Mountaineers make history with highest NWCA Scholar All-America Team Ranking
By Shannon McKone on Tuesday, April 26th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Release from EOU Athletics) The National Wrestling Coaches Association announced its 2022 NAIA Men’s Scholar All-America Teams Monday morning. CCC Champion is well represented on this list after a dominant year in the classroom.
As a team, the Mountaineers posted a cumulative GPA of 3.364 which checked in at No. 6 on the list for the NAIA and is the second highest team GPA out of the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The team’s finish is also the highest in program history. Along with a top-10 team ranking, Eastern also tied for the second most individual Scholar All-Americans with six.
Bring home individual Scholar All-America awards were Zach Mauras (133lbs.), Jaxon Morlan (141 lbs.), Keegan Mulhill (174 lbs.), Kyle Knudtson (184 lbs.), Jay Smith (197 lbs.), and Noel Orozco (285lbs.). For Orozco and Mulhill, the duo have now been tabbed to this list each of the last three seasons now.
Five of the six grapplers listed were also All-CCC athletes this year for their performance on the mats as the Mounties as they went on to win the CCC Championship for the first time in program history. Knudtson was the CCC Champion at 184 pounds and he went on to finish fourth at the NAIA National Championships to earn All-American honors. Orozco, Smith, and Morlan all finished as the runner-up in their respective weight classes at the CCC Championships. Orozco went on to finish sixth at the NAIA National Championships to repeat as an All-American.
For reigning CCC Coach of the Year Dustyn Azure, this is his fourth team that has been ranked in the top-10 of the NWCA Scholar All-America. As the bench boss for EOU, Azure now has also produced 16 Scholar All-America award winners.
The 2021-22 season was a historic one for the Mounties as they qualified six wrestlers for Nationals, which tied for the most in a single season. Along the way, Azure was named the CCC Coach of the Year yet again. With Knudtson and Orozco’s finishes at National, Azure has now produced eight All-Americans. The team finished 13th at nationals, which is the best finish in program history. The team went 8-4 in dual action, with a 6-3 mark against CCC opponents.
