Field of 24 teams to battle as NCWA National Duals return to Dalton, Ga. this weekend
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by Scott Farrell, NCWA
DALLAS – The National Collegiate Wrestling Association’s National Duals Tournament, the first leg of the NCWA Championship Series, begins Friday in Dalton, Ga., as 350 wrestlers and coaches return to Georgia’s mountains to compete for the favorite’s role toward the national title.
The 2016 Duals has its largest field ever with 24 schools with geographic representation from seven of the NCWA’s nine conferences. For the first time in the event’s eight-year history, nine of the top 10 teams in the latest NCWA power rankings are in the field, including all of the top eight. The top five seeds are No. 1 Central Florida, No. 2 and defending champion Liberty, No. 3 Grand Valley State, No. 4 Apprentice School and No. 5 Middle Tennessee. Emmanuel College (Ga.), seeded No. 6, is second in the latest NCWA power poll. Liberty has reached the National Duals’ finals match in three of the past four years.
The 2016 field includes six first-time entrants, including three schools from the Penn State University system. Penn State-DuBois and Penn State-Mont Alto are here, as is the club program at the main Penn State campus. Penn State’s club is student-run and independent of its athletic department, as is Ohio State’s club program, which returns for a second consecutive year. Other first-timers include new NCWA member Emmanuel, Grays Harbor College (Wash.) and Temple.
No team has repeated as champion in the tournament’s history, and Liberty (2012, 2015) is the only two-time champion. Former champions Marion Military (2010) and Grand Valley State (2009) are seeded in the top 11 seeking their second title.
Fans can follow the National Duals with live updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncwa, and at www.trackwrestling.com.
The 24-team field is broken into eight pools of three teams for round-robin action beginning at noon on Friday, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the round of 16 at 6 p.m. Friday. The championship quarterfinals begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the semifinals (4 p.m.) and championship match (6 p.m.) following. Consolation matches are scheduled throughout Saturday’s schedule.
The National Duals is the first of two segments within the NCWA National Championship Series that unites the association’s two championship events into a single format. The Series is unique among all other major-college championships in any sport. Each team will earn points based on its National Duals finish that will carry over to the start of the NCWA Championships in March, the second leg of the Championship Series. The National Duals champion will receive 24 points, the runner-up 23, and so on that gives participants a head start of sorts in the team standings.
The full 24-team field is: Auburn, The Apprentice School, Central Florida, Clemson, East Carolina, Emmanuel, Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia, Grand Valley State, Grays Harbor College (Wash.), Liberty, Marion Military (Ala.), Maryland-Baltimore County, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Ohio State wrestling club, Penn State wrestling club, Penn State-DuBois, Penn State-Mont Alto, South Florida, Temple, Toledo, Wayne State (Neb.).
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
12:00 p.m. - Pool Round 1
2 p.m. – Pool Round 2
4 p.m. – Pool Round 3
6 p.m. – Championship Round of 16
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
10 a.m. Consolation quarterfinals
12 p.m. Championship quarterfinals
4 p.m. Championship semifinals
6 p.m. Championship match
Pool A
1. Central Florida
10. Wayne State
23. Georgia
Pool B
8. Florida
15. Temple
18. North Texas
Pool C
5. Middle Tennessee
14. South Florida
19. Toledo
Pool D
4. Apprentice
11. Marion Military
22. Ohio State WC
Pool E
3. Grand Valley State
12. Md.-Baltimore County
21. Auburn
Pool F
6. Emmanuel
13. Penn St.-Mont Alto
20. East Carolina
Pool G
7. Penn State-DuBois
16. Grays Harbor
17. Florida Gulf Coast
Pool H
2. Liberty
9. Penn State WC
24. Clemson
The 2016 Duals has its largest field ever with 24 schools with geographic representation from seven of the NCWA’s nine conferences. For the first time in the event’s eight-year history, nine of the top 10 teams in the latest NCWA power rankings are in the field, including all of the top eight. The top five seeds are No. 1 Central Florida, No. 2 and defending champion Liberty, No. 3 Grand Valley State, No. 4 Apprentice School and No. 5 Middle Tennessee. Emmanuel College (Ga.), seeded No. 6, is second in the latest NCWA power poll. Liberty has reached the National Duals’ finals match in three of the past four years.
The 2016 field includes six first-time entrants, including three schools from the Penn State University system. Penn State-DuBois and Penn State-Mont Alto are here, as is the club program at the main Penn State campus. Penn State’s club is student-run and independent of its athletic department, as is Ohio State’s club program, which returns for a second consecutive year. Other first-timers include new NCWA member Emmanuel, Grays Harbor College (Wash.) and Temple.
No team has repeated as champion in the tournament’s history, and Liberty (2012, 2015) is the only two-time champion. Former champions Marion Military (2010) and Grand Valley State (2009) are seeded in the top 11 seeking their second title.
Fans can follow the National Duals with live updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncwa, and at www.trackwrestling.com.
The 24-team field is broken into eight pools of three teams for round-robin action beginning at noon on Friday, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the round of 16 at 6 p.m. Friday. The championship quarterfinals begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the semifinals (4 p.m.) and championship match (6 p.m.) following. Consolation matches are scheduled throughout Saturday’s schedule.
The National Duals is the first of two segments within the NCWA National Championship Series that unites the association’s two championship events into a single format. The Series is unique among all other major-college championships in any sport. Each team will earn points based on its National Duals finish that will carry over to the start of the NCWA Championships in March, the second leg of the Championship Series. The National Duals champion will receive 24 points, the runner-up 23, and so on that gives participants a head start of sorts in the team standings.
The full 24-team field is: Auburn, The Apprentice School, Central Florida, Clemson, East Carolina, Emmanuel, Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia, Grand Valley State, Grays Harbor College (Wash.), Liberty, Marion Military (Ala.), Maryland-Baltimore County, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Ohio State wrestling club, Penn State wrestling club, Penn State-DuBois, Penn State-Mont Alto, South Florida, Temple, Toledo, Wayne State (Neb.).
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
12:00 p.m. - Pool Round 1
2 p.m. – Pool Round 2
4 p.m. – Pool Round 3
6 p.m. – Championship Round of 16
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
10 a.m. Consolation quarterfinals
12 p.m. Championship quarterfinals
4 p.m. Championship semifinals
6 p.m. Championship match
Pool A
1. Central Florida
10. Wayne State
23. Georgia
Pool B
8. Florida
15. Temple
18. North Texas
Pool C
5. Middle Tennessee
14. South Florida
19. Toledo
Pool D
4. Apprentice
11. Marion Military
22. Ohio State WC
Pool E
3. Grand Valley State
12. Md.-Baltimore County
21. Auburn
Pool F
6. Emmanuel
13. Penn St.-Mont Alto
20. East Carolina
Pool G
7. Penn State-DuBois
16. Grays Harbor
17. Florida Gulf Coast
Pool H
2. Liberty
9. Penn State WC
24. Clemson
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