The Peacock wrestling team is nearing their opening day of competition in mid-November. Today, the Northern Sun Conference revealed the 2022-23 Preseason Coaches' Poll and Upper Iowa was selected to finish sixth with 49 points in the ten-team conference standings.
 
"This group has the experience to understand what it takes to be successful at this level," said Head Wrestling Coach Heath Grimm. "We are hungry to excel. There is plenty of motivation flowing throughout this group. They had a strong preseason with their individual efforts and attitudes. This group has become closer as a team and are providing the support to one another necessary to achieve greatness."
 
St. Cloud State University, the 11-time defending NSIC Champions, was the unanimous choice to win the leauge. The Huskies had 81 points and all nine first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team) to rank eight points ahead of Augustana University, which was second with 73 points and the other first place vote.
 
The next four ranked teams were only separated by seven points including Northern State University (56), the University of Mary (53), the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (50) and Upper Iowa (49).
 
Minnesota State's Darrell Mason was voted by the league coaches as the preseason wrestler of the year. Mason was the 2021-22 NWCA DII Wrestler of the Year; the 2022 NCAA DII Individual Champion at 285 pounds with a perfect 22-0 record as he was named the 2021-22 NSIC Wrestler of the Year.
 
Upper Iowa's 141-pounder Tate Murty was named as a NSIC Wrestler to Watch this season. Murty went 1-2 at the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships in St. Louis, Mo. After an injury kept him out of action in the first semester, the Fountain City, Wis. product was able to post a 14-4 record for the season. Included in Murty's 14 wins were 10 bonus-point wins including four falls, four tech falls and two majors. In his three varsity seasons with UIU, Murty is now 53-27 overall with 22 falls, five tech falls and 10 majors with two trips to the NCAA Division II Championships and one All-American honor under his belt.
 
"Tate is the complete package," said Grimm. "He's intrinsically motivated to represent himself and our program in the highest of standards. He's been a life-long leader who has the true passion to pursue excellence at this level. His love for the sport of wrestling is energizing to be around. He is highly respected by the entire Upper Iowa University community."
 
On the national scene, the Peacocks are receiving votes in the NWCA Division II Preseason Top 25 and both Murty, No. 8 at 141 pounds, and teammate Kaden Anderlik, No. 11 at 133 pounds, are ranked in the NWCA Division II Individual Preseason Rankings. Anderlik was 16-4 last season with four falls, a tech fall and a major in his favor and placed fourth at the NCAA Super Region V Championships.
 
In addition to Upper Iowa, seven NSIC teams are in the preseason Top 25 and one more is receiving votes. Only one NSIC team is not being mentioned in the preseason rankings.
 
The Peacocks will kick off their season with a pair of Saturday open tournaments on Nov. 12 in Decorah, Iowa at the Luther Open and on Nov. 19 in Minneapolis, Minn. at the Auggie Open.  The team will then host Waldorf University in a dual at home on Nov. 23. The dual with the Warriors will be UIU's only home competition prior to the holidays.
 
UIU's only action in December is a big one. The Peacocks will compete in the Midwest Classic hosted by the University of Indianapolis on Dec. 17-18. Upper Iowa last competed in the Midwest Classic in 2018.
 
Upper Iowa rings in the New Year at the NWCA National Duals in Louisville, Kent. on Jan. 6-7 and then will take on the Northern Sun Conference in nine duals, four at home, from Jan. 14 through Feb. 17. UIU's four home dates are Jan. 21 against Augustana, Jan. 22 against Southwest Minnesota State University, Feb. 2 against St. Cloud State and Feb. 5 against Wisconsin-Parkside.
 
The NCAA Super Region V Championships will be hosted by Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D. on Feb. 25 and then the Peacock Athletics Department will host the 2023 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Mar. 10-11.