Wrestling Squad Shines In The Classroom
May 13, 2003
MOUNT PLEASANT - The Central Michigan University wrestling team finished the year with the third best team grade-point average in the nation.
The Chippewas were third in the nation with a 3.285 team GPA, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association top 25. The top team was Sacred Heart who captured the title for the second straight season with a 3.412. CMU was one of only three Mid-American Conference recognized. CMU was the top MAC school while Eastern Michigan (sixth/3.2) and Northern Illinois (15/3.005) were the other two MAC schools of note.
"I feel like from a recruiting standpoint it is obvious that our program attracts quality student-athletes," noted head coach Tom Borrelli. "This is a reflection of the resources and services available to our athletes that help them get a degree and become a contributor to our society. That's very important to us.
"Our team takes as much pride in our academic successes as it does in our successes on the mat. We have the most representatives on the NWCA Academic All-America team than any other academic institution. That is a tribute to the guys on our team, our academic services staff, and the people involved with our program."
The Chippewas led all universities with five members on the all-academic team. Leading the way for CMU was Jason Mester (Mineral Point, Wis./Jr.). He was named a second team NWCA Academic All-American with a 3.13. He was also an All-American on the mat with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA championships.
Three NCAA qualifiers landed on the honorable mention all-academic team. They were: Brett Faustman (Mason/Sr.), who has a 3.78 GPA; Kyle Stoffer (Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Fr.) with a 3.68 GPA; and Ty Morgan (Huber Heights, Ohio/Jr.), who owns a 3.48 GPA. Jason Borrelli (Mount Pleasant/So.), who has a 3.64, joins fellow teammates as a NWCA honorable mention Academic All-American as well.
The third-place team ranking ties the highest such honor in CMU history. The Chippewas also had a third-place standing with a 3.07 GPA in 1994. The 3.285 GPA is the highest team GPA since the ranking began in 1993. Last year, CMU was fifth in the nation with a 3.23. CMU has been a top-16 team academically since the ranking's inception.
Below is a list of the top 10 academic teams in 2003 in the nation according the NWCA All-Academic Team:
1. Sacred Heart 3.412 2. Duquesne 3.32 3. Central Michigan 3.285 4. Brown 3.27 5. Princeton 3.23 6. Eastern Michigan 3.2 7. Stanford 3.141 Harvard 3.141 9. Indiana 3.13 10. James Madison 3.082