College wrestling: NCAA releases Most Dominant Wrestler standings for first time in 2019

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has released updated standings for the 2019 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. 

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For results to be counted they must come against opponents in the same division (i.e. Division II vs. Division II). Ties in the falls and tech falls categories are broken based on the aggregate time. 

This week features the debut of the Most Dominant Wrestler standings for the 2018-19 season, which features a 15-match minimum to earn a ranking.

The No. 1 ranked team in the country is appropriately well represented as four Nittany Lions lead the pack for Most Dominant in Division I. Bo Nickal is first for Penn State by producing 5.33 average team points per match, followed by Jason Nolf (5.16), Vincenzo Joseph (5) and Shakur Rasheed (4.8). 

St. Cloud State’s Vince Dietz paces Division II with 4.74 points per match at 197 pounds. A pair of Pittsburgh-Johnstown wrestlers, Chris Eddins Jr., and Brock Biddle are second and third.

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A trio of wrestlers are grouped closely together at the top of the most dominant standings in Division III. James Bethel, a heavyweight at SUNY Oneonta, is first with 5.42 points, while Wartburg 133-pounder Brennen Doebel is second (5.33) and Stevens 141-pounder Troy Stanich is third (5.3).

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)

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: NCAA Standings Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3  | Week 4 

* Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss)

No change in Division I falls this week as Central Michigan heavyweight Matt Stencel keeps sole possession of first place with 15 falls, one more than George Mason 165-pounder Colston DiBlasi with 14. Nickal has joined Kent State’s Andrew McNally in third place with 12 falls. 

Lake Erie heavyweight Evan Loughman is the first Division II wrestler with double digit falls holding the national lead with 11. Ryan Vasbinder of McKendree and Nicholas Mason of Tiffin each have nine.

Waynesburg heavyweight Jakes Evans has surged to first in Division III with 19 falls, while JWU (Providence) 149-pounder Da’mani Burns is second with 18. 

Lock Haven 141-pounder Kyle Shoop retakes the lead in Division I tech falls with 12, while a pair of Cowboys are right on his heels. Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix is second with 11 tech falls at 133 pounds, while his teammate Nicholas Piccininni is third with 10.

Mercyhurst 165-pounder Logan Grass added one tech fall to maintain his lead in Division II with seven. Nebraska-Kearney 125-pounder Josh Portillo is keeping pace adding one more of his own to sit second with six.

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Messiah 149-pounder Stephen Maloney maintains sole possession of first place in Division III tech falls with 14. Jay Albis of JWU (Providence), Jordin James of Mount Union and Jeremiah Slagle of Heidelberg are still in the running with 13 each. 

NCAA STAT LEADERS — MOST DOMINANT WRESTLER

*15-match minimum in division required to be ranked.

NCAA STAT LEADERS — FALLS

NCAA STAT LEADERS — TECH FALLS

NCAA TOURNAMENT INFO: How the NCAA wrestling tournament works