KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University's success at the national level has earned its wrestling program an invitation to this week's prestigious NWCA National Duals in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Kutztown will compete in a dual meet tournament on Jan. 4-5 against the best teams in the country.
 
The multi-divisional invitational includes 86 teams, 65 of whom are nationally-ranked across five different divisions. Competition begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday with the semifinal rounds beginning at 11 a.m. Friday, followed by championship and placement matches at 2 p.m. All times are Eastern.
 
The Golden Bears (1-2) open the bracket-style tournament against ninth-ranked Indianapolis. Other teams competing in Kutztown's bracket are No. 3 Ashland, No. 4 California Baptist, No. 13 Central Oklahoma, No. 7 Colorado State-Pueblo, No. 18 Gannon, No. 9 Indianapolis, Kutztown (RV), No. 15 Lake Erie, No. 5 McKendree, No. 12 Nebraska-Kearney, No. 8 Notre Dame College, No. 6 Pitt-Johnstown, No. 25 Seton Hill, No. 1 St. Cloud State, No. 10 Upper Iowa and No. 24 Wheeling Jesuit.
 
The latest regional and national rankings were released prior to the National Duals. Kutztown received votes in the poll, thanks to heavyweight Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere) earning a career-high No. 3 ranking in Division II.
 
In the region, Kutztown is ranked ninth with wrestlers ranked in the top-eight in five weight classes.
 
Appleby is up to No. 3 in the country at heavyweight, the highest rank of his career. The two-time national qualifier and returning All-American is off to a 9-2 start to his redshirt-senior season with a team-high four tech. falls. He is also ranked second in the region, behind Notre Dame's Kameron Teacher, and will have a tall task ahead of him Thursday, when he is expected to face No. 4 Dylan Faulkenberg of Indianapolis.
 
Jeff Reimel (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), a returning national qualifier, is ranked third in Super Region I at 184. He is 6-5 this season after moving down a weight class from last year. He will get a shot at a nationally-ranked wrestler Thursday morning – No. 11 Brody Conner of Indianapolis.
 
125-pounder Austin Petril (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby (Ursinus)) is ranked fourth in the region after making his season debut in December. The returning All-American is 2-2 on the year and has an opportunity to return to the national spotlight this week in Indiana.
 
Chad Haegele (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) is ranked seventh at 149 with a 4-5 record this year, and Mikey O'Brien (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) is ranked eighth at 157 with his 3-3 record.
 
The trip to the National Duals is Kutztown's first since 2015.