Eight student-athletes from the South Dakota State wrestling team were recognized on Apr. 2 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association as recipients of the NCAA Division I Men’s Scholar All-America Award.
The award highlights student-athletes who have shown strong performance both in academics and athletics. Honorees must meet one of several criteria, such as being a top-eight finisher with at least a 3.00 grade point average, qualifying for nationals with a 3.2 GPA, qualifying for conference competition with a 3.5 GPA, or competing in at least fifteen matches with a win rate of sixty percent and maintaining a 3.5 GPA.
This year’s honorees from South Dakota State are Bennett Berge, Marcus Espinoza-Owens, Brock Fettig, Luke Rasmussen, Brady Roark, Cale Seaton, Cael Swensen, and Jared Thiry. According to the university’s announcement, “Berge, Rasmussen and Swensen were honored as NWCA Scholar All-Americans for the third time in their respective careers,” while Fettig received his second recognition this season. Thiry, Seaton, Roark and Espinoza-Owens each earned their first NWCA Scholar All-American honor during their time at SDSU.
All nominees are determined based on academic records returned and results tracked through TrackWrestling.
The recognition underscores the importance placed on balancing athletic commitments with academic achievement among collegiate athletes.