2008-09 NWCA Division I All-Academic Team released

The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has announced its annual Division I All-Academic Top 30 Team and the NWCA Individual All-Academic wrestling team for the 2008-09 season.

For the second straight year, American University took home top team honors while five NCAA Division I Champions highlighted the individual team.

Mark Cody's American University Eagles led the Division I teams with GPA of 3.2839 after tying with Duke University in 2008. American was closely followed by Harvard University which had their highest team finish under head coach Jay Weiss. Rounding out the top five teams are Stanford University, Duke University, and Davidson College.

All eleven conferences were represented in the top 30 teams with the EIWA leading the way with six teams.

For teams to be eligible for consideration, the team GPA is comprised of 12 student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers that were the entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they may fill those spots with wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season.

"We are finding that year in and year out, coaches strive to have their teams listed as an All-Academic Team. This is another measure of success for these programs," said Executive Director Mike Moyer. "There is so much more to wrestling than what is done on the mat and we see just one part of that here with the All-Academic Team."

The 2008-09 All-Academic individual team is highlighted by a total of 51 NCAA Qualifiers, 17 NCAA All-Americans, 8 NCAA Finalist and 5 NCAA Champions. In total 73 individuals representing 45 schools are being honored this year on the All-Academic Team.

The five NCAA Champions earning a spot on the individual team are: Jarrod King of Edinboro University (3.78) a Health and Physical Education Human Performance major, Stephen Luke of the University of Michigan (3.35) a Biology major, Jake Herbert of Northwestern University (3.179) a Communication Major, Franklin Gomez of Michigan State (3.098) majoring in Human Resources, and J. Jaggers of the Ohio State University (3.02) in Communications.

Sitting at the top of the All-Academic Team is NCAA Qualifier Nicholas Amuchastegui of Stanford University who holds a 3.928 in Mechanical Engineering.

Rounding out the top five individuals were Liberty's Christian Smith (3.92), Tucker Lane (3.919) of Nebraska, Jeffrey Newby (3.82) of Utah Valley, and Jarrod King (3.78) of Edinboro University.

Individually, wrestlers must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule ¨C and must have competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic team is have a 3.0 cumulative and been an NCAA All-American.

"The student-athletes on this All-Academic Team exemplify what we are looking for in the sport of wrestling. You see teams and individuals from the largest institutions that sponsor wrestling to the smaller colleges listed. There is diversity here that you do not always get to see when it comes to compiling these type of teams," said Jim Beichner NWCA President.

Utah Valley State led all schools with four wrestlers earning All-Academic accolades followed by The United State Military Academy (ARMY), Old Dominion University, and Northwestern University with three individuals named to the All-Academic Team.

"As a coaches association, we look forward to recognizing the accomplishments of our coaches and wrestlers each year. This is just another way to showcase our sport's close alignment with educational values," said Moyer.

