Started a new thread because the voting started today at noon. Winner will be accounted in one week.
Fan voting begins Monday at 12 p.m. CT for college wrestling’s most prestigious individual honor. W.I.N. Magazine on Friday named eight finalists for the Hodge Trophy.
Here’s a look at the finalists from lightest to heaviest:
125 — Iowa’s Spencer Lee
Year — Junior
Record — 18-0
Highlights — Lee followed up NCAA titles in his first two seasons by putting together his best year yet, earning Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors. He nearly notched bonus points against everyone he faced. The lone exception was an 8-1 win against Michigan’s Jack Medley. He later teched Medley 19-3 in the Big Ten Championships. Though he might not score Hodge points for his freestyle exploits, Lee’s blitz through the Senior-level 57-kilogram bracket at the U.S. Open in December won’t hurt his case.
Bonus rate — 94.4 percent
Pins — 4
Technical falls — 9
Major decisions — 3
Closest match — 8-1 vs. Michigan’s Jack Medley
Best win — Lee registered a 17-0 first-period technical fall in January against No. 5 Devin Schroder of Purdue.
125 — Princeton’s Patrick Glory
Year — Sophomore
Record — 24-0
Highlights — The first Hodge finalist in Princeton history has an opportunity to etch his name all over the school’s record books before he’s done with the Tigers. Glory became the first Princeton wrestler in 34 years to earn Ivy League Wrestler of the Year honors. He captured a Midlands title in December and handed four-time Big 12 champ Nick Piccininni a rare loss on his home mat.
Bonus rate — 75 percent
Pins — 4
Technical falls — 9
Major decisions — 4
Closest match — 5-3 in overtime vs. Lehigh’s Brandon Paetzell
Best win — Glory downed Oklahoma State’s Nick Piccininni 9-4 in December.
133 — Cornell’s Chas Tucker
Year — Senior
Record — 31-0
Highlights — Tucker made steady improvements throughout his career with the Big Red, going from 23-12 as a sophomore in his first year as a starter to 28-6 last season to an undefeated senior season. He beat three ranked opponents in December en route to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title.
Bonus rate — 12.9 percent
Pins — 2
Technical falls — 0
Major decisions — 1
Closest match — Tucker went to overtime twice this season, beating Lehigh’s Nick Farro 6-4 in January and Binghamton’s Zack Trampe 8-6 in February.
Best win — Tucker posted a pair of victories against Wyoming All-American Montorie Bridges, including a 4-1 win in the finals in Las Vegas.
157 — Northwestern’s Ryan Deakin
Year — Junior
Record — 21-0
Highlights — Northwestern’s first Hodge finalist since 2009 grabbed the No. 1 ranking at 157 in December and never let go. Surged to the top of the weight class after a dominant showing in Las Vegas, where he handled Junior World champion David Carr of Iowa State (9-3) and returning NCAA finalist Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State (6-2) and followed that up in January by posting a 14-0 major decision against No. 8 Kendall Coleman.
Bonus rate — 61.9 percent
Pins — 5
Technical falls — 0
Major decisions — 8
Closest match — 3-2 vs. SIU Edwardsville’s Justin Ruffin in February.
Best win — The wins over Carr and Coleman were impressive, but the victory against Hidlay vaulted Deakin to the top of the rankings and established him as a title favorite.
165 — Stanford’s Shane Griffith
Year — Freshman
Record — 28-0
Highlights — Stanford’s second Hodge finalist and first since Matt Gentry in 2004. Griffith’s 28-match winning streak to begin his career is the best start in program history. The New Jersey native captured Southern Scuffle and Pac-12 titles during his rookie season.
Bonus rate — 64.3 percent
Pins — 9
Technical falls — 0
Major decisions — 8
Closest match — Defeated Arizona State All-American Josh Shields 5-3 in the second sudden-victory period in February.
Best win — Posted a 4-0 win against Shields in the Pac-12 finals.
197 — Ohio State’s Kollin Moore
Year — Senior
Record — 27-0
Highlights — Moore finished off a brilliant career with a superb senior season that culminated with his third Big Ten title. In addition to his four pins, he put double-digits on the board 18 times and went for 20 or more four times.
