2008 Woodie Awards
Conference houses Division I powerhouses
By David Duke
Issue date: 12/2/05 Section: Sports Extra
While some of wrestling's rules and regulations may seem confusing to the average person, Slippery Rock University's wrestling team's conference affiliation may be just as confusing. SRU belongs to a conference that features teams from two divisions of collegiate athletics.
Rock wrestling coach Derek DelPorto said the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has nine wrestling schools, seven of which are Division I, including SRU, Edinboro, East Stroudsburg, Clarion, Bloomsburg, Millersville and Lock Haven. Two others, Shippensburg and Kutztown, participate as Division II schools.
As described by Will Adair, the PSAC Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations, wrestling is referred to as an "individual" sport as opposed to a team sport. Because of this, there is no conference schedule that determines which teams wrestle against each other.
Many of these "individual" sports qualify for the postseason not as teams, but instead as individuals. But it is possible for SRU to qualify for the PSAC conference championship tournament.
In the Rock's case, because it still sponsors wrestling and supports the idea of these conference tournaments, the Rock is eligible to participate if it is able to qualify. The conference tournament, however, has no bearing on NCAA tournament participation. A PSAC champion is crowned after wrestlers in each weight class earn points for their respective clubs.
DelPorto saw the PSAC tournament, which SRU will host on Jan. 28, as a precursor towards qualification to the national tournament.
"The PSAC has a great determinate for the All-American that will come out of Pennsylvania," DelPorto said.
To qualify for the NCAA championship, either at Division I or Division II, each school has a separate league and/or tournament where each individual wrestler participates, and if successful, can be eligible for nationals.
A few weeks prior to the NCAA tournament, which begins March 16 in Oklahoma City, the Rock will participate in the East Regional tournament on March 4.
There are five teams in the Eastern Region including SRU, Millersville, Duquesne, Delaware State and Gardner-Webb.
Wrestlers from this region participate in the one-day tournament and 11 earn spots in the NCAA tournament, one from each of the 10 weight classes and an 11th determined by coaches present at the tournament.
Teams with wrestlers successful in prior NCAA championships earn three or more spots in nationals, with other wild-card spots also available.
At the NCAA tournament, a team score is tallied, but it is not a true team event. Only the individuals who qualified for the event can score points for their respective teams.
So even though the Rock is affiliated with the PSAC, nothing it does in the conference matters as much as the East Regional tournament in terms of winning a national championship.
Rock wrestling coach Derek DelPorto said the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has nine wrestling schools, seven of which are Division I, including SRU, Edinboro, East Stroudsburg, Clarion, Bloomsburg, Millersville and Lock Haven. Two others, Shippensburg and Kutztown, participate as Division II schools.
As described by Will Adair, the PSAC Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations, wrestling is referred to as an "individual" sport as opposed to a team sport. Because of this, there is no conference schedule that determines which teams wrestle against each other.
Many of these "individual" sports qualify for the postseason not as teams, but instead as individuals. But it is possible for SRU to qualify for the PSAC conference championship tournament.
In the Rock's case, because it still sponsors wrestling and supports the idea of these conference tournaments, the Rock is eligible to participate if it is able to qualify. The conference tournament, however, has no bearing on NCAA tournament participation. A PSAC champion is crowned after wrestlers in each weight class earn points for their respective clubs.
DelPorto saw the PSAC tournament, which SRU will host on Jan. 28, as a precursor towards qualification to the national tournament.
"The PSAC has a great determinate for the All-American that will come out of Pennsylvania," DelPorto said.
To qualify for the NCAA championship, either at Division I or Division II, each school has a separate league and/or tournament where each individual wrestler participates, and if successful, can be eligible for nationals.
A few weeks prior to the NCAA tournament, which begins March 16 in Oklahoma City, the Rock will participate in the East Regional tournament on March 4.
There are five teams in the Eastern Region including SRU, Millersville, Duquesne, Delaware State and Gardner-Webb.
Wrestlers from this region participate in the one-day tournament and 11 earn spots in the NCAA tournament, one from each of the 10 weight classes and an 11th determined by coaches present at the tournament.
Teams with wrestlers successful in prior NCAA championships earn three or more spots in nationals, with other wild-card spots also available.
At the NCAA tournament, a team score is tallied, but it is not a true team event. Only the individuals who qualified for the event can score points for their respective teams.
So even though the Rock is affiliated with the PSAC, nothing it does in the conference matters as much as the East Regional tournament in terms of winning a national championship.
