Six West Virginia grapplers earn Scholar All-American status

On Friday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced 332 grapplers have been named 2024 Division I Scholar All-Americans -- and a record number of West Virginia wrestlers are on the list.

Mountaineer seniors Peyton Hall and Caleb Dowling were named as recipients of the award, as were juniors Michael Dolan and Tristan Kemp and redshirt freshmen Brody Conley and Ian Bush.

This achievement not only marks a significant milestone for the Mountaineers but also underscores their relentless pursuit of academic excellence. Surpassing the previous school record of four Scholar All-Americans in a single season set by the 1998 team, this year's squad has set a new benchmark.

It also is the fourth consecutive year WVU has produced three or more NWCA Scholar All-Americans, marking the longest stretch in program history. The achievement helps solidify WVU's wrestling program as a powerhouse both on-the-mat and in-the-classroom.

For Hall, the achievement also marks an individual program record, as he has become only four-time NWCA Scholar All-American in program history (2021-24). It also marks Dowling's second-time earning said achievement, as he also managed to make the list during his junior campaign.

To be earn Scholar All-America status, athletes must achieve at least one of the four following requirements:

1. Must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA and earned All American honors in the same academic year

2. Must have a 3.2 cumulative GPA and qualified for the NCAA Championships in the same academic year

3. Must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA and have won 60% of their total matches in at least 60% of the team's schedule

4. Must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA and been a participant at the conference qualifying tournament