MANHEIM, Pa. – Southern Conference wrestling teams Appalachian State, The Citadel and Gardner-Webb were honored Wednesday by the National Wrestling Coaches Association as 2013-14 Division I All-Academic Top 30 Teams, while eight student-athletes from those squads earned spots on the NWCA Individual All-Academic Team.
Gardner-Webb improved from 29th to third in the team standings this season, posting a 3.3167 cumulative grade point average.
Standout grappler Austin Trott was recognized individually as well, earning a spot on the NWCA’s Individual All-Academic Team. He posted a solid 3.2887 grade point average.
The redshirt freshman is majoring in accounting and qualified for the NCAA Division I championships this season in his first full campaign on the collegiate mats. Trott finished with an impressive 29-9 dual record and was ranked nationally for much of the 2013-2014 season at 165 pounds.
Head coach Daniel Elliott, a former Gardner-Webb wrestler and two-time NCAA Division I qualifier, recently completed his second full season in charge of the program.
After making the list in 26th place last year, Appalachian State’s GPA (3.31) tied for fourth in the nation this year, good for the highest finish in the program’s history. In each of John Mark Bentley’s five seasons as head coach, the Mountaineers have finished as one of the top 30 teams honored by the NWCA.
NCAA qualifiers Dylan Cottrell and Dominic Parisi were selected to the Individual All-Academic Team.
Parisi became the only repeat award winner for Appalachian and one of only four Mountaineers honored, joining Savva Kostis, who was honored in 2011-12, and Dylan Temple, who was honored in 2009-10.
The Citadel checked in at No. 27 with a team GPA of 3.058. The Bulldogs put a league-best five wrestlers on the Individual All-Academic Team, tied for second among all schools on the list with Oklahoma State. Oklahoma led the nation with six selections.
Coach Rob Hjerling’s team had Matthew Frisch, Aaron Hansen, Joaquin Martinez, Jack Duane and Marshall Haas represented.
The team grade point average is determined using a system that includes 12 student-athletes from each program. A total of 10 spots were made up of wrestlers who participated in the conference tournament or NCAA qualifier event. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifiers, they were allowed to fill spots with wrestlers who competed in at least one varsity dual during the 2013-2014 season.
Harvard took top honors from the NWCA for the second year in a row with a 3.3657 team GPA.
To qualify for the Individual All-Academic team, a wrestler must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and be an NCAA qualifier or win 60 percent of his total schedule. Wrestlers also qualify with a 3.0 GPA and NCAA all-America honors (top eight at the NCAA championship).