The Muhlenberg wrestling team is ranked 23rd in the final Brute-adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association poll before the NCAA Division III Championships.

Teams in this poll are ranked according to their ability to score at the national meet,

Hall is 19-1 at 133 and 24-5 overall.

rather than their performance in dual meets. The Mules qualified four wrestlers for nationals; only five schools in Division III are sending more.

All of Muhlenberg’s national qualifiers won their weight classes at the Centennial Conference Championships. The only other schools that produced four qualifiers who placed first in their conference meet are ranked first (Wartburg), second (Augsburg), third (Wis.-Lacrosse) and fifth (Cortland State) in Division III.

Heading the list of qualifiers is undefeated senior Matt Loesch, who moved up to third at 197 pounds. He is ranked behind TJ Miller of Wartburg, to whom he lost by technical fall in the consolation bracket of last year’s NCAA Championships, and Alex Bonander of Luther, who qualified but did not place. Loesch finished sixth to earn All-America honors for the second straight year; Miller was fourth.

Another of Muhlenberg’s qualifiers, sophomore Rob Kein, owns victories over the fifth-ranked wrestler at 141, a 2006 All-American, and a national qualifier from 11th-ranked Heidelberg. Sophomore Billy Hall’s lone loss at 133 is to the top-ranked wrestler at that weight class.

Junior Joe Tartar rounds out the Mules’ quartet of qualifiers.

The NCAA Championships begin next Friday at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Check back next week for a preview.