INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has released the updated standings for the 2014 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler Awards, in addition to standings for the most falls and tech falls within Divisions I, II and III. These awards will be presented in March at the respective NCAA wrestling championships. The standings only include matches between wrestlers in the same division.
The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points awarded per match are as follows:
*Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss)
*Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss)
* Major decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss)
*Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss)
This week a minimum of 16 matches are required to be eligible for the Most Dominant Wrestler standings. That required match total will increase by one per week until 18 matches is reached. Athletes redshirting the 2014 season are not eligible for any of the award standings.
In the Most Dominant standings, the top spot in Division I remains in Pennsylvania where the 2012 winner, David Taylor of Penn State, holds the lead with an average of 5.1739 points at 165 pounds, which is the highest average across all three divisions. The Big Ten is also represented in the second position as two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber, a 141-pounder from Ohio State, moves up with 4.6875 points and Oklahoma 174-pounder Andrew Howe checks in third with an average of 4.6667 points.
Edwin Cooper, a 149-pounder from Upper Iowa, keeps the top position in Division II by raising his average to 4.75 points. Dylan D’Urso of Mercyhurst (141 pounds) moves into second place with an average of 4.4375 and 125-pounder Alex Johns of Indianapolis is third with 4.3684 points.
Still just behind Taylor for the highest score in the NCAA is Division III leader Nazar Kulchytskyy. The 2013 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler and two-time NCAA champion from Wisconsin-Oshkosh has a 5.1053 average at 165 pounds. The second and third spot are swapped from last week with Riley Lefever of Wabash (184 pounds) in second with 4.9583 points and Wartburg 174-pounder Landon Williams in third with an average of 4.95 points.
In the falls standings, Indiana’s Taylor Walsh is tied for the all-division lead with 20 pins at 157 pounds, while Bucknell heavyweight Joe Stolfi follows with 17 pins. Five additional wrestlers have also reached 10 or more pins on the season.
Three pins last week move John Austin Jones of King (Tenn.) into first place with 12 pins at 165 pounds and 197-pounder Zachary Bennett of Pittsburgh-Johnstown is alone in second with 11 pins after two finishes last week.
Division III has another new leader as Ohio Northern heavyweight Cody Lovejoy had three pins last week to tie Walsh in Division I as the national leader with 20 pins. Colin Lenhardt of Johnson & Wales (184 pounds) is right behind with 19 pins and two more wrestlers have picked up 18 pins. Heavyweight Jamison Sacco of Western New England leads that pair with his pins coming in a combined time of 30:32, while 184-pounder Thomas Reyhons of Augustana (Ill.) has 18 pins in 48:20.
The tech fall standings in Division I show a change at the top with Northern Iowa 133-pounder Joe Colon moving into first with nine after he earned two last week. With no tech falls last week, 133-pounders Cody Brewer of Oklahoma and Tyler Graff of Wisconsin are right behind Colon with eight each.
Last week’s tie at the top was broken in Division II by Lake Erie 133-pounder Austin Gillihan picking up one tech fall for his seventh of the season. Francis Mizia of Mercyhurst (157 pounds) and William Young of Newberry (141 pounds) follow Gillihan with six tech falls.
Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Shane Siefert continues to lead all divisions with 10 tech falls at 197 pounds, two more than Wilkes 149-pounder Mark Hartenstine in second place.
