Aiello Mueller Named First-Team All-America By NWCA

NWCA First-Team All-America List

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Jay Aiello (Chantilly, Va.) and Jack Mueller (Dallas, Texas) have been named first team All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), the organization announced on Friday (April 17).

It is the third time Mueller has earned an All-America distinction, while it is the first All-America honor for Aiello. Mueller is the third three-time All-American in program history. 
 
Each year, the NWCA announces the All-America teams based off the results of the NCAA Championships. This year, the NCAA Championships were cancelled due to the CoVID-19 outbreak. Due to this, the NWCA selected All-America teams based on the entirety of the body of work through the conference tournaments and up to the NCAA Championships.

Aiello, a redshirt junior, claimed the ACC Championship at 197 pounds and posted a 27-4 record this season. He finished second at the prestigious Midlands Championships with a run that included a win over second-ranked Jacob Warner of Iowa in the semifinals. He also placed eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Aiello went 5-0 in ACC duals for the second consecutive season and was a perfect 14-0 in dual matches overall. He was seeded seventh for the NCAA Championships at 197 pounds before the season was cancelled. He was also named to the All-ACC Wrestling Academic Team earlier this week.

Mueller finished the year with a 13-1 record after taking a runner-up finish at the ACC Championships at 125 pounds. The senior claimed the championship at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in the fall as he raced through the regular-season without a loss. He spent the entirety  of the season ranked No. 2 in the national rankings at 125 pounds and was seeded fourth at the NCAA Championships before the season was cancelled. Mueller only lost two matches in his final two seasons with the Cavaliers, posting a 34-2 mark as a junior and a senior.