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WVU wrestler finalist for award

Adams

MORGANTOWN — Redshirt sophomore Noah Adams has been named a finalist for the 2020 Win Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, presented by ASICS, announced by WIN Magazine on Friday.

Adams is joined on the list by Northwestern junior Ryan Deakin (157 pounds), Princeton sophomore Pat Glory (125), Stanford freshman Shane Griffith (165), Iowa junior Spencer Lee (125), Ohio State senior Kollin Moore (197), Minnesota sophomore Gable Steveson (285) and Cornell senior Charles Tucker (133).

The official fan vote for the award will begin at 1 p.m. ET on Monday.

Fans can place their vote at WIN-Magazine.com. The winner of the fan vote will earn two first-place votes among the total ballots from a group of formal voters, which includes each former Dan Hodge Trophy winner, national media, representatives of national wrestling organizations and retired former college coaches from different regions.

The remaining ballots are made up of past winners of the award, a retired college coach from each region and national media members.

“Being named a finalist for the Dan Hodge Trophy is a huge honor, and it’s one that Noah deserves,” WVU wrestling coach Tim Flynn said. “Just being mentioned with some of the most elite wrestlers in the country truly reflects the amazing season that Noah had.”

Adams became the second Mountaineer wrestler and the first since Greg Jones in 2005 to earn the recognition. Of note, Jones was a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy finalist (2004-05).

The Coal City native finished the 2019-20 campaign 32-0, marking the third time a WVU grappler has finished the season undefeated (Jones; 2004 and 2005). He also became the second wrestler in program history to win a Big 12 Conference title, earning a 5-1 decision over South Dakota State’s Tanner Sloan at 197 pounds on March 8.

The Dan Hodge Trophy has been awarded to the nation’s top collegiate wrestler every year since 1995. The award is named after three-time NCAA Champion Dan Hodge, who wrestled at Oklahoma from 1955-57 and capped his collegiate career with a 46-0 record.

Criteria for the award includes a wrestler’s record, number of pins, dominance on the mat, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship/citizenship and heart.

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