MANHEIM, Pa. – With the start of the season at just over a week away, the Lock Haven women's wrestling team was slotted in a tie for 12th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association's (NWCA) Preseason NCAA Women's Coaches Poll with 16 points.

The Bald Eagles share the position with Aurora, Eastern, Fort Hays State and Simpson (Iowa).

Two Bald Eagles seniors are ranked individually. Azariah Moore, a Montross, Va. native, is No. 5 at 180 pounds fresh off of her All-America effort last year at the NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships. Lindsay Laws is No. 6 at 207 pounds after qualifying for the national tournament a season ago.

Defending national champion McKendree opens the year at No. 1 with 98 points. Iowa, last season's national runner-up, is nine points back at No. 2 with 89. Presbyterian is third with 64 points, and North Central is fourth with 38. King and Lehigh share fifth place with 36 points each.

Familiar foes in Sacred Heart (11), Gannon (T-21) and East Stroudsburg (23) are also all ranked in the preseason poll.

Six returning national champions open the season at No. 1 in their respective weight classes. McKendree and Iowa each have three top-ranked wrestlers, and Lehigh, North Central, Quincy and King each have one.

The poll is a Tournament Power Index ranking and is not based on a team's dual-meet strength. Point totals come from individual rankings, which correlate to placement points at the NCAA tournament.

Up Next:
Lock Haven opens the season on Sunday, November 1 when it travels to the Garden State of New Jersey for the Princeton Open.