May 12, 2008
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IOWA CITY, IA — The national champion Hawkeye wrestling team is proving that it can have success in the class room, as well as on the mat. Four Hawkeye wrestlers have been named to the 2008 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I all-academic team. Senior Matt Fields and sophomores Jay Borschel, Dan LeClere and Brent Metcalf were named to the team for the first time in each of their careers. It was also the first time Iowa has had four honorees in one season. The previous best was two in 1995 and 2004.
Metcalf was one of three NCAA champions named to the team, while he, Fields and Borschel were three of the 27 all-Americans honored.
A total of 88 wrestlers were named to the academic team, which was a 35 percent increase over the 57 honorees in 2007. Iowa was one of only four schools – and the only Big Ten school – with four individual honorees. The others were American, Duke and Liberty.
“I am really proud of these guys because it is a reflection on their lifestyle,” explained Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands. “They did a great job rising to expectations on the mat, and this honor shows that they are building themselves to be great ambassadors for life.”
To be considered for the NWCA all-academic team, a wrestler must have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average, have been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule when he competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. Wrestlers can also earn a spot on the all-academic team if they were an NCAA all-American and posted a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average.
Click HERE for the complete list of NWCA Division I all-academic teams and individuals.