BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? The NCAA released Monday the first of three coaches' panel rankings for the 2008-09 wrestling season. Included on that inaugural list are six CSUB wrestlers including Brandon Zoetewey, Thomas Kimbrell, Elijah Nacita, Riley Orozco, Brandon Halsey and Mitch Monteiro. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches across the nation. Each qualifying tournament has five coaches rank two weight classes each from one to 33. A wrestler receives 33 points for a first-place vote, 32 points for a second-place vote, etc. The high and low vote total for each wrestler is dropped to give a final point total.

The first ranking was compiled with results through Jan. 18. For the Roadrunners, Zoetewey comes in at No. 19 in the 125 weight class, Kimbrell is No. 25 at 133, Nacita is No. 28 at 141, Orozco is No. 25 at 184, Halsey is No. 6 at 197 and Monteiro is No. 7 at heavyweight.

The 2009 Championships mark the first year of a change to the selection process. Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn spots for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. A full video description of the entire selection process is available here.

Bakersfield travels to San Francisco to take part in the California Open on Jan. 31, then returns to the Icardo Center Feb. 1 to host Oregon State in a Pac-10 dual beginning at 2 p.m.