PITTSBURGH, PA – Wrestling is in the air here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Penguins and their ice are out and the NCAA and their mats are in! Wrestling officially kicks off at noon on Thursday. Photo by Sam Janicki. 

We are excited to host the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at @PPGPaintsArena here’s a sneak peek of what goes on behind the scenes pic.twitter.com/cIsjdxROJY

— PPG Paints Arena (@PPGPaintsArena) March 19, 2019

As we inch closer to the start of the 2019 NCAA Championships from Pittsburgh, there is one thing that stands out from the rest of the crowd – all the wrestlers competing who have previously claimed All-American status in their careers. There are a total of 54 wrestlers competing in Pittsburgh who, at least once before in their careers, have placed top eight at the NCAA Tournament.

Keep in mind there are only 80 total All-American spots (10 weights/8 medalists) up for grabs. That doesn’t leave much room for newcomers. In theory, if all 54 of those wrestlers make it on the podium in Pittsburgh – then only 26 wrestlers would be earning All-American honors for the first time in their careers. 

More likely – many of these former All-Americans will come up short and fans will see well over 30 wrestlers land on the podium for the first time.

Whats more are the missing wrestlers. There are an additional 12 All-American wrestlers who are currently listed on a roster that won’t be in Pittsburgh this week. Majority of them, such as Connor Schram, Michael Kemerer, and Scotty Parker, suffered season ending injuries that kept them from competing this season. Most notably is 2018 NCAA National Champion Seth Gross (South Dakota State) whose injury at 133 pounds opens the way for a plethora of talent in the weight.

 

Some All-Americans, such as Penn State heavyweight Nick Nevills, lost starting spots to their teammates thus keeping them from competing.

Below is a list, compiled by Ken “Stats” Wunderley that showcases all of the All-American talent in 2019.

 

2019 All-American Returners

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