The NCAA Championships wrapped up over a week ago, which has afforded myself and the inimitable Andy Hamilton enough time to compile a substantial list of stats, stories, facts, and findings from the tournament that may have escaped your attention. Some statistical information from the Mat Talk Online 2024 NCAA Wrestling Guide was used in this report. 

We've got a lot of them, an even hundo, so we're going to break them up into four more easily digestible articles. If you think we missed anything, or have anything for the corrections departments, please don't hesitate to let us know!

Part I - Part III - Part IV

3 Facts About the 2024 NCAAs

1) The city with the most NCAA qualifiers this season was Tampa, Fla., with five: Braden Basile (Army), Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State), Jack Crook (Harvard), Tom Crook (Virginia Tech) and Kai Owen (Columbia). 

2) There were nine sets of brothers in this year’s national tournament. 

3) Two sets of brothers came from the host city. Kansas City is the hometown for Missouri’s Rocky and Zach Elam and Maryland’s Ethen and Kal Miller. 

4 Facts About Penn State at the 2024 NCAAs

1) Penn State has averaged 3.86 individual titles per year during its last seven trips to the NCAA Championships. 

2) The Nittany Lions scored 36 near-fall points at the national tournament and allowed just four. 

3) Penn State collected 97 takedowns in Kansas City and allowed only 19. 

4) Penn State opponents scored multiple takedowns in just three matches. 

5 Facts About Iowa at the 2024 NCAAs

1) Drake Ayala kept Iowa’s NCAA finalist streak intact. The Hawkeyes have had a wrestler in the finals in every national tournament since 1990. 

2) Iowa had four All-Americans this year. The Hawkeyes have had three or more every year since 1990. 

3) Iowa’s fifth-place finish matched the lowest for the Hawkeyes since Tom Brands’ first season at the helm. 

4) Iowa’s 16 straight top-five finishes is the longest current top-five streak in the country. 

5) The Hawkeyes have had a placewinner in 52 consecutive tournaments — the longest active streak in the country. Minnesota is second with 38. 

Watch highlights of Drake Ayala's quarterfinal victory at NCAAs, which guaranteed him a spot on the podium:

4 Facts About Michigan at the 2024 NCAAs

1) Michigan posted its 11th top-three finish in program history and second in three years. 

2) The Wolverines had a finalist for the fourth straight year. 

3) Michigan has had an All-American in each of their last 10 trips to the NCAA Championships. 

4) The Wolverines are entering a transition phase with six starters and three All-Americans out of eligibility. Three other starters have one year of eligibility remaining. Freshman Sergio Lemley was Michigan’s lone starting underclassman. 

2 Facts About Virginia Tech at the 2024 NCAAs

1) Caleb Henson became Virginia Tech’s first champ since Mekhi Lewis won a title in 2019 and the second titlist in program history. 

2) Virginia Tech has had multiple All-Americans every NCAA tournament since 2012. 

2 Facts About Wrestlers Born in Foreign Countries at the 2024 NCAAs

1) Heavyweight Yaralau Slavikouski earned All-American honors for Rutgers. He is the first medalist with a hometown in Belarus, although he is not the first All-American to be born in that country, as Vito Arujau (hometown of Syosset, New York) was also born in Belarus and made the podium in 2019.

2) Also making the podium while hailing from foreign countries were Anthony Echemendia (Cuba) and Lachlan McNeil (Canada). 

5 Facts About Wrestlers From Wisconsin, Maryland, Florida and Tennessee at the 2024 NCAAs

1) Wisconsin had five All-Americans, which ties its 25-year high. There were also five AAs from The Badger State in 2007. 

2) That makes 16 AA honors in the last four tournaments for Wisconsin wrestlers. In the four tournaments before that there was just one All-American from Wisconsin. 

3) Aaron Brooks placed first and Meyer Shapiro placed third, giving Maryland two All-Americans for the first time 2017. It was also the first time since 2010 that Maryland had two top-3 placers. Mack Lewnes placed second and Michael Cannon took third in 2010. 

4) For the second year in a row, no Floridian climbed the podium, despite there being 18 qualifiers from Florida at the last two NCAAs. Michael DeAugustino and Kizhan Clarke in 2022 were the last two All-Americans from Florida.

5) The state of Tennessee hasn’t produced an All-Amercian since Jordan Leen and Nick Marable medaled in 2009. 25 qualifiers from Tennessee have wrestled at the NCAAs since then.

Watch highlights of Meyer Shapiro's third-place bout: