The overall improvement was sparked by a single-year improvement of 14.6 points in 2007-08, the second highest gain of any sport sponsored by the NCAA. The single-year scores in the sport of wrestling has improved each of the past three years, increasing 24.7 points from 937.3 in 2004-05 to 962 in 2007-08.
“We are very pleased and proud of the vast improvement we have seen in a very short time period,” said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “We are also pleased that several indicators suggest this improvement should continue well into the future.”
Sixty-two percent of Division I wrestling teams improved their four-year APR scores from a year ago, including 11 programs that improved by 20 or more points. West Virginia University improved the most (38 points) followed by UC Davis (33) and Eastern Michigan University (29).
Bucknell University, which earned its first All-American since reinstating its wrestling program in 2006-07, leads all wrestling teams with a perfect 1000 multi-year APR score. Northwestern University and the University of Pennsylvania also have a multi-year APR score in the 990 – 1000 range.
The number of wrestling teams with one-year APR scores below 900 and 925 decreased 19 points and 14 points respectively, representing the largest improvement of any sport sponsored by the NCAA. Teams with multi-year APR scores below 900 or 925 are subject to NCAA penalties.
“A year ago wrestling coaches from around the country came to the annual NWCA convention to learn and share best practices in order to improve APR scores,” says Mark Gumble, an APR consultant working with the NWCA. “I left the convention with a strong belief that the coaches would take what they learned and implement best practices at their institutions. Their leadership has made a big difference and the future of the sport of wrestling looks bright because of it.”
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling.
The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now