MANHEIM, Pa. - Six student-athletes representing the Fort Hays State wrestling team earned Scholar All-American honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA, announced Monday by the association. As a team, the Tigers recorded the ninth-best GPA in Division II, posting a team grade point average of 3.303.
In order for a student-athlete to be nominated to the Division II Scholar All-American Team, he must have a minimum 3.4 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale, with that benchmark at 3.2 for those who qualified for the 2020 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. The athlete must also have competed in a minimum of five dates of competition.
Four of the five Tigers who qualified for the 2020 NCAA Division II National Championships received the honor, including senior Brandon Ball, junior Marty Verhaeghe, sophomore Aryus Jones and redshirt-freshman Mason Turner. Sophomores Anthony Scantlin and Conrad Vajnar also earned the award, both doing so for the second year in a row.
Ball was one of 11 student-athletes in the country who received the honor for the fourth consecutive year, while Vajnar is one of just 11 qualifying wrestlers in Division II to maintain a perfect 4.00 GPA.
This is the fourth year in a row the Tigers have had at least six student-athletes receive Scholar All-American honors. It is the first time the Tigers have been ranked in the top 20 in team GPA since the 2016-17 season, when FHSU ranked eighth.
NWCA Division II Scholar All-American Honorees
Name YearWeight ClassMajorGPA
Brandon Ball Sr. 141 Technology Studies (Teaching K-12) 3.81
Aryus Jones So. 184 Criminal Justice 3.11
Anthony Scantlin So. 149 Technology Studies 3.64
Mason Turner R-Fr. 125 Health and Human Performance 3.60
Conrad Vajnar So. 165 Accounting 4.00
Marty Verhaeghe Jr. 174 Health and Human Performance 3.18
NWCA Division II Scholar All-American Team Top 20
Rank Team GPA
1. Maryville University 3.695
2. University of Indianapolis 3.513
3. Colorado School of Mines 3.384
4. Colorado Mesa 3.343
5. Augustana University 3.336
6. Mercyhurst University 3.334
7. Drury University 3.334
8. University of Nebraska at Kearney 3.310
9. Fort Hays State University 3.303
10. Newman University 3.269
11. Minnesota State University, Mankato 3.262
12. Northern State University 3.261
13. Urbana University 3.260
14. Chadron State College 3.222
15. Findlay 3.189
16. Gannon University 3.170
17. Ashland University 3.145
18. Seton Hill University 3.142
19. UW-Parkside 3.111
20. CSU Pueblo 3.083