Gardner-Webb Recognized as a NWCA All-Academic Top 30 Team for the 2012-13 Season
May 21, 2013 | Wrestling
Manheim, Pa. - The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldog wrestling team was recognized by the The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) as a Division I All-Academic Top 30 Team for the 2012-13 wrestling season, it was announced today by the NWCA.
The Runnin' Bulldog grapplers, under first year head coach Daniel Elliott, posted a team Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0109 to finish ranked 29th overall in the nation among all NCAA Division I wrestling programs.
"This honor shows the true testament of our guys' hard work not only on the mat, but also in the classroom," stated Coach Elliott. "We strive to develop all-around student-athletes at Gardner-Webb University."
Harvard University, led by head coach Jay Weiss, had a team GPA of 3.418 to rank as the nation's top academic wrestling program, while the runner-up in this year's team competition was the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Following a top finish last year, Mark Manning's squad again delivered a strong performance with a 3.32 team GPA.
Rounding out the Top 10 teams was Stanford University (3.25), Indiana University (3.24), University of Virginia (3.24), Brown University (3.23), Lehigh University (3.23), Old Dominion University (3.16), Duke University (3.15) and Penn State University (3.15).
The team GPA was determined using a system that includes 12 student-athletes from each program. A total of 10 of these came from the wrestlers that were entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they were allowed to fill those spots with wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season.
"The NWCA All-Academic Team and Individual Team is one of the best acknowledgements that we can give to our coaches and athletes at the end of a physically grueling season" said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "These young men have proved that they are not only talented competitors but are leaders in the classroom as well. The NWCA Board of Directors and staff look forward to watching these student-athletes continue their success at the collegiate level and eventually as the leaders of the future once they earn their college degrees.
For a list of the Top 30 teams and individual team members, visit the official NWCA release at: http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwcawebsite/News/2013/05/20/nwca-announces-all-academic-teams-and-individuals-for-2012-13-season
About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling.
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| NWCA All-Academic Top 30 Teams for 2012-13 |
