The South Makes Waves At 2017 NCAAs
The South Makes Waves At 2017 NCAAs
America's Southern states have always been a bit of a black hole for the sport of wrestling, but that could change if trends seen at the 2017 NCAA Championships continue.
Live This Week On Flo: Mar. 24-25: NHSCA Nationals | Mar. 25: Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic | Mar. 24-26: Girls Folkstyle Nationals
America's Southern states have always been a bit of a black hole for the sport of wrestling, but that could change if trends seen at the 2017 NCAA Championships continue.
Last week in St. Louis, seven wrestlers who claimed Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, or Texas as their home states earned All-American honors.
Below is a map of the hometowns of those seven wrestlers (along with the Oklahoman AAs and Illinois' Zane Richards along for the ride):
This is the most AAs we've seen from the South going at least as far back as the 2000 tournament. This holds true even when Tennessee and Louisiana are included.
Arkansas and Mississippi have yet to produce an All-American in recorded history. (If anyone knows of any, let us know!)
Our 2017 Southern AAs are as follows:
Florida has managed to buck the trend, averaging more than one All-American per year for the past 20 years, but that state has long been an anomaly with regard to its more culturally homogeneous neighbors.
Penn State's Bo Nickal represents the first national champion from a Southern state since Virginian Bubba Jenkins won a title in 2011 at Arizona State. Before Jenkins, Jordan Leen won a championship while representing Cornell and the state of Tennessee in 2008.
Total NCAA qualifiers from the South are also on an upward slope. The average number of qualifiers per year from Southern states (excluding Florida) since 2000 is 23. The 2017 tournament had 27 Southern wrestlers in its brackets.
The numbers of qualifiers by Southern states at the 2017 NCAAs are as follows:
As more wrestlers from the South earn All-American honors, it can't help but start a virtuous cycle. The collegiate success helps generate interest from local youths, which in turn, feeds into the local or nearby college programs. Though it may not amount to anything more than wishful thinking, such developments can't hurt in the ultimate goal of jumpstarting new DI wrestling programs in the South.
America's Southern states have always been a bit of a black hole for the sport of wrestling, but that could change if trends seen at the 2017 NCAA Championships continue.
Last week in St. Louis, seven wrestlers who claimed Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, or Texas as their home states earned All-American honors.
Below is a map of the hometowns of those seven wrestlers (along with the Oklahoman AAs and Illinois' Zane Richards along for the ride):
This is the most AAs we've seen from the South going at least as far back as the 2000 tournament. This holds true even when Tennessee and Louisiana are included.
Arkansas and Mississippi have yet to produce an All-American in recorded history. (If anyone knows of any, let us know!)
Our 2017 Southern AAs are as follows:
- Bo Nickal, Penn State (1st, 184) Allen, Texas
- TJ Dudley, Nebraska (3rd, 184) Irmo, South Carolina
- Joey Dance, Virginia Tech (5th, 125) Christiansburg, Virginia
- Jack Mueller, Texas (6th, 125) Dallas, Texas
- Sean Russell, Edinboro (7th, 125) Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Brandon Womack, Cornell (8th, 165) Scottsboro, Alabama
- Denzel Dejournette, Appalachian State (8th, 285) Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Florida has managed to buck the trend, averaging more than one All-American per year for the past 20 years, but that state has long been an anomaly with regard to its more culturally homogeneous neighbors.
Penn State's Bo Nickal represents the first national champion from a Southern state since Virginian Bubba Jenkins won a title in 2011 at Arizona State. Before Jenkins, Jordan Leen won a championship while representing Cornell and the state of Tennessee in 2008.
Total NCAA qualifiers from the South are also on an upward slope. The average number of qualifiers per year from Southern states (excluding Florida) since 2000 is 23. The 2017 tournament had 27 Southern wrestlers in its brackets.
The numbers of qualifiers by Southern states at the 2017 NCAAs are as follows:
- Georgia: 8
- Virginia: 8
- Texas: 5
- North Carolina: 3
- Alabama: 1
- Tennessee: 1
- South Carolina: 1
As more wrestlers from the South earn All-American honors, it can't help but start a virtuous cycle. The collegiate success helps generate interest from local youths, which in turn, feeds into the local or nearby college programs. Though it may not amount to anything more than wishful thinking, such developments can't hurt in the ultimate goal of jumpstarting new DI wrestling programs in the South.
Related Content
- 235 lbs Quarters - Jayden Moehle, MO West Championship Wrestling Club vs Alexis Stinson, Victory Wrestling
Apr 28, 2024
- 190 lbs Quarters - Isabella Phillips, Outlaw Wresling Club vs Maria Aiono, Khutulun Wrestling Club
Apr 28, 2024
- 235 lbs Quarters - Faith Tarrant, Askeo International Mat Club vs Aaliyah Grandberry, Under Rated Wrestling Academy
Apr 28, 2024
- 190 lbs Quarters - Taina Uasike, Arizona Girls Wrestling vs Ella Murphey, Tennessee
Apr 28, 2024
- 235 lbs Quarters - Phoenix Molina, Patton Trained WC vs Angie Aguilar, Stallions Wrestling Club
Apr 28, 2024
- 155 lbs Quarters - Sarah Henckel, Connecticut vs Desza Munson, Betterman Elite Wrestling
Apr 28, 2024
- 110 lbs Cons 16 #2 - Hayden Vanderpool, Pioneer Grappling Academy vs Arisna Stott, Aviator Grappling Academy
Apr 28, 2024
- 140 lbs Quarters - Amelia Fawcett, Pioneer Grappling Academy vs Louise Juitt, MO West Championship Wrestling Club
Apr 28, 2024
- 105 lbs Cons 16 #2 - Bertha Cabrera, Legends Of Gold Las Vegas vs Jadyn Roller, Eastside Wrestling Academy
Apr 28, 2024