LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock wrestling added another first to its program's story Friday as
Paul Bianchi has been selected a 2020-21 second team Academic All-America Division I At-Large selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
2020-21 CoSIDA At-Large Academic All-America Release (PDF)
Bianchi was tabbed a first team Academic All-District 6 selection on July 8, also marking the first All-District honor in program history. Bianchi is one of eight wrestlers named an At-Large Academic All-American selection, encompassing over a dozen NCAA eligible sports.
The honor for Bianchi adds to an incredible season full of first for the Trojan wrestling program as he lays the groundwork for the program. The Academic All-America honor complements Bianchi's Scholar All-America accolade from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll. The Two Rivers, Wisconsin native concluded his degree at Little Rock with a perfect 4.00 GPA.
On the mat, Bianchi's accomplishments will live in the Trojan record book. During his time in Little Rock, he recorded 24 match victories, the most in the two-year history of the program. The Pac-12 runner-up at 133 in 2020, Bianchi was part of Little Rock's first-ever Division I and Pac-12 victories, became the Trojans' first-ever ranked wrestler and was the first NCAA qualifier in program history.
He is joined as an Academic All-American by fellow wrestlers Anthony Valencia (Arizona State), Myles Amine (Michigan), Shane Griffith (Stanford), Zach Hartman (Bucknell), Nick Lee (Penn State), Hayden Hidlay (NC State) and Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois). Bianchi is one of just two student-athletes from a Sun Belt institution to earn At-Large Academic All-America honors and is one of nine Pac-12 student-athletes honored.
Bianchi's days with the program are not finished, however, as he will remain with the team as a graduate assistant coach, looking to complete his master's degree in sport management in 2021-22.
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