Penn State wrestling head coach Cael Sanderson was the first sophomore wrestler to win the Dan Hodge Award, presented to the nation’s most outstanding wrestler each season since its inception in 1995.
So, it’s only fitting that 18 years later, a third sophomore standout has won what is considered wrestling’s equivalent to football’s Heisman Trophy.
On top of that, Thursday’s winner — Penn State 165-pounder David Taylor — just happens to wrestle for Sanderson, whose Nittany Lions have won back-to-back national championships.
‘I really appreciate the award. It’s definitely something I’ve looked forward to for along time,’ Taylor told WIN Magazine, the co-presenter of the award with Culture House Books. ‘When I was kid, every time WIN Magazine would come, I would go through it.
‘It always listed the previous winners and I just wanted to be on that list. The best wrestlers ever were on that list. To be a part of that list is just very special. I just feel very honored. I want to win two more.’
Taylor’s accomplishments this past season included a perfect 32-0 record, 15 pins, nine technical falls, six major decisions, and two decisions. He lost in the NCAA finals at 157 pounds as a freshman and finished 38-1.
‘He’s a great kid who has a passion for the sport. His actions speak pretty loudly with the way he competes, the look on his face and what he says in interviews,’ Sanderson said of Taylor in a statement.
Along with Taylor, Penn State’s 174-pounder Ed Ruth and 149-pounder Frank Molinaro also found their way into the top four of the final Hodge Award standings, taking second and fourth, respectively. Cornell’s 157-pound national champion Kyle Dake finished third.
