INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA announced the first coaches' ranking for the 2024 NCAA Division I Championships on Monday afternoon. The Vikings had two members included in the list; Ben Smith and Daniel Bucknavich.

The coaches' rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler who has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have eight Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.

Ben Smith | North Canton, Ohio | Hoover High School | Senior | 197 Pounds
Smith was ranked No. 33 in the initial poll at 197-pounds with a 13-5 overall record. Smith is 7-3 in dual matches and 3-0 in MAC matches. He has three major decisions, two technical falls, and three falls with the fastest in :39 seconds.

Daniel Bucknavich | Grafton, Ohio | Midview High School | Junior | 285 Pounds
Bucknavich was ranked No. 20 in the initial poll at 285-pounds with a 15-2 overall record. Bucknavich is 7-1 in dual matches and 2-0 in MAC matches. He has four falls on the year with the quickest coming in 2:02.

The coaches' ranking is one of several criteria that will be evaluated by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee during the at-large selection and seeding process along with head-to-head competition, quality wins, Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), conference tournament placement, results versus common opponents and win percentage.

The 2024 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships take place March 21-23 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City