STANFORD, Calif. – In its third season under Chris Ayres, The Matt Gentry Head Wrestling Coach, Stanford produced a school record four All-Americans, its third individual NCAA champion and the highest finish in program history at the national tournament.
Stanford broke into the top 10 for the first time, securing sixth place at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland. Ayres was named the National Tournament Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).
The Cardinal was the runner-up at the ACC Championships in Blacksburg, Virginia, claiming two individual crowns. Overall, Stanford was 7-6 on the season and 4-2 in ACC duals.
The Cardinal qualified eight wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Earning automatic berths were Nico Provo (125), Tyler Knox (133), Jack Consiglio (141), Aden Valencia (149), Daniel Cardenas (157), EJ Parco (165), Abraham Wojcikiewicz (184) and Angelo Posada (197).
The No. 10 seed, Valencia knocked off the undefeated No. 1 seed Shayne Van Ness of Penn State in overtime at 149 pounds to become the first Stanford freshman to win an NCAA crown and the fifth to achieve NCAA All-America status. Valencia was named the Co-ACC Wrestler of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year following the NCAA Championships.
Provo, the No. 7 seed, placed third at 125 pounds to secure his first career All-America honors. After dropping his second-round match, he reeled off six straight wins on the back side of the bracket to take third, including his third win of the season over defending national champion Vincent Robinson of NC State. Posting a 20-6 record on the season, the third-place finish was the highest by a Cardinal 125-pounder in school history.
The No. 15 seed, Knox placed sixth at 133 pounds, climbing two spots higher on the podium than last season. He became the eighth wrestler in program history to earn multiple NCAA All-America honors, and his sixth-place showing is the best by a Stanford 133-pounder at the national tournament.
The No. 9 seed at 197 pounds, Posada also took sixth for the Cardinal. The Poway native became just the second true freshman All-American in program history. He was 20-8 in his first season on The Farm, leading the team with eight falls.
Stanford’s sixth-place team-finish in Cleveland was five spots higher than its previous best of 11th set in 2011. For the first time in school history, the Cardinal has produced multiple All-Americans in three consecutive seasons. It marks the sixth time in the past seven years Stanford has had multiple All-Americans in the same season, and the 12th time overall.
Ayres was also named ACC Coach of the Year following the season. Earning All-ACC honors for Stanford were individual champions Cardenas (157) and Consiglio (141), and runners-up Knox (133), Posada (197) and Provo (125). Three Cardinal picked up ACC Wrestler of the Week awards during the season – Valencia (Nov. 11), Consiglio (Dec. 9) and Provo (Jan. 20).
The Cardinal closed out the dual season on a four-match winning streak. Stanford was third as a team at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 5-6). Five Cardinal reached the podium individually, including third-place outings from Provo (125), Consiglio (141) and Cardenas (157). Stanford finished 16th as a team at the 61st Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) in Evanston, Illinois. Three Cardinal turned in podium finishes - true freshman Brokton Borelli (4th - 197 pounds), Wojcikiewicz (5th - 184 pounds) and redshirt sophomore Zach Hanson (6th - 165 pounds).
Team awards were unveiled at the Cardinal’s annual banquet in April, and Provo and Valencia shared the Vern Jones Most Outstanding Wrestler award. The Newcomer Award went to Posada, while Knox took home Outstanding Scholar-Athlete honors.
Consiglio earned the team’s Most Improved Award. The ACC champion at 141 pounds, he was 16-7 overall, including nine wins over ranked opponents. He placed third at CKLV and earned the No. 10 seed for the NCAA Championships.
Both Cardenas and Wojcikiewicz were presented with the Iron Man Wrestler Award, presented to an individual who came ready to fight, compete, and respond to adversity. Cardenas claimed the 157-pound title at the ACC Championships and was third at CKLV. He is now a three-time NCAA qualifier. Wojcikiewicz was 18-13 on the season, placing fifth at the Midlands Championships and earning the No. 28 seed at 184 pounds for the NCAA Championships.
Parco was recognized with the Tod Surmon Award for his outstanding performance in a dual. Wrestling up two weight classes, Parco finished third at 165 pounds at the ACC Championships to qualify for his first national tournament.
The Chris Horpel 11th Man Coaches Award, given to an individual who made a significant contribution to the team in terms of attitude and improvement, as a leader, friend, and teammate, was presented to Hanson and true freshman Adam Mattin.
Stanford wrestlers continued to excel in the classroom this year. Provo was named ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while eight Cardinal collected NWCA Scholar All-America honors – Cardenas, Consiglio, Knox, Parco, Posada, Provo, Wojcikiewicz and Luke Duthie. Stanford had six wrestlers earn All-ACC Academic Team honors – Cardenas, Consiglio, Duthie, Knox, Parco and Provo. Additionally, Knox and Provo garnered College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District recognition.