We’re still over a month away from UB Wrestling starting their practices for the upcoming season. In the meantime, the first of many preseason ranking polls appeared and UB did have some representation. Redshirt junior Joe Ariola was ranked 20th at 184 pounds and the UB squad as a whole was tied for 51st in the WIN Magazine Tournament Power Index.
Ariola is coming off of a 14-17 redshirt sophomore campaign, but his record hides how red hot he concluded his season. Heading into the MAC tournament unseeded, Ariola upset Cole Baxter, Andy Romanchik and Drew Foster of Kent State, Ohio and Northern Iowa, respectively, to earn 4th place at the MAC Championships and a berth in the NCAA Championships.