Think college wrestlers don't get enough respect -- or recognition? The year 2009 went against that notion, with at least three top collegiate mat champs earning their school's Male Athlete of the Year... with one of them going on to win Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year honors. To our way of thinking, that qualifies as the No. 10 College Wrestling Story of 2009.*
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J Jaggers, Ohio State
J Jaggers wins Male Athlete of the Year at Ohio State. Two-time NCAA Division I 141-pound champ J Jaggers became the first Buckeye wrestler to be voted Male Athlete of the Year at Ohio State in the nearly three-decade history of the award.
Jaggers, a three-time NCAA All-American wrestler originally from Northfield, Ohio, joins an elite list of Ohio State athletes to have won the honor. Among the winners since 1982: Buckeye football standouts Chris Spielman, Eddie George and Troy Smith… track and field star Butch Reynolds… and gymnast Blaine Wilson.
Steve Luke, University of Michigan
Steve Luke named Michigan's Athlete of the Year. The University of Michigan Athletic Department announced that 2009 NCAA 174-pound champion wrestler Steve Luke was selected 2008-09 Male Athlete of the Year.
Luke is the first Wolverine wrestler to win this prestigious award since its inception in 1982. He joins elite athletes such as football stars Jim Harbaugh, Anthony Carter, Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard, baseball greats Jim Abbott and Barry Larkin, and Olympic swimmers Tom Dolan and Mike Barrowman.
Jake Herbert, Northwestern University
Jake Herbert wins Male Athlete of the Year honors from Northwestern, and the Big Ten. Jake Herbert, two-time NCAA Division I 184-pound wrestling champ for Northwestern University, has been named the 2009 recipient of the Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year Award as the top male athlete across all sports in the Big Ten Conference. Just prior to winning the conference award, Herbert was named male athlete of the year at Northwestern.
Herbert, originally from Wexford, Pennsylvania, becomes the third consecutive college wrestler to win this award, named for the African-American track star from Ohio State who made history at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In 2007, University of Minnesota heavyweight Cole Konrad earned the award; last year, Brent Metcalf of the University of Iowa was named conference male athlete of the year.
*NOTE: For the last week of the year, the College Wrestling Examiner will take a look back at some of the top news stories (and news trends) involving college wrestlers, and/or affecting collegiate wrestling, that we've covered in 2009.
Resources
College Wrestling Examiner No. 9 Story of 2009: Caldwell, Burroughs unable to defend NCAA titles due to injury
College Wrestling 101: Links to articles answering basic questions about wrestling, including rules, scoring, uniforms, more
Follow College Wrestling Examiner Mark Palmer on Twitter
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