MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Six members of the West Virginia University wrestling team have been named to an Academic All-Big 12 team, as announced by the league on Thursday.
 
Redshirt senior David Smith (biology), redshirt sophomores Sean Mullican (exercise physiology) and Joey Thomas (athletic coaching education) and redshirt freshman Alex Hornfeck (civil engineering) were named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team, while redshirt sophomore Noah Adams (criminology) and sophomore Caleb Rea (criminology) garnered second-team accolades.

 "We are so proud of how hard all of our guys are working in the classroom," coach Tim Flynn said. "To be able to budget their time, work out twice a day and still get good grades is amazing." 

Of WVU's six honorees, Smith earned special recognition from the Big 12 Conference, as he is one of just two wrestlers in the conference to boast a 4.00 grade point average (GPA). The Charleston, West Virginia, native was named to the first team for the second time in his career.
 
The additional five Mountaineers landed on the Academic All-Big 12 Wrestling Team for the first time in their careers.
 
The six nominees is a program record since WVU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012.
 
A total of 106 student-athletes were named to the 2019 Academic All-Big 12 Wrestling Teams. The team features 22 student-athletes from conference member institutions Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia, while student-athletes from the league's affiliate members in the sport – Air Force, Fresno State, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming – total 69 selections. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 GPA or higher, while the second-team selections hold a 3.00-3.19 GPA.
 
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher, either cumulative or the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 20 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation also are eligible.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUWrestling on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.