The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) wrestling team was recognized on Apr. 8 for earning the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Team Scholar Award for the fifth year in a row, after ranking among the top-15 teams in cumulative grade-point average (GPA).
This recognition highlights academic achievement within college athletics, as UNI recorded a team GPA of 3.55 and placed 11th among Division I wrestling programs. The Panthers have now ranked in the top-30 nationally for ten seasons, reflecting sustained academic performance.
Eight Big 12 Conference programs made the NWCA’s top-30 list this season, including Arizona State, Missouri, Utah Valley, Cal Baptist, North Dakota State and South Dakota State alongside UNI. Arizona State led all teams with a GPA of 3.68.
The announcement follows individual honors received by seven Panther wrestlers who were named NWCA Scholar All-Americans on April 2. The selected athletes included Trever Anderson (Management Information Systems / Marketing: Sales Management / Business Analytics), Ryder Downey (Public Health), Julian Farber (Business Administration), Nick Fox (Management, Advertisement & Digital Media / Management: Business Administration), John Gunderson (Kinesiology & Exercise Science), Jared Simma (Sport Administration), and RJ Weston (Kinesiology & Sport Performance). Four of these honorees qualified for the NCAA Championship and one served as an alternate.
The full list of Division I teams with top GPAs includes several prominent universities such as Brown and Duke at 3.68 and Missouri at 3.66. UNI continues to promote its wrestling program through social media platforms including Facebook, X (@UNI_wrestling), Instagram (@uni_panther_wrestling) and its official website.