Bonus rate — 74.1 percent
Pins — 4
Technical falls — 6
Major decisions — 10
Closest match — Went to overtime before scoring a 6-4 win in November against Oklahoma’s Jake Woodley.
Best win — Notched a 16-5 major decision against Northwestern’s Lucas Davison in the Big Ten semifinals.
197 — West Virginia’s Noah Adams
Year — Sophomore
Record — 32-0
Highlights — West Virginia’s first Hodge finalist since Greg Jones in 2005. Adams made a meteoric rise as a sophomore after posting a 19-15 record as a freshman. He rocketed up the rankings in January after winning the Southern Scuffle before winning a Big 12 title and posting West Virginia’s third undefeated season in program history and first since Jones went unbeaten in 2004 and 2005.
Bonus rate — 53.1
Pins — 5
Technical falls — 2
Major decisions — 6
Closest match — Defeated Wyoming’s Stephen Buchanan 9-8 in February and North Dakota State’s Cordell Eaton 2-1 in the Big 12 quarterfinals.
Best win — Pinned Stanford’s Nathan Traxler in the Southern Scuffle finals.
285 — Minnesota’s Gable Steveson
Year — Sophomore
Record — 15-0
Highlights — After Big Ten and NCAA runner-up finishes as a freshman, Stevenson ruled the heavyweight class as a sophomore. Downed Michigan’s previously unbeaten Mason Parris in a battle of Junior World champions to capture the Big Ten title. Scored at least seven points in every full match he wrestled this season.
Bonus rate — 73.3 percent
Pins — 4
Technical falls — 1
Major decisions — 6
Closest match — Had a pair of two-point victories — a 7-5 win against No. 3 Tony Cassioppi and an 8-6 win against Parris in the Big Ten finals.
Best win — Steveson’s 8-6 win against Parris in the Big Ten finals cemented him as the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Championships and the heavyweight title favorite.
(Photos: Richard Immel and Sam Janicki)
Fan voting begins Monday at 12 p.m. CT for college wrestling’s most prestigious individual honor. W.I.N. Magazine on Friday named eight finalists for the Hodge Trophy.
Here’s a look at the finalists from lightest to heaviest:
125 — Iowa’s Spencer Lee
Year — Junior
Record — 18-0
Highlights — Lee followed up NCAA titles in his first two seasons by putting together his best year yet, earning Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors. He nearly notched bonus points against everyone he faced. The lone exception was an 8-1 win against Michigan’s Jack Medley. He later teched Medley 19-3 in the Big Ten Championships. Though he might not score Hodge points for his freestyle exploits, Lee’s blitz through the Senior-level 57-kilogram bracket at the U.S. Open in December won’t hurt his case.
Bonus rate — 94.4 percent
Pins — 4
Technical falls — 9
Major decisions — 3
Closest match — 8-1 vs. Michigan’s Jack Medley
Best win — Lee registered a 17-0 first-period technical fall in January against No. 5 Devin Schroder of Purdue.
125 — Princeton’s Patrick Glory
Year — Sophomore
Record — 24-0
Highlights — The first Hodge finalist in Princeton history has an opportunity to etch his name all over the school’s record books before he’s done with the Tigers. Glory became the first Princeton wrestler in 34 years to earn Ivy League Wrestler of the Year honors. He captured a Midlands title in December and handed four-time Big 12 champ Nick Piccininni a rare loss on his home mat.
Bonus rate — 75 percent
Pins — 4
Technical falls — 9
Major decisions — 4
Closest match — 5-3 in overtime vs. Lehigh’s Brandon Paetzell
Best win — Glory downed Oklahoma State’s Nick Piccininni 9-4 in December.
133 — Cornell’s Chas Tucker
Year — Senior
Record — 31-0
Highlights — Tucker made steady improvements throughout his career with the Big Red, going from 23-12 as a sophomore in his first year as a starter to 28-6 last season to an undefeated senior season. He beat three ranked opponents in December en route to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title.
