FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 29, 2003

Jay Jones Named Wrestling USA Magazine's
Rhode Island 
Man of the Year

Providence, RI—Rhode Island College Head Wrestling Coach Jay Jones was named the 2003 Rhode Island Man of the Year by Wrestling USA Magazine. Jones earned the award for taking RIC’s wrestling program from the bottom to the top over the past four years.

The Anchormen captured their first-ever Pilgrim Wrestling League title in 2002-03, posting a perfect 6-0 record in league play. RIC was 14-10 overall, 9-6 in the New England College Conference Wrestling Association (NECCWA) and had two wrestlers qualified for the 2003 NCAA Div. III National Championships. RIC placed seventh (15 teams) at the 2003 NECCWA Championships. Four RIC wrestlers earned All-New England status, with one New England Champion.

The Anchormen were 10-13 overall, 8-7 in the NECCWA and 2-3 in the Pilgrim Wrestling League under his guidance in 2001-02. RIC had two wrestlers achieve All-New England status as RIC placed 12th (15 teams) at the 2002 NECCWA Championships.

In 2000-01, RIC posted its first winning record and notched the most victories in a season for the wrestling team since the ‘94-95 season. RIC cracked the top ten, placing ninth (15 teams) at the 2001 NECCWA Championships. RIC had four grapplers achieve All-New England status, with one New England Champion, RIC’s first since ‘93-94 season. The Anchormen also had two wrestlers qualify for the 2001 NCAA Div. III National Championships. 

Jones was named the NECCWA’s Rookie Coach of the Year in ‘99-00. He inherited a team that was 0-13 overall and finished 14^th in New England in 1998-99. The Anchormen fielded only four of a possible ten weight classes at the ‘99 NECCWA Championships. Despite these obstacles, Jones brought the program back to respectability. The squad was competitive in virtually all of its matches and had three wrestlers earn All-New England status at the 2000 NECCWA Championships.

Prior to coming to RIC, Jones was the Head Wrestling Coach at Barrington High School in 1997-98 and 1998-99. The team placed eighth at the State Championships, tying a school record, in ‘98-99. Before taking the Head Coach’s position, Jones was an Assistant Coach at BHS from 1992-95 and again in 1996-97. During his seven-year stint at Barrington High School, he coached a total of four State Champions, four New England place-finishers and one New England Champion. The team won several league championships and BHS placed fifth at the New England High School Championships in 1997.

He graduated from Rhode Island College with a bachelor of arts degree in communications in 1994. He earned an additional bachelor’s degree in secondary education from RIC, graduating magna cum laude with honors in teaching, in 1999.

While an undergraduate at RIC, Jones was a four-year letterwinner for the Anchormen as a wrestler from 1988-92. He competed at 118 pounds as a freshman and sophomore, 126 pounds as a junior and 142 pounds as a senior. He was a member of four straight New England College Conference Wrestling Association (NECCWA) Championship squads at RIC in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992. Jones also played four years on the RIC baseball team as a second baseman.

In addition to his coaching duties, Jones is an English teacher at Cranston West High School. He was previously a sports photographer at WJAR Channel-10 in Providence from 1997-99.

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