Results-based wrestling awards on tap

Every March, 30 wrestlers win national championships at their respective weight classes. Divisions I, II and III crown 10 champions each and coaches vote for an Outstanding Wrestler award at the end of competition. The NCAA is adding some individual hardware starting in 2012.

The NCAA Wrestling Committee approved nine awards — three per division — which will be given to student-athletes with the most falls, most technical falls and a most dominant wrestler during the annual championships. For the pins and technical falls awards regular-season totals will be added to postseason totals to determine an annual winner.

A Most Dominant Wrestler award will include a point system based on match results. There will be an 18-match minimum to qualify and only those matches against division opponents count toward the overall total.

There are no style points or voters for the three awards. Results are what counts.

“We already know how popular and how much interest there is in the national championships at the end of the year,” said Dave Martin, chairman of the NCAA Wrestling Committee. “What we want to do is bring that same excitement to the regular season; bring some more attention to the sport from December until March.

“Every year the Heisman Trophy is tracked throughout the season in football,” added Martin, an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1970. “With the advances in technology we can track this a lot easier than maybe 10 of 20 years ago. Instead of just talking about who is the most dominant the numbers will show which wresters are really dominating.

“Again, what we are trying to do is generate more interest during the year, during the dual season.”

Linking the awards with some of the sport’s legends is also in the works. Cael Sanderson was undefeated as a collegian and won four NCAA titles. Dan Gable, John and Pat Smith and Dan Hodge are but a few possibilities.