West Liberty 12th in National Academic Mat Rankings

The West Liberty wrestling team has posted another strong finish in the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s NCAA Division II All-Academic Top 20.

Coach Brian Davis’s Hilltoppers came in at No. 12 with a cumulative team GPA of 3.154 when the NWCA released its 16th annual list earlier this week.

Four West Liberty grapplers were among the 130 wrestlers named to the 2008-09 NCAA Division II All-Academic Wrestling Team.

Sophomore Mitch Knapp, a sophomore from McConnelsville, Ohio who carries a 3.31 GPA in Exercise Physiology, made his first appearance on the list an impressive one as a first-team selection.

Redshirt sophomores Brandon Neifeld of Hollywood, Fla., a 3.29 GPA in Pre-Medicine; and Seth Phalen of Ripley, W.Va., a 3.40 GPA in Exercise Physiology, earned their second straight All-Academic citations as second-team honorees.

Senior Steve Riner of Huntington, W.Va., who carries a 3.22 GPA in Social Studies Education, was one of only four wrestlers nationwide to be named to four straight All-Academic Teams. Riner was in the Honorable Mention group.

West Liberty has been a fixture in the Academic Top 20 since the inception of the award program and is one of only eight schools ever to win an Academic National Championship, taking home the title hardware in 2003.

That commitment to excellence on and off the mat began with legendary Hilltopper coach Dr. Vince Monseau.

Davis, who was Monseau’s first four-time All-American and an NAIA national champion at 177 pounds in 1994, is a firm believer in building on that tradition.

“Obviously, we are very proud of our academic achievements,” Davis said. “The primary reason our student-athletes are here is to receive a sound education.

“The time and effort required to succeed in the college classroom alone is demanding. Our program’s reputation for combining success on the mat with success in the classroom is something we take great pride in at West Liberty.”

The national academic honors were a perfect climax to a season that saw the Hilltoppers return to national prominence on the mat by finishing at No. 14 in the final national coaches’ poll. Coming off a strong third-place finish in the Super Region I tournament, seven West Liberty wrestlers – including Knapp and Phalen – qualified to compete in the NCAA Division II nationals at Houston.

Truman State (Mo.) University won its third straight Academic National Championship with a cumulative team GPA of 3.467. Team GPAs for the All-Academic Top 20 are calculated by averaging the cumulative GPAs of 10 wrestlers from each team. At least eight of the wrestlers must have competed at the regional tournament level.

In order to qualify for the NWCA All-Academic Team, a wrestler must carry a minimum 3.0 GPA, be in at least his second full year at his school, be a varsity member or key reserve, demonstrate a degree of skill and have at least two letters of recommendation from his academic advisor(s) and coach submitted on his behalf.