MANHEIM, Pa.– North Dakota State University placed three wrestlers — Evan Knutson, Hayden Zillmer and Clay Ream — on the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic team, while NDSU ranked No. 24 in the NWCA All-Academic Team Standings with a 3.078 grade point average. The Bison ranked in the top 30 for the fifth straight season.
Knutson, a 285-pound senior from Wausau, Wis. (Wausau West H.S.), makes his third appearance on the NWCA All-Academic team. He maintained a 3.702 G.P.A. majoring in animal sciences. Knutson compiled a 24-10 record including a runner-up finish at the NCAA West Regional. He made three trips to the NCAA national tournament and went 2-2 at this year’s event.
Zillmer, a 184-pound junior from Crosby, Minn. (Crosby-Ironton H.S.), placed sixth at the 2015 NCAA national tournament to earn All-American honors. He won five straight matches after dropping his first round match. Zillmer won his second straight NCAA West Regional title and compiled a 38-6 record. He has a 3.233 G.P.A. majoring in physical education and health education.
Ream, a 149-pound redshirt freshman from Wentzville, Mo. (Holt H.S.) won the NCAA West Region title and compiled a 2-2 record in his first NCAA national tournament. He has maintained a 4.0 G.P.A. majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. Ream finished the season with a 26-13 record.
Awarded annually, the NWCA All-Academic Team contains 118 student-athletes including 28 All-Americans. This year’s list also includes half of the Division I champions and eight of the 20 wrestlers who competed in the finals in St. Louis back in March. Ninety-six wrestlers on the team qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships, which is an increase of 19 wrestlers compared to the 2013-14 team. Of the 77 Division I wrestling programs, 56 teams had at least one representative on the All-Academic Team.
The team grade-point average 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.
North Dakota State to won its second straight NCAA West Region championship and second Western Wrestling Conference regular-season dual title over the past three years this winter. The Bison were 5-0 in the WWC and 9-4 overall including a 22-21 win by criteria over No. 18-ranked Wyoming. NDSU finished the season ranked 20th in the final USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll.
North Dakota State had five NCAA West Region champions — 125 Josh Rodriguez (voted the MVP of the regional), 141 Mitch Bengtson, 149 Clay Ream (WWC Freshman of the Year), 174 Kurtis Julson and 184 Zillmer (WWC Wrestler of the Year). NDSU qualified a school-record six wrestlers, with 285 Knutson joining the five above, for the NCAA Championships. Julson and Zillmer both earned NCAA All-American honors.
NWCA All-Academic Top 30 Team
NWCA All-Academic Individuals
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