Adams Named NWCA First-Team All-American

Sophomore completes one of the best seasons in school history

Photo via WVU Athletics Communications

Awards have not stopped coming for West Virginia sophomore wrestler Noah Adams, as he was named a First Team All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association earlier this week.

Finishing off the third undefeated season in school history, he is now the 23rd All-American in school history. He joins two-time national runner-up Vertus Jones as the second sophomore to ever earn such honors.

The NWCA typically names All-Americans based on performances at the NCAA Championships, an event cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the full body of work from the 2019-20 season was taken into account for these selections.

Adams would have entered the national tournament as the two-seed at 197 pounds, coming off of a victory that made him the second Big 12 Conference champion in program history.

This caps off a thoroughly stellar season for the West Virginia native, adding All-American honors to his Big 12 championship, Big 12 Wrestler of the Year Award, and status as a finalist for the prestigious Dan Hodge Trophy. He also finished the season as the second-ranked 197-pound wrestler in the country behind Big 10 champion Kollin Moore.

With his biggest challenger in Moore graduating, Adams is likely to open the 2020-21 season as the number one wrestler in the nation at his weight and a favorite for the national championship.

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