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Six Cyclones Garner NWCA Scholar All-America Honors
04.02.2025 | Wrestling
AMES, Iowa - Six Cyclones - Jacob Frost, Evan Frost, Paniro Johnson, Adrian Meza, Aiden Riggins and Nando Villaescusa - were named Division I Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Wednesday morning.
These exceptional student-athletes have excelled both on the mat and in the classroom, meeting one of the following criteria:
- Top 8 and 3.00 GPA
- National Qualifier and 3.2 GPA
- Conference qualifier and 3.5 GPA
- 15 matches with 60% win record and 3.5 GPA
Riggins, Johnson and E. Frost collect the second NWCA Scholar All-America honor of their careers.
To view the full list of NWCA Scholar All-Americans, CLICK HERE.
Jacob Frost (Mechanical Engineering, 3.27 GPA)
Jacob was Iowa State's lone All-American at the 2025 NCAA Championships after placing seventh as the No. 9 seed. His 141-pound bracket at the national tournament was loaded with seven returning All-Americans and two national champions. Frost defeated 2023 national champion Andrew Alirez in the second round of the tournament.
The Metairie, Louisiana native finished the season with a 33-9 record and 16 bonus-point victories (3 WBF, 9 TF, 4 MD). Eight of Frost's nine losses on the season came against wrestlers who finished sixth or better at the NCAA Championships. The other loss was against Alriez at the Big 12 Championship, which he avenged at the national tournament.
Frost led the team in bonus-point wins (16) and takedowns (55) this season.
Evan Frost (Mechanical Engineering, 3.26Â GPA)
Evan went 22-6 during the 2024-25 season with five top-20 victories and 12 bonus-point wins (7 MD, 3 TF, 2 WBF). A 2024 All-American, Evan fell a match shy of returning to the podium at the 2025 NCAA Championships after losing in the Blood Round. Frost defeated Little Rock's No. 3 seed Nasir Bailey, 5-3, in the Round of 16 on a takedown with 0:13 remaining. The win avenged his tech fall loss to Bailey from a season prior.
The Metairie, Louisiana native was second on the team with 47 takedowns this season.
Paniro Johnson (Supply Chain Management, 3.44Â GPA)
Johnson went 27-6 during the 2024-25 season with an 11-5 record against ranked opponents. He won the second conference title of his career after defeating UNI's Colin Realbuto in the Big 12 finals, avenging a loss to the Panther from the regular season.
The Erie, Pennsylvania naive registered dual victories at 149, 157 and 165 pounds this season.
Aiden Riggins (Finance, 3.62Â GPA)
Riggins, a transfer from Iowa, struggled to begin the 2024-25 season but came on strong late in the year. He earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships thanks to a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Championship as the No. 8 seed.Â
At the 2025 NCAA Championships, Riggins went 3-2 and reached the Round of 16, scoring 2.5 points. He scored the second-most points of any Cyclone at the national tournament.
Adrian Meza (Undeclared, 3.53Â GPA)
Meza, a true freshman from Laveen, Arizona, was a key piece of Iowa State's 2024 recruiting class. Meza posted a 16-6 overall record, including a 11-2 mark in his five countable dates while maintaining his redshirt status.
He was 3-0 in dual action and earned a victory over Iowa's No. 27 Kale Petersen in the Cy-Hawk dual. Meza won the Grand View Open and reached the Round of 12 at the Cliff Keen Invitational.
Nando Villaescusa (Industrial Design, 3.69Â GPA)
Villaescusa posted an 11-7 record and earned the starting nod in three duals during the 2024-25 season. The Tucson, Arizona native registered a dual victory for the Cyclones against North Dakota State's Aidan Brenot, 9-6, and placed third at the BVU Open.
He finished the season with eight bonus-point wins (1 WBF, 4 TF, 3 MD).
Players Mentioned
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Kevin Dresser Interview (NCAA Championships Session 5)
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Jacob Frost Interview (NCAA Championships - 7th Place)
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Kevin Dresser Interview (NCAA Championships Session 4)
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Kevin Dresser Interview (NCAA Championships Session 3)
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