4 Penn State Wrestlers Named 2024 Hodge Trophy Finalists

After winning the 2024 NCAA Championship team title and four individual national championships, Penn State wrestlers Levi Haines, Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet were named Dan Hodge Trophy finalists.

The Hodge Trophy is awarded annually to the best collegiate wrestler.

The winner is selected based on record, dominance and bonus-point percentage, quality of competition and sportsmanship. The Hodge Trophy voting committee is made up of national wrestling media, a retired college coach from each region, a representative of each national wrestling organization and a percentage of fan votes.

Fans can vote online until 6 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 29, with the winner of the fan vote receiving five first-place ballots.

The winner of the Hodge Trophy will be announced at 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 1. Fan vote results are updated daily here.

At 197 pounds, Brooks is the frontrunner for the award after reeling in his fourth national championship following an undefeated season. Additionally, he was named the NCAA Championship’s Most Outstanding Wrestler and the NCAA’s Most Dominant Wrestler at the close of the NCAA Championships Sunday.

Haines and Kerkvliet each tallied undefeated seasons and clinched national titles, while Starocci recorded two injury default losses in the Big Ten Championships because of a knee injury. Starocci received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships and won as a No. 9 seed.

The only non-Nittany Lion on the ballot is Northern Iowa senior Parker Keckeisen. The 184-pound wrestler went 31-0 and secured a national title this year.