LINK TO NWCA ALL-AMERICAN RELEASE

MINOT, N.D. – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) handed out its top national awards for performance both on the mat and in the classroom, and five Minot State men's wrestlers were honored for their all-around performance as student-athletes.

The Beavers' Marcus Allen, John Armstrong, Brendan Barnes, Wayne Joint, and Tristan Pekas all were honored by the NWCA as each was named an NCAA Division II Men's Scholar All-American on Monday.

To earn this top honor, a student-athlete must be an NCAA All-American with a 3.0 GPA or higher, an NCAA National Qualifier with a 3.25 GPA or higher, or must compete in four varsity events and maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher.

Allen is a senior Exercise Science and Rehabilitation major from Houston, Texas, who picked up 8 wins on the mat competing at 184 pounds for the Beavers this season.

Armstrong is a sophomore 157-pounder from Clancy, Montana, majoring in Exercise Science and Rehabilitation who picked up 7 wins this season for Minot State.

Barnes is a graduate student from Kalispell, Montana, with a degree in Business Education who is working on his Master's in Sports Management who placed 6th at the NCAA Super Region V Tournament and recorded 11 victories this season for the Beavers.

Joint is a senior 133-pounder from Lemoore, California, majoring in Psychology who placed 5th at the NCAA Super Region V Tournament and won 27 matches for Minot State this season.

Pekas is a sophomore 174-pounder from Hettinger, North Dakota, who is majoring in Finance and who won 3 matches this season for the Beaver.

This is the second consecutive year that Allen, Barnes, Joint, and Pekas have been named NWCA Scholar All-Americans.