NWCA ALL-ACADEMIC INDIVIDUALS
Name/School/Year/GPA/Major/Accomplishment/weight
Stephen Crozier Air Force SR 3.59 Economics 25-16 record 165
Andrew Silber American SR 3.267 Justice NCAA Qualifier 197
Michael Cannon American JR 3.31 Accounting NCAA All-American - 8th Place 174
Matthew Kyler Army JR 3.264 Civil Engineering NCAA Qualifier 149
Casey Thome Army SO 3.52 Management 24-11 record 141
Richard Starks Army JR 3.364 Math NCAA Qualifier 197
Adam H. Hall Boise State JR 3.38 Health Sciences NCAA Qualifier 157
Mike Roberts Boston GRAD 3.75 Masters of Science NCAA Qualifier 149
Kevin Smith Buffalo RSFR 3.599 Physical Therapy 6th place at Qualifier 133
Thomas Kimbrell Cal State Bakersfield RSSR 3.73 Political Science NCAA Qualifier 133
Elijah Nacita Cal State Bakersfield JR 3.31 Business Administration NCAA Qualifier 141
Vincenzo DiDona Central Michigan RSSR 3.31 Business NCAA Qualifier 184
Jason McCroskey Chattanooga SO 3.477 Mechanical Engineering NCAA Qualifier 174
Hadley Harrison Clarion JR 3.343 Elementary Education NCAA Qualifier 157
Jay Ivanco Clarion SO 3.311 Elementary Education NCAA Qualifier 125
Louis Kreber Miller Columbia JR 3.244 History 22-11 Record 197
Justin Kerber Cornell SO 3.76 Economic Management NCAA Qualifier 184
Jordan Leen Cornell SR 3.29 Nutritional Science NCAA All-American - 3rd Place 157
John Barone Duke SR 3.314 History/Religion NCAA Qualifier 184
Addison Nuding Duke SR 3.688 International Comparative Studies 14-9 Record 174
Chis Jenkins Eastern Michigan SR 3.49 Criminal Justice Mac - 3rd 125
Torsten Gillespie Edinboro SO 3.68 Theoretical Computer Science NCAA Qualifier 149
Jarrod King Edinboro SR 3.78 Health & Physical Education©\Human Performance NCAA Champion 165
Justin Herbert Franklin and Marshall SR 3.33 Geology NCAA Qualifier 174
Francis McLaughlin IV George Mason SO 3.32 Finance 25-11 Record 157
John Paul (JP) O'Connor Harvard JR 3.411 Human Evolutionary Biology NCAA Qualifier 157
Louis Ruggirello Hofstra JR 3.55 Marketing NCAA Qualifier 133
Matt Powless Indiana RSFR/SO 3.3571 Psychology 7th Place Big Ten 197
Brent Harold Metcalf Iowa JR 3.22 Sociology NCAA Runner©\up 149
Tyler Clark Iowa State SO 3.2 Finance NCAA Qualifier 125
Nicholas Fanthorpe Iowa State JR 3.23 Community & Regional Planning NCAA Qualifier 133
Christian Smith Liberty GRAD 3.92 Masters of Business Administration NCAA Qualifier 133
Timothy Harner Liberty SR 3.32 Sport Management NCAA Qualifier 141
Herbert Hudson Taylor Maryland RSJR 3.298 Interactive Performance Art NCAA All©\American©\3rd place 197
Stephen Luke Michigan SR 3.35 Biology NCAA Champion 174
Kellen Russell Michigan SO 3.09 Physical Education/Teacher's Education NCAA All©\American©\7th place 141
Franklin Gomez Michigan State JR 3.098 Human Resources NCAA Champion 133
Rex Kendle Michigan State SR 3.579 Biological Sciences NCAA Qualifier 165
Raymond Bennett Millersville SO 3.26 Technology Education NCAA Qualifier 197
Jayson Ness Minnesota RSJR 3.185 Technology Education NCAA All©\American©\3rd place 133
Tyler Safratowich Minnesota RSSR 3.174 Construction Management NCAA All©\American©\8th place 157
Maxwell Askren Missouri SR 3.334 General Studies NCAA All©\American©\5th place 197
Kenneth Caldwell Naval Academy SR 3.27 Quantitative Economics NCAA Qualifier 184
Craig Brester Nebraska JR 3.25 Mechanized Systems Management NCAA Runner©\up 197
Tucker Lane Nebraska RSFR/SO 3.919 Communications Studies NCAA Qualifier 285
Charlie Ettelson Northern Iowa JR 3.54 Biomedical Science 17-6 season record 149
Andrew Anderson Northern Iowa SR 3.25 Business Management NCAA Qualifier 197
Moza Fay Northern Iowa SR 3 Physical Education NCAA All©\American©\6th place 165
Jake Herbert Northwestern SR 3.179 Communications Studies NCAA Champion 184
Brandon Precin Northwestern JR 3.031 Secondary Teaching/History NCAA All©\American©\3rd place 125
Keith Sulzer Northwestern JR 3.504 Industrial Engineering NCAA Qualifier 141
J Jaggers Ohio State SR 3.02 Communications NCAA Champion 141
Corey Morrison Ohio State SR 3.44 Mathematics NCAA Qualifier 285
Kyle Terry Oklahoma RSJR 3.39 Health & Exercise Science NCAA Qualifier 149
Brandon Mason Oklahoma State SR 3.647 Biology©\Pre Medicine NCAA Qualifier 165
Newly McSpadden Oklahoma State GRAD 3.6 Sociology NCAA Qualifier 174
Kyle Hutter Old Dominion JR 3.35 Accounting NCAA Qualifier 133
James Nicholson Old Dominion RSSO 3.62 Finance NCAA Qualifier 125
Ryan Williams Old Dominion SR 3.33 Marketing NCAA Runner-up 141
Jake Strayer Penn State SR 3.42 Kinesiology NCAA Qualifier 133
AJ Kissel Purdue SO 3.21 Landscape Horticulture & Design NCAA Qualifier 184
Luke Manuel Purdue JR 3.38 Spanish NCAA Qualifier 165
Jason Stripling South Dakota State R©\SR 3.503 Civil Engineering 2nd place West Regional 285
Nicholas Amuchastegui Stanford FR 3.928 Mechanical Engineering NCAA Qualifier 165
Jacob Allen Johnson Stanford JR 3.459 Management Science and Engineering 3rd place Pac-10 184
Dustin Noack UC Davis SR 3.51 Animal Science 13-8 record 165
Joe Sheffield UNC©\ Greensboro SR 3.62 Exercise and Sport Science 2nd place Socon 285
Flint Ray Utah Valley SO 3.69 Business Management/International Business 22-10 season record 133
Jeffrey Newby Utah Valley JR 3.83 Business Management/International Business 20-10 season record 141
Justin Morrill Utah Valley SO 3.62 Social Work 23-12 season record 149
Casen Eldredge Utah Valley SO 3.45 Business Management/Entrepreneurship 20-10 season record 184
Peter Bernard Ferrara Virginia SR 3.645 Kinesiology 17-11 season record 149
Dustin Rogers West Virginia GRAD 3.4 Masters in Athletic Coaching Education NCAA Qualifier 285

NWCA ALL-ACADEMIC BY TEAM
Rank/School/Team GPA
1 American University, 3.2839
2 Harvard University, 3.2585
3 Stanford University, 3.2574
4 Duke University, 3.2331
5 Davidson College, 3.1727
6 Utah Valley University, 3.1623
7 Northwestern University, 3.1613
8 Brown University, 3.1466
9 Princeton University, 3.1099
10 Cornell University, 3.0978
11 Northern Illinois University, 3.0724
12 Columbia University, 3.0658
13 South Dakota State University, 3.0626
14 Penn State University, 3.0599
15 University of Oklahoma, 3.0435
16 George Mason University, 3.0432
17 Binghamton University, 3.0152
18 Oklahoma State University, 3.0132
19 California State University-Bakersfield, 3.0036
20 Liberty University, 2.9826
21 Drexel University, 2.9772
22 United States Air Force Academy, 2.9754
23 Campbell University, 2.9694
24 Lock Haven University, 2.965
25 Michigan State University, 2.9498
26 University of Michigan, 2.9489
27 Iowa State University, 2.9266
28 Eastern Michigan University, 2.9041
29 Hofstra University, 2.8909