The All-Academic Team features 31 wrestlers who balanced schoolwork and time on the mat to meet the ninth-year league's highest standards. North Dakota State and South Dakota State led the way with seven grapplers apiece on the All-Academic squad. Individually, NDSU's Clay Ream posted the highest cumulative grade point average with a perfect 4.0 clip in biochemistry and molecular biology while his teammate Mitchell Friedman was next with a 3.90 GPA in sport management.
Additionally, 40 student-athletes were named to the Coaches' Honor Roll for their dedication to academics. Utah Valley posted the most wrestlers on that list with 13.
UVU also combined to put up the most grapplers on the two teams with 18, while SDSU was next with 15.
To qualify for the All-Academic team, student-athletes had to secure a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average as well as be a starter or key reserve. The Coaches' Honor Roll recognizes all student-athletes who have maintained a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
The Jackrabbits and Bison were also recognized for their academics by the NWCA a couple of weeks ago as SDSU had the 23rd best team GPA in the nation with a 3.090 GPA and NDSU was 24th with a 3.078. Individually, Air Force's Jesse Stafford, NDSU's Evan Knutson, Ream and Hayden Zillmer, Northern Colorado's Brian Macchione, SDSU's J.J. Everard, Nate Rotert, Brance Simms and Luke Zilverburg, and Wyoming's Tanner Harms were all named to the NWCA Individual All-Academic Team.
The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of six schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming.
2014-15 Western Wrestling Conference All-Academic Team:
Parker Hines (AF), 184, So., 3.74 GPA, Civil Engineering
Zen Ikehara (AF), 184, Fr., 3.24 GPA, Undeclared
Adam Jackson (AF), 165, So., 3.84 GPA, Biology
Marcus Malecek (AF), 285, Jr., 3.58 GPA, Systems Engineering
Anthony McHugh (AF), 141/149, So., 3.43 GPA, Economics
Jesse Stafford (AF), 165, Sr., 3.54 GPA, Civil Engineering
Mitchell Friedman (NDSU), 149/157, RFr. 3.90 GPA, Sport Management
Kyle Gliva (NDSU), 133, RFr., 3.41 GPA, Electrical Engineering
Evan Knutson (NDSU), 285, Sr., 3.70 GPA, Animal Science
Clay Ream (NDSU), 149, RFr., 4.00, GPA, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Nate Rykerd (NDSU), 149, RFr., 3.42 GPA, Natural Resource Management
Tom Walton (NDSU), 133/141, RFr., 3.42 GPA, Physical Education/Health Education
Hayden Zillmer (NDSU), 184, Jr., 3.23 GPA, Physical Education/Health Education
Brian Macchione (UNC), 285, Sr., 3.46 GPA, Criminal Justice
Benjamin Polkowske (UNC), 141, So., 3.27 GPA, Business Administration - Marketing
Joshua VanTine (UNC), 174, Sr., 3.24 GPA, Sport & Exercise Science
J.J. Everard (SDSU), 285, Jr., 3.27, Physical Education/Teacher Education
Ben Gillette (SDSU), 133, Jr., 3.71, Biology/Pre-Medicine
David Kocer (SDSU), 174, Fr., 3.47, Agriculture Science
Nate Rotert (SDSU), 197, RFr., 3.36, Early Childhood Education
Ben Schwery (SDSU), 174, So., 3.51, Wildlife and Fisheries
Brance Simms (SDSU), 133, Jr., 3.31, Construction Management
Luke Zilverberg (SDSU), 141, RFr., 3.51, Wildlife and Fisheries
Abel Gomez (UVU), 184, So., 3.69 GPA, Exercise Science
Koleton Hardy (UVU), 157, RFr., 3.44 GPA, Chemistry - Biochemistry
Dalton Harmon (UVU), 165, Fr., 3.60 GPA, Business Management - General Business
Matthew Ontiveros (UVU), 141, Fr., 3.42 GPA, Community Health Education - Health Services Admin.
