TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announcement of the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Scholar All-America awards was highlighted by five Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) wrestlers being recognized for their accomplishments academically and in competition.

To be honored with Scholar All-American distinction, wrestlers must meet one of two criteria in academics and wrestling. Academically, they must have an average GPA of 3.2 over the last 2 semesters or quarters or last 3 trimesters or a cumulative GPA of 3.2. On the mat, they need to either place in the top eight in the regional tournament or have a winning percentage greater than 66 percent in a minimum of 15 matches.

Washington & Jefferson College, this year's PAC champion, led conference programs by placing three on Scholar All-America list, while Saint Vincent College and Thiel College had one each recognized. Three of those honored collected at least their second award in a row. W&J's Hunter Swedish is now a four-time Scholar All-American, while his teammate Taylor Smith and Saint Vincent's Chase Brandebura earned their second consecutive honor.

In addition to their academic success, all of those honored were also standouts on the mat, as all five wrestlers were PAC champions in their respective weight classes. In addition, Swedish was the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2025 PAC Tournament, while his President teammates Tayler and Casey Smith, would qualify for NCAA Championships. 

"The NWCA is proud to honor these outstanding individuals who demonstrate excellence on the mat and in the classroom as well," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director.

The complete list of student-athletes from the PAC to garner Scholar All-America recognition is below.
 

PAC Wrestling Scholar All-America honorees (5) 1 = First Team All-PAC / 2 = Second Team / S = Sportsmanship Team
Name	School	Year	Hometown/High School
Chase Brandebura (1)	Saint Vincent	So.	Carnegie, Pa./Carlynton
Joey King (1)	Thiel	Jr.	Cooperstown, Pa./Maplewood
Casey Smith (1)	W&J	So.	Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata
Taylor Smith (1)	W&J	So.	Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata
Hunter Swedish (1)	W&J	Sr.	Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley