149-pounder Zain Retherford of Penn State has been Division I's best this year.
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has released the updated standings for the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships.
The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes who have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons.
For falls and tech falls to be counted, they must come against opponents in the same division. Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time.
In Division I, Penn State 149-pounder Zain Retherford continues to lead in the race for the Most Dominant Wrestler, contributing an average of 5.56 team points per match, just .12 more than teammate Jason Nolf at 157 pounds.
Francis Mizia of Mercyhurst leads Division II with an average of 4.92 points at 165 pounds, while Montrail Johnson of Wisconsin-Parkside is second with 4.88 points.
Lance Evans of Wartburg has a commanding lead in Division III with an average of 5.41 team points per match at heavyweight.
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 per match are awarded 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’s Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated with a 15-match minimum against wrestlers from the same division.
Cornell 184-pounder Gabe Dean has 15 falls this season to lead Division I, while Lock Haven’s Adam Mackie and Rider’s Chad Walsh each have 12.
Heavyweight Garrett Gray of Tiffin leads Division II with 12 falls, but a trio of wrestlers are on his heels with 11 falls.
Hunter Harris of Messiah has pulled ahead in Division III with 24 falls this season at 141 pounds, three more than his nearest competitor.
True freshman Jack Mueller of Virginia leads Division I in tech falls with nine this season at 125 pounds but is only holding off heavyweight Thomas Haines of Lock Haven by aggregate time. Mueller’s nine tech falls have come in 33:47, 20 minutes less than Haines.
Nic Goebel of Findlay has surged to the lead in Division II tech falls with 10 at 149 pounds, four ahead of a sextet of wrestlers with six.
Stephen Jarrell of Johnson & Wales (Rhode Island) has 16 tech falls at 174 pounds to hold a lead of four over Jason Lynch of Chicago at 197 pounds and Messiah 125-pounder Lucas Malmberg.
