NCAA debuts most dominant wrestler standings in latest award update for the 2023 season
The first NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 Wrestling Championships. The three awards, presented in each division, honor the most dominant wrestler as well as the student athletes who accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls over the course of the regular season and postseason.
For scores to count towards the awards, they must be matched against opponents in the same division (i.e. Division II vs. Division II). Ties in the falls and tech falls categories will be resolved based on total time.
This week, the leaderboard for the Most Dominant Wrestler award will be unveiled, requiring a minimum of 15 matches to qualify for the leaderboard.
The most dominant wrestler ranking is calculated by adding the total number of team points awarded through match scores and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points per game are awarded as follows.
- Fall, loss, injury absence or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss)
- Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss)
- Important decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss)
- Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss)
Click or tap here for full tech falls, falls and most dominant ranking in each division
In Division I, Iowa heavyweight Tony Cassioppi leads the early rankings for most dominant wrestler with an average of 4.82 points per match. He is currently 16-1 on the year, including 4-1 against ranked opponents. Michigan heavyweight Mason Parris is second with a 4.77 average, while 141-pounder Andrew Alirez of northern Colorado is third with a 4.65 average.
In Division II, Jared Campbell of Glenville State leads with a 4.76 average. The heavyweight also leads Division II with 12 falls in 23:14. Only 0.02 points separate the next two wrestlers. Pittsburgh-Johnstown’s Jacob Ealy is second at 4.67, while Lake Erie’s Christian Small is right behind at 4.65.
Two heavyweights sit at the top of Division III, led by Wabash’s Jack Heldt with a 5.53 average. Olivet’s Donovan King is in second place with an average of 5.36.
There’s a new leader in Division I as Lock Haven’s Tyler Stolfzfus took the top spot. The 174-pounder now has 13 falls in the season while three wrestlers are tied at 11.
Jared Campbell leads Division II for second straight week. The Glenville State heavyweight has 12 falls in 23:14. Two wrestlers are close behind at 11 in UIndy’s Logan Bailey and Lake Erie’s Christian Small.
Two wrestlers from Springfield sit on Division III. Myles Leonard has 23 falls in 3:36 while teammate Jake Deguire has recorded 20 in 4:17.
Mason Leiphart leads Division I in tech falls for fourth straight week He sits on nine tech falls in 34:36 while four wrestlers sit on six.
Cole Houser leads Division II tech cases for fifth straight week. The 184-pounder from Glenville State has 11 tech falls in the season while Nebraska-Kearney’s Austin Eldredge is trailing two.
Jared Kuhns of York, Pennsylvania, recorded a technical fall last week to retain the top spot with 11th season. He is pursued by five wrestlers who have nine each.