Four Wolverines Named to 2020 NWCA All-America Teams
4/18/2020 1:36:00 PM | Wrestling
MANHEIM, Pa. -- Four members of the University of Michigan wrestling team earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I All-America recognition, the organization announced Friday (April 17).
Sophomore heavyweight Mason Parris was named to the All-America first team, senior/junior Kanen Storr (149 pounds) and sophomore/freshman Will Lewan (157) were named to the second team, while junior/sophomore Jack Medley (125) earned honorable mention. It is the first All-America honor for all four Wolverines.
Each year the NWCA names its All-America teams based on a wrestler's performance at the NCAA Championships. Since the national tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 All-America honors were based on each wrestler's overall body of work through the conference tournaments and up to the national championships.
Parris, seeded No. 2 at heavyweight for the NCAA Championships, posted a near-perfect 28-1 record on the season with 18 bonus wins, including a team-best 11 pins. He was runner-up at the Big Ten Championships after capturing three tournament titles earlier in the season, including the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 6-7). Parris recorded 11 wins over nationally ranked opposition and was 8-1 against the other seven wrestlers to earn All-America first team honors.
Storr rejoined the Wolverine lineup at 149 pounds in January, coming out of his Olympic redshirt to post a 17-5 record, including an 8-1 mark in duals, over the second semester. Storr claimed fifth place at the Big Ten Championships and was seeded No. 10 for the NCAA tournament. Storr is a two-time NCAA qualifier -- one of just two Wolverines in 2019-20 with previous NCAA Championships experience -- and earned two wins this season over other NWCA All-Americans.
Lewan also earned a No. 10 seed for the NCAA Championships at 157 pounds after compiling a 21-7 record and placing fifth at the Big Ten Championships in his first varsity season. He previously captured a tournament title at the Black Knight Invite (Nov. 17) and posted a stout 10-3 mark in dual meets. Like Storr, he earned two wins this season over other NWCA All-Americans.
Medley posted a 19-12 mark in his first full season in the starting lineup at 125 pounds, including three wins over other NWCA All-Americans. He placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships and was seeded No. 14 for what would have been his NCAA Championships debut.
Players Mentioned
