Brester Named to NWCA All-Academic Team

Nebraska 197-pound wrestler Craig Brester was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team and Nebraska finished with the top team GPA among Big 12 teams, the NWCA announced Monday.

 

Brester, a mechanized systems management major from Howells, Neb., owns a 3.37 grade-point average.  This most recent honor adds to an already decorated start to his academic career for Brester, who was named a first-team Academic All-Big 12 performer earlier this season.  On the mat, Brester was 19-7 and qualified for the NCAA Championships in his redshirt freshman season wrestling for Nebraska.

 

As a team, the Huskers finished 24th in the nation with a 2.8301 team GPA.  Nebraska edged OklahomaState for the top team GPA in the conference.  The Cowboys finished with a 2.8213 team GPA, good for 25th.  Missouri, the only other Big 12 team in the top 30, was ranked 28th with a 2.8078 team GPA.  Duke had the top team GPA in the nation with a 3.38 team GPA.

 

For an individual wrestler to be considered for the NWCA honor, he needed to have at least a 3.2 GPA, an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his matches while competing in 60 percent of the team’s schedule or by earning a 3.0 GPA and All-America status.

 

To eligible in the team race, a squad needed to enter 12 student-athletes, including the 10 wrestlers who participated in that team’s NCAA Championships qualifier.  If less than 10 participated for the team in the qualifier, a team may fill that spot with a wrestler that competed in at least one varsity dual that season.