NCWA HONORS 147 STUDENT-ATHLETES ON SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICAN TEAM

NWCA supports the NCWA’s inclusion in association’s post-season scholarship awards

DALLAS – The National Collegiate Wrestling Association joined its collegiate wrestling brethren this year in honoring the top student-athletes within its association. This marks the first time that the NCWA has awarded post-season scholastic honors for its thousands of wrestlers competing at its 140 member schools.

The 147 honorees listed below are from the NCWA’s combined Division I and Division II ranks, and include 10 student-athletes from the NCWA’s women’s division. The NCWA is the only collegiate wrestling association to offer post-season championships and scholastic honors to female wrestlers.

Mike Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, welcomed the NCWA’s involvement with the postseason awards. “The coaches association supports programs that enhance the academic side of a student-athlete’s experience in wrestling. The NWCA is glad to have the NCWA on board with the academic awards this year.”

The NWCA sponsors the NCWA academic awards as well as those for the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA.

The NCWA’s top academic honors went to its 21-member Scholar-Athlete Team representing its top student-athletes who exceeded the NCWA’s criteria for Scholar All-American consideration. Former California Baptist head coach John Petty assembled the NCWA academic teams. Among the NCWA honorees, the University of Georgia led the way with nine wrestlers, four of whom are on the Scholar-Athlete Team in Mark Feeley, Russell Holzgrefe, Frankie Miller and An Pham.

California Baptist was next with eight wrestlers on the two teams, and Florida and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had six each. Central Florida, Colorado State, Marion Military Institute and Mercer had five each.

“It’s exciting for the NCWA to recognize our top scholars and student-athletes,” NCWA executive director Jim Giunta said. “We congratulate this year’s Scholar All-American teams, and hope that this program can serve as a benchmark that all of our wrestlers will aspire to in the future.

“The NCWA is about opportunities in wrestling, both on and off the mat,” Giunta said. “We’re happy to recognize achievers who excel in the classroom as well as the mat.”

Here are the inaugural NWCA-NCWA All-Academic Teams: