NCAA Wrestling Awards Standings: Week 4

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA has released the fourth week of standings for the 2016 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 that 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 towards a student-athletes total they must come against opponents in the same division. Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time.

In Division I, a near tie exists for the top spot in the Most Dominant Wrestler standings between a pair of Penn State wrestlers. Zain Retherford holds the top spot with an average of 5.091 points per match, while 157-pounder Jason Nolf has an average of 5.087.

Pittsburgh-Johnstown 184-pounder Travis McKillop leads Division II with an average of 5.31 points, which is well ahead of Garrett Grey of Tiffin with 4.75 points.

The 2014-15 NCAA Division III Most Dominant Wrestler is well on his way to earning the award for the second year in a row as Wabash 184-pounder Riley Lefever has an average of 5.77 points. Heavyweight Donald Longendyke is second with an average of 5.55 points for Augsburg.

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 and based on a minimum of 15 matches in the division.

* 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)

Navy 197-pounder Michael Woulfe leads Division I with 14 falls this season, while teammate Mathew Miller is second with 12 at 184 pounds.

Ronald Wardleigh of Western State is the new leader in Division II with 12 falls at 125 pounds, followed by McKillop (11) and Grey (9).

Two wrestlers have piled up 18 pins each in Division III and both compete at 184 pounds. AJ Kowal of Stevens Institute of Technology holds the national lead by aggregate time over Josh Thomson of Messiah (38:43-54:56).

Isaiah Martinez of Illinois has surpassed his winning total from last season with 12 tech falls this season at 157 pounds to hold the Division I lead.  

The Division II tech fall standings are a family affair at the top where the Mizia brothers of Mercyhurst hold the top two spots. Francis leads the country with seven at 165 pounds, while older brother August is right behind with six tech falls at 174 pounds.