11 Wrestlers Named to Academic All-Big 12 Teams
2/20/2020 10:03:00 AM | Wrestling
A program record nine were named to the First Team
Irving, Texas – The Air Force Academy wrestling team had 11 athletes named to the 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Wrestling Team, the conference announced, Thursday, Feb. 20. The 11 is the second-most in a single season, while the nine named to the First Team is a new program-best in the Big 12 era.
The Falcons had the third-most selections of any team on the 106-member list. The team features 27 student-athletes from Conference member institutions Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Student-athletes from the league's affiliate members in the sport, Air Force, Fresno State, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming, totaled 79 selections.
First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA while the second team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
Air Force's first team members included seniors Marcus Amico, Jake Kurzhals, Garrett O'Shea, Alec Opsal, Jordan Wengreen, and Tyler Wiederholt, as well as junior Casey Jumps and sophomores Bradley Bitting and Jack Johnson. Amico, O'Shea, Opsal, and Wiederholt all earned first team accolades for the third time in their careers, while Jumps is a second-time honoree after earning second team honors a season ago.
On the second team, Air Force had junior Brock Jennings and sophomore Jared Van Vleet. Both are being honored for the first time in their respective careers.
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years, and meet all the criteria except percent of participation, are also eligible.
First Team (3.20-Plus GPA)
Marcus Amico Sr. Foreign Area Studies Anchorage, Alaska
Jake Kurzhals Sr. Aeronautical Engineering Pearl River, N.Y.
Garrett O'Shea Sr. Operations Research Butler, N.J.
Alec Opsal Sr. Civil Engineering New Fairfield, Conn.
Jordan Wengreen Sr. Management Paradise, Utah
Tyler Wiederholt Sr. Geospatial Science Bellbrook, Ohio
Casey Jumps Jr. Political Science Platte City, Mo.
Bradley Bitting So. Mechanical Engineering Dallas, Ga.
Jack Johnson So. Philosophy Niceville, Fla.
Second Team (3.00-3.19 GPA)
Brock Jennings Jr. Geospatial Science Osage, Iowa
Jared Van Vleet So. Biochemistry Stillman Valley, Ill.
The Falcons had the third-most selections of any team on the 106-member list. The team features 27 student-athletes from Conference member institutions Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Student-athletes from the league's affiliate members in the sport, Air Force, Fresno State, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming, totaled 79 selections.
First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA while the second team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
Air Force's first team members included seniors Marcus Amico, Jake Kurzhals, Garrett O'Shea, Alec Opsal, Jordan Wengreen, and Tyler Wiederholt, as well as junior Casey Jumps and sophomores Bradley Bitting and Jack Johnson. Amico, O'Shea, Opsal, and Wiederholt all earned first team accolades for the third time in their careers, while Jumps is a second-time honoree after earning second team honors a season ago.
On the second team, Air Force had junior Brock Jennings and sophomore Jared Van Vleet. Both are being honored for the first time in their respective careers.
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years, and meet all the criteria except percent of participation, are also eligible.
First Team (3.20-Plus GPA)
Marcus Amico Sr. Foreign Area Studies Anchorage, Alaska
Jake Kurzhals Sr. Aeronautical Engineering Pearl River, N.Y.
Garrett O'Shea Sr. Operations Research Butler, N.J.
Alec Opsal Sr. Civil Engineering New Fairfield, Conn.
Jordan Wengreen Sr. Management Paradise, Utah
Tyler Wiederholt Sr. Geospatial Science Bellbrook, Ohio
Casey Jumps Jr. Political Science Platte City, Mo.
Bradley Bitting So. Mechanical Engineering Dallas, Ga.
Jack Johnson So. Philosophy Niceville, Fla.
Second Team (3.00-3.19 GPA)
Brock Jennings Jr. Geospatial Science Osage, Iowa
Jared Van Vleet So. Biochemistry Stillman Valley, Ill.
Players Mentioned
157
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141
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174
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141
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149
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133
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