Bill Rudick wins NCAA Championships journalists picks contest, five tied in second place
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by Kala Ibarra, USA Wrestling
Bo Nickel of Penn State has his arm raised after winning 2017 NCAA title at 184 pounds. Photo by Tech-Fall.com
Bill Rudick, a journalist for the 21st Century Media and the media director for the PAWF (USA Wrestling’s state association), won the 2017 NCAA Championships journalist picks contest, hosted annually by TheMat.com.
Rudick scored 30 points by correctly selecting five champions, six second place finishers, and three finalists.
Five journalists finished in second place with 28 points: Lars Underbakke (IAWrestle.com), Alex Steen (TheOpenMat.com), Garth Gartrell (Men of Scarlett and Gray/AWN), Andrew Hipps (InterMat), and Jeff Beshey (The Guillotine).
Steen leads the journalists with the most champion picks at seven. Ross Bartachek (IAWrestle.com), Mike Finn (WIN Magazine), and Beshey tied in having the most runner-up picks with five.
Participants received three points for every champion, two points for every runner-up, and one point for a finalist in the wrong placement. The top five teams were used as tiebreaker. Participants received points for each correct placement (5-4-3-2-1).
Good was the only journalist to correctly choose the top five teams in order for 15 points, as part of the tiebreaker.
A record 41 journalists submitted their predictions this year. Those on the USA Wrestling media lists were offered an opportunity to give their selections.
Click here to see the journalist predictions for 2017 NCAAs
2017 NCAA DIV. I WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Final Journalist Point Standings
30- Bill Rudick (21st Century Media/USA PAWF Media Director)
28 -Lars Underbakke (IAWrestle.com), Alex Steen (TheOpenMat.com), Garth Gartrell (Men of Scarlett and Gray/AWN), Andrew Hipps (InterMat), and Jeff Beshey (The Guillotine)
27- Christian Pyles (FloWrestling), Andy Ross (49 North Wrestling),
26- Stephen Stonebaker (Takedown Wrestling), Al Bevilacqua (Beat the Streets Gear website), Jason Bryant (Mat Talk Online), and Ross Bartachek (IAWrestle.com)
25- Mike Spilotros (True Wrestling), G Wyatt Schultz (The Predicament), Justin Hoch (International Photographer), Tom Franck (Intermat), and Mark Ironside (KXIC Radio)
24- Mark Beshey (The Guillotine), Mike Finn (WIN Magazine), Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling), KJ Pilcher (The Gazette), and Abigail Ruckdashel (Wisconsin Wrestling Online)
23- Ron Good (Amateur Wrestling News)
22- Brad Wilson (Easton Express Times/Lehigh Valley Live), Ray Shoaf (WrestlingTexas.com), Larry Slater (International Photographer), and Cameron Drury (Indianamat.com)
21- Bob Mayeri (International Photographer), Taylor Miller (USA Wrestling), Richard Immel (USA Wrestling), Dan Fickel (Wrestling USA Magazine)
20- Mark Lundy (LutteLens.com), Jonny Ruggiano (Titan Mercury WC), and Jim Kalin (Amateur Wrestling News)
19- Tommy Baranoski (Bloodround), Kevin Claunch (Bloodround), Matt Levins (Burlington Hawk Eye- Iowa), Dan Lobdell (FloWrestling), and Earl Smith (D1CollegeWrestling.com)
18- T.R. Foley (Intermat/United World Wrestling)
17- Jamie Moffatt (Historian)
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