vegas, Nev. Dec. 22. 

NEBRASKA WESLEYAN

• The Prairie Wolves opened their 2019-20 season Nov. 2 at the RCTC Yellowjacket Open in Rochester, Minn.
  • Returning All-American Eron Haynes took first at 133. 
• NWU faced Fontbonne University in Lincoln on Wednesday night, earning a 38-13 win to improve to 1-0.
• Eron Haynes was ranked 5th at 125 in the NWCA Opening Rankings.
• NWU was picked to finish 7th in the A-R-C Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning 23 points.
• Last season, the Prairie Wolves went 4-8 overall and 2-6 during A-R-C play, earning wins over Buena Vista and Simpson.