Photo by: Brendan Saak/Davidson Athletics
Peake Selected as First Alternate for NCAA Tournament; Ranked in Final Poll
3/13/2024 8:00:00 PM | Wrestling
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Sophomore Tanner Peake was selected as the first alternate for the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships at 157 pounds. He is the first Wildcat to attend the national tournament since 2015.
Peake, a Flemington, N.J. native, most recently took second place at the SoCon Championships last weekend for the second consecutive year. He also won nine of his last 11 matches dating back to the Appalachian Open in January. His only two losses came at the hands of SoCon champion, Tommy Askey, who is ranked No. 22 in the final coaches poll.
Coaches around the country took notice of the Wildcat wrestler's latest efforts as he was selected to be the first alternate at the national championship. With the selection, Peake puts himself among the top-35 wrestlers across the country at his weight class.
Today, Peake made his way onto the NCAA's final coaches ranking at No. 33 in the country. This season he has five matches against ranked opponents with a win over George Mason's DJ McGee, who was ranked No. 23 in the latest coaches poll.
As an alternate, Peake will attend the national championships, which begin on March 21 in Kansas City, Mo., and go through the full weigh-in process as the 33 other qualifiers. If any entrant is forced to withdraw due to injury or any other reason, Peake will be the first wrestler to get the nod.
"We are extremely excited for Tanner," said head coach Nate Carr Jr. "He has put in a lot of hard work and competed against some of best in the weight class, and if the opportunity presented itself next Thursday, he will be ready."
Peake is the first 'Cat to go to the big dance since Scott Patrick qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and won two matches.
Peake, a Flemington, N.J. native, most recently took second place at the SoCon Championships last weekend for the second consecutive year. He also won nine of his last 11 matches dating back to the Appalachian Open in January. His only two losses came at the hands of SoCon champion, Tommy Askey, who is ranked No. 22 in the final coaches poll.
Coaches around the country took notice of the Wildcat wrestler's latest efforts as he was selected to be the first alternate at the national championship. With the selection, Peake puts himself among the top-35 wrestlers across the country at his weight class.
Today, Peake made his way onto the NCAA's final coaches ranking at No. 33 in the country. This season he has five matches against ranked opponents with a win over George Mason's DJ McGee, who was ranked No. 23 in the latest coaches poll.
As an alternate, Peake will attend the national championships, which begin on March 21 in Kansas City, Mo., and go through the full weigh-in process as the 33 other qualifiers. If any entrant is forced to withdraw due to injury or any other reason, Peake will be the first wrestler to get the nod.
"We are extremely excited for Tanner," said head coach Nate Carr Jr. "He has put in a lot of hard work and competed against some of best in the weight class, and if the opportunity presented itself next Thursday, he will be ready."
Peake is the first 'Cat to go to the big dance since Scott Patrick qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and won two matches.
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