Eight Lopers Also Tabbed to All-Academic Team

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team, which recently finished fourth at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships, ranked 11th in the nation this year with a 3.163 team cumulative GPA.

The Division II Wrestling Coaches Association recently announced its team and individual academic awards.

Team wise, Truman State (Mo.) had Division II’s top team GPA at a 3.467 with RMAC-member Colorado School of Mines second (3.424). Overall, UNK was one of four RMAC schools in the Top 20 with the state of Nebraska having all three of its Division II wrestling programs make the list.

A team’s GPA is calculated by averaging the cumulative GPA of ten wrestlers of which eight must have competed at their NCAA regional meet.

Individually, eight Lopers were selected to the “All-Academic” wrestling team. To qualify, a wrestler must have a 3.00 cumulative GPA, be in his second full year at his current school and be a varsity team member or key reserve.

Lincoln East graduates Ryan Etherton (3.61/Exercise Science) and Keenan McCurdy (3.56/Education) represent UNK on the first-team; each placed eight at the NCAA’s this past weekend.

Senior Paul Sutton (3.09/Exercise Science), junior Derek Ross (3.02/History-Philosophy) and redshirt freshman Islam Abitov (3.80/Economics) each made the second-team with junior Michael Abril (3.02/Business), sophomore Kazuhiro Fujinawa (3.17/Sports Administration) and redshirt freshman Jordan White (3.41/Industrial Distribution) being tabbed honorable mention.

Abril (125 lbs.), Ross (Hwt.) and Sutton (184 lbs.) were starters for the Lopers this year with Abitov (149 lbs.) and White (125 lbs.) each competing in several duals when Abril and Etherton were out with injuries. Finally, Fujinawa won eight times this year in open tournaments.

Overall, 127 wrestlers from 30 schools made the “All-Academic” team. UNK had two of the three wrestlers who’ve made the individual team four straight years in McCurdy and Sutton. Finally, Etherton was one of 15 to make this squad for the third time.