The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

The Truman Wrestling team was picked sixth in the first MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll. In addition, the Bulldogs’ Ryan Maus was ranked seventh in the Division II Coaches Association preseason survey.
 
Maus is a two-time national qualifier for the Bulldogs and went 22-11 last season as a sophomore and has a career record of 50-25. Alex Maus (19-12 in 2011-12) Devon Fenstermaker (21-19), Helmut Rentschler (8-18) and Colton Schmitz (redshirt in 2011-12) will make up the strong middle portion of the Bulldog line up.
 
The sport of wrestling returns as a conference championship sport in the MIAA this year after a 27 year absence.

The addition of the University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Nebraska-Kearney and Lindenwood (Mo.) University along with current conference members the University of Central Missouri, Fort Hays (Kan.) State and the Bulldogs give the league enough schools for a championship.
 
The teams will compete against each other in dual meets and have a standalone conference wrestling meet on February 9th in Edmond, Okla.

The Bulldogs will host Lindenwood on Jan. 11, Central Missouri on Jan. 16 and Central Oklahoma on Jan. 20 before travelling to Nebraska-Kearney on Feb. 2 and Fort Hays State on Feb. 3.
 
The UNK Lopers are the defending Division II National champions and ranked first in both the MIAA Coaches Poll and atop the Division II Coaches Association Poll. Central Oklahoma is second in the league ballot and third nationally. 
 
The Bulldogs won five MIAA titles (1968, 1969, 1970, 1978 and 1979) while wrestling was a conference sport from 1965-1986.

Truman had 33 individual conference champions with the last being Guy Frazier and Dan Schulz in 1985.
 
Truman will start the season on November 3rd at the Loras (Iowa) College Open and will have their first dual on Nov. 13th at Hannibal-LaGrange.

The first home dual is Nov. 29th against Missouri Valley in Pershing Arena at 7:30 p.m. and the NCAA regionals will take place on Feb. 23-24 in Ashland, Ohio.
 
Truman was 3-12 in dual meets last season.

Courtesy Truman State University