Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team has been picked first in the 2011 RMAC preseason coaches poll.

The poll, and preseason team, is voted upon by the 11 head coaches in the league. Coaches cannot vote for their own team or wrestlers.

UNK, defending champions, tallied 14 points and six of the 11 first place votes. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) is at 16 points and four first place nods with Adams State a distant third (35 points & one first place vote).

Individually, the Lopers placed five on the preseason team with seniors T.J. Hepburn (East Hampton, Conn.) and Joey Wilson (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) being unanimous picks.

Grand Canyon's Victor Carazo (174 lbs.) was the only other unanimous selection.

Hepburn, who will likely compete at 157 lbs. this year, is a two-time All-American with 82 wins as a Loper. A national runner up at 149 lbs. last season, he was chosen as the 2011 RMAC Wrestler of the Year.

Wilson (165 lbs.) transferred in from Division I UC Davis last year and promptly earned All-American honors by finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships. He finished the year with a 39-10 mark. 

Also on the preseason team are seniors Ross Brunkhardt (184 lbs./Merino, Colo.) and Dalton Jensen (141 lbs./Missouri Valley, Ia.) and junior Josh Smith (125 lbs./Houston, Texas).

UNK has its annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage next Saturday (Oct. 29th) with the Loper true freshmen heading to the York College Open the following Saturday. The first varsity tourney is Nov. 12th at the Wyoming Cowboy Open.

The complete poll is available at www.rmacsprots.org.