Hempstead, NY – Hofstra University graduate Cody Ruggirello has been named to the 2015 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team, the NWCA announced.

Ruggirello, a native of Walden, New York, was one of 118 Division I wrestling student-athletes who displayed excellence in the classroom as well as on the mat during the 2014-15 season.

Ruggirello, who hails from Walden, NY, made his second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championships in St. Louis in March after receiving an at-large bid from the NCAA Wrestling Committee at 149 pounds. He received the 14th-seed at 149 and fell just one win short of earning All-American honors in St. Louis.

Ruggirello, who placed seventh in the 2015 EIWA Championships, closed out the season with a career-best 27-8 record. He was 59-36 in his career at Hofstra.

In addition to his placement at the 2015 EIWA Championships, Ruggirello also took home first-place honors at the New York State Collegiate Championships last November and the Lock Haven University Invitational in December. He also posted a 4-2 mark at the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational in December.

Ruggirello, who graduated in 2014 with a degree in legal studies in business, is currently completing work on a MBA degree in finance. He is a five-time Hofstra Athletics Academic Honor Roll member and three-time CAA Commissioner's Academic Award recipient.

Awarded annually, the NWCA All-Academic Team contains 118 student-athletes and of those, 28 were All-Americans. Ninety-six wrestlers on the team qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships, which is an increase of 19 wrestlers compared to the 2013-14 team. Of the 77 Division I wrestling programs, 56 teams had at least one representative on the All-Academic Team.

This year's list also includes half of the Division I champions and eight of the 20 wrestlers who competed in the finals in St. Louis in March.