Bonus rate — 12.9 percent
Pins — 2
Technical falls — 0
Major decisions — 1
Closest match — Tucker went to overtime twice this season, beating Lehigh’s Nick Farro 6-4 in January and Binghamton’s Zack Trampe 8-6 in February.
Best win — Tucker posted a pair of victories against Wyoming All-American Montorie Bridges, including a 4-1 win in the finals in Las Vegas.
157 — Northwestern’s Ryan Deakin
Year — Junior
Record — 21-0
Highlights — Northwestern’s first Hodge finalist since 2009 grabbed the No. 1 ranking at 157 in December and never let go. Surged to the top of the weight class after a dominant showing in Las Vegas, where he handled Junior World champion David Carr of Iowa State (9-3) and returning NCAA finalist Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State (6-2) and followed that up in January by posting a 14-0 major decision against No. 8 Kendall Coleman.
Bonus rate — 61.9 percent
Pins — 5
Technical falls — 0
Major decisions — 8
Closest match — 3-2 vs. SIU Edwardsville’s Justin Ruffin in February.
Best win — The wins over Carr and Coleman were impressive, but the victory against Hidlay vaulted Deakin to the top of the rankings and established him as a title favorite.
165 — Stanford’s Shane Griffith
Year — Freshman
Record — 28-0
Highlights — Stanford’s second Hodge finalist and first since Matt Gentry in 2004. Griffith’s 28-match winning streak to begin his career is the best start in program history. The New Jersey native captured Southern Scuffle and Pac-12 titles during his rookie season.
Bonus rate — 64.3 percent
Pins — 9
Technical falls — 0
Major decisions — 8
Closest match — Defeated Arizona State All-American Josh Shields 5-3 in the second sudden-victory period in February.
Best win — Posted a 4-0 win against Shields in the Pac-12 finals.
197 — Ohio State’s Kollin Moore
Year — Senior
Record — 27-0
Highlights — Moore finished off a brilliant career with a superb senior season that culminated with his third Big Ten title. In addition to his four pins, he put double-digits on the board 18 times and went for 20 or more four times.
Bonus rate — 74.1 percent
Pins — 4
Technical falls — 6
Major decisions — 10
Closest match — Went to overtime before scoring a 6-4 win in November against Oklahoma’s Jake Woodley.
Best win — Notched a 16-5 major decision against Northwestern’s Lucas Davison in the Big Ten semifinals.
197 — West Virginia’s Noah Adams
Year — Sophomore
Record — 32-0
Highlights — West Virginia’s first Hodge finalist since Greg Jones in 2005. Adams made a meteoric rise as a sophomore after posting a 19-15 record as a freshman. He rocketed up the rankings in January after winning the Southern Scuffle before winning a Big 12 title and posting West Virginia’s third undefeated season in program history and first since Jones went unbeaten in 2004 and 2005.
Bonus rate — 53.1
Pins — 5
Technical falls — 2
Major decisions — 6
Closest match — Defeated Wyoming’s Stephen Buchanan 9-8 in February and North Dakota State’s Cordell Eaton 2-1 in the Big 12 quarterfinals.
Best win — Pinned Stanford’s Nathan Traxler in the Southern Scuffle finals.
285 — Minnesota’s Gable Steveson
Year — Sophomore
Record — 15-0
Highlights — After Big Ten and NCAA runner-up finishes as a freshman, Stevenson ruled the heavyweight class as a sophomore. Downed Michigan’s previously unbeaten Mason Parris in a battle of Junior World champions to capture the Big Ten title. Scored at least seven points in every full match he wrestled this season.
Bonus rate — 73.3 percent
Pins — 4
Technical falls — 1
Major decisions — 6
Closest match — Had a pair of two-point victories — a 7-5 win against No. 3 Tony Cassioppi and an 8-6 win against Parris in the Big Ten finals.
Best win — Steveson’s 8-6 win against Parris in the Big Ten finals cemented him as the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Championships and the heavyweight title favorite.
(Photos: Richard Immel and Sam Janicki)
