MANHEIM, Pa.— The Colorado Mesa University women's wrestling team, under the direction of Head Coach
Travis Mercado, had a program-record 18 members selected as NCAA Women's Scholar All-Americans, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) recently announced.
The Maverick's total also led all NCAA Division II institutions.
A total of 540 student-athletes representing 92 institutions were recognized for their academic success in the classroom while competing throughout the season,
according to the NWCA announcement.
"These student-athletes have demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence both on the mat and in the classroom. We commend their dedication and the example they set for the sport," — NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer said.
To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must meet have met one of the following three criteria minimums.
- 3.5+ GPA & minimum 10 matches
- 3.25 GPA & National Qualifier
- 3.00 GPA & All-American
The Mavericks' list of qualifiers and their corresponding majors is as follows:
Notably,
Hania Halverson has now earned the honor in four consecutive years while
Valerie Glenn,
Celina Preston,
Jayleen Sekona and
Maggie Smith have all earned the honor three times.
Three of the Mavericks' four qualifiers and all-Americans for this year's inaugural NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships are also on the list, including Adrianna Gomez, Sekona and
Mia Zuniga.
The Mavericks finished eighth as a team at the national tournament on Mar. 6-7 in Coralville, Iowa.