Ross Taylor (UVU), 184, RJr., 3.66 GPA, Exercise Science
Tanner Harms (WYO), 285, Jr., 3.75 GPA, Mechanical Engineering
Luke Paine (WYO), 184, RFr., 3.67 GPA, Physiology
Leland Pfeifer (WYO), 285, Sr., 3.52 GPA, Graduate Student (MBA)
2014-15 Western Wrestling Conference Coaches' Honor Roll
Connor Hedash (AF), 157, So., 3.08 GPA, Economics
Noah Irons (AF), 157, Fr., 3.14 GPA, Undeclared
Sam Kreimier (AF), 157, Fr., 3.09 GPA, Undeclared
Garrett Wells (AF), 174, Sr., 3.03 GPA, Legal Studies
Konner Witt (AF), 174, Jr., 3.03 GPA, Economics
Jerrad Nieland (NDSU), 285, RFr., 3.00 GPA, Exercise Science
Nick O'Brien (NDSU), 133, Fr., 3.17 GPA, Industrial Engineering and Management
Justin Scherkenbach (NDSU), 133, So., 3.14 GPA, Sports Management
Cole Sladek (NDSU), 157, RFr., 3.10 GPA, Finance
Hunter Weber (NDSU), 133, So., 3.02 GPA, University Studies
Nickolas Alspaugh (UNC), 149, Sr., 3.48 GPA, Communications
Abraham Fox (UNC), 133, Jr., 3.01 GPA, Political Science
Dylan Gabel (UNC), 184, Fr., 3.34 GPA, Business Administration - General
Joseph Grable (UNC), 149, Fr., 3.67 GPA, Sport & Exercise Science - PE K12 Teaching
Josh Casperson (SDSU), 184, Fr., 3.27, Pre-Nursing
Spencer Derifield (SDSU), 165, Fr., 3.41, Exercise Science
Colin Holler (SDSU), 149, RFr., 3.08, Physical Education/Teacher Education
Alex Macki (SDSU), 285, RFr., 3.32, Wildlife and Fisheries
John Nething II (SDSU), 174, Sr., 3.09, Consumer Affairs
Tyler Pieper (SDSU), 141, Fr., 3.74, Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Quinn Smith (SDSU), 133, Fr., 3.60, Exploratory Studies
Kyle White (SDSU), 133, RFr., 3.57, Pre-Nursing
Logan Addis (UVU), 157, Jr., 3.03 GPA, English - Literary Studies
Aryton Almberg (UVU), 197, RFr., 3.01 GPA, Communications - Public Relations
DJ Argyle (UVU), 149, Fr., 3.78 GPA, Personal Financial Planning
Logan Blackwood (UVU), 197, Fr., 3.48 GPA, Business Management - General Business
Jesse Christensen (UVU), 165, Fr., 3.80 GPA, Undeclared
Dustin Dennison (UVU), 285, So., 3.01 GPA, Communications - Public Relations
Adam Fager (UVU), 285, Sr., 3.13 GPA, Behavioral Science - Psychology
Raider Lofthouse (UVU), 157 Fr., 3.56 GPA, Behavioral Science - Psychology
Jarod Maynes (UVU), 133, So., 4.0 GPA, Accounting - General Accounting
Jed Mellen (UVU), 133, RFr., 3.16 GPA, Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
Bracken Nipko (UVU), 141, So., 3.62 GPA, Business Management - General Business
Josh Temple (UVU), 125, Fr., 3.49 GPA, Accounting - General Accounting
Derek Thomas (UVU), 197, Jr., 3.18 GPA, Business Management - General Business
Kyle Pope (WYO), 157/165, RFr., 3.39 GPA, Communications
Brandon Richardson (WYO), 157, Sr., 3.24 GPA, Graduate Student (Kinesiology & Health Promotion)
Benjamin Stroh (WYO), 184, So., 3.13 GPA, Business Administration
Robert Stroh (WYO), 157, Sr., 3.09 GPA, Business Administration
Brandon Tribble (WYO), 197, Jr., 3.20 GPA, Communications
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