Took a 7 year (2010-2016) look at the HOME STATE of NCAA Qualifiers and NCAA All-Americans. My data goes back to 2008, but it’s incomplete, so 2010 is the furthest back I can go. This isn’t done to prove or disprove anything, just presenting some facts. While state populations and the number of wrestlers change each year, I used 2014 numbers as the basis.
Only 3 states not represented at all, Arkansas, Maine and Mississippi.
NCAA Qualifiers that earn All-American (Top-10, plus others)
SC – 67% (only 3 qualifiers, 2 All-Americans…in 7 years)
ID – 56% (16 qualifiers, 9 AA’s)
VT – 50% (6 qualifiers, 3 AA’s)
ND – 43% (7 qualifiers, 3 AA’s)
MN – 43% (61 qualifiers, 26 AA’s)
IA – 38% (94 qualifiers, 36 AA’s)
SD – 37% (19 qualifiers, 7 AA’s)
DE – 36% (14 qualifiers, 5 AA’s)
UT – 35% (34 qualifiers, 12 AA’s)
WY – 33% (6 qualifiers, 2 AA’s)
Others (large wrestling states);
CA – 27% (132 Q’s, 35 AA’s) – 14th
OH – 26% (216 Q’s, 57 AA’s) – 15th
MI – 24% (109 Q’s, 26 AA’s) – 19th
IL – 23% (136 Q’s, 32 AA’s) – 21st
PA – 23% (379 Q’s, 87 AA’s) – 23rd
NJ – 20% (178 Q’s, 36 AA’s) – 24th
NY – 18% (142 Q’s, 26 AA’s) – 31st
NCAA Qualifiers per Million Population
(Normalizes data, by taking into account the population size of each state)
IA – 4.39
PA – 4.25
SD – 3.29
NJ – 2.88
OH – 2.67
DE – 2.20
MT – 2.00
CO – 1.87
UT – 1.72
MN – 1.63
NCAA All-Americans per Million Population
(Normalizes data, by taking into account the population size of each state)
IA – 1.68
SD – 1.21
PA - .98
ID - .81
DE - .79
OH - .71
MN - .69
VT - .68
ND - .63
UT - .61
NCAA Qualifiers per Thousand High School Wrestlers
(Normalizes data, by taking into account the # of High School Wrestlers in each state)
PA – 5.56
VT – 5.04
OH – 2.66
NJ – 2.57
SD – 2.07
IA – 2.00
CO – 1.79
DE – 1.76
OK – 1.69
MI – 1.50
NCAA All-Americans per Thousand High School Wrestlers
(Normalizes data, by taking into account the # of High School Wrestlers in each state)
VT – 2.52
PA – 1.28
IA - .77
SD - .76
OH - .70
DE - .63
CO - .53
NJ - .52
ID - .52
UT - .51
# of Qualifiers, by State (those with more than 90 for the 7 years)
PA – 379
OH – 216
NJ – 178
NY – 142
IL – 136
CA – 132
MI – 109
IA – 94
Note: Lots of data where smaller states show up near the top. Most definitely the result of one or 2 wrestlers from that state having a huge impact, given lower state populations and fewer high school wrestlers. Good for them, but I’d discount some of the data as representing any long-term trend for those states. A perfect example is the very first piece of data, South Carolina with 67% (2 of 3 over 7 years) of their Qualifiers earning All-American. This was all Tim Dudley.
Only 3 states not represented at all, Arkansas, Maine and Mississippi.
NCAA Qualifiers that earn All-American (Top-10, plus others)
SC – 67% (only 3 qualifiers, 2 All-Americans…in 7 years)
ID – 56% (16 qualifiers, 9 AA’s)
VT – 50% (6 qualifiers, 3 AA’s)
ND – 43% (7 qualifiers, 3 AA’s)
MN – 43% (61 qualifiers, 26 AA’s)
IA – 38% (94 qualifiers, 36 AA’s)
SD – 37% (19 qualifiers, 7 AA’s)
DE – 36% (14 qualifiers, 5 AA’s)
UT – 35% (34 qualifiers, 12 AA’s)
WY – 33% (6 qualifiers, 2 AA’s)
Others (large wrestling states);
CA – 27% (132 Q’s, 35 AA’s) – 14th
OH – 26% (216 Q’s, 57 AA’s) – 15th
MI – 24% (109 Q’s, 26 AA’s) – 19th
IL – 23% (136 Q’s, 32 AA’s) – 21st
PA – 23% (379 Q’s, 87 AA’s) – 23rd
NJ – 20% (178 Q’s, 36 AA’s) – 24th
NY – 18% (142 Q’s, 26 AA’s) – 31st
NCAA Qualifiers per Million Population
(Normalizes data, by taking into account the population size of each state)
IA – 4.39
PA – 4.25
SD – 3.29
NJ – 2.88
OH – 2.67
DE – 2.20
MT – 2.00
CO – 1.87
UT – 1.72
MN – 1.63
NCAA All-Americans per Million Population
(Normalizes data, by taking into account the population size of each state)
IA – 1.68
SD – 1.21
PA - .98
ID - .81
DE - .79
OH - .71
MN - .69
VT - .68
ND - .63
UT - .61
NCAA Qualifiers per Thousand High School Wrestlers
(Normalizes data, by taking into account the # of High School Wrestlers in each state)
PA – 5.56
VT – 5.04
OH – 2.66
NJ – 2.57
SD – 2.07
IA – 2.00
CO – 1.79
DE – 1.76
OK – 1.69
MI – 1.50
NCAA All-Americans per Thousand High School Wrestlers
(Normalizes data, by taking into account the # of High School Wrestlers in each state)
VT – 2.52
PA – 1.28
IA - .77
SD - .76
OH - .70
DE - .63
CO - .53
NJ - .52
ID - .52
UT - .51
# of Qualifiers, by State (those with more than 90 for the 7 years)
PA – 379
OH – 216
NJ – 178
NY – 142
IL – 136
CA – 132
MI – 109
IA – 94
Note: Lots of data where smaller states show up near the top. Most definitely the result of one or 2 wrestlers from that state having a huge impact, given lower state populations and fewer high school wrestlers. Good for them, but I’d discount some of the data as representing any long-term trend for those states. A perfect example is the very first piece of data, South Carolina with 67% (2 of 3 over 7 years) of their Qualifiers earning All-American. This was all Tim Dudley.
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