Northwestern University Athletics
Herbert Named Wrestler of the Year by RevWrestling.com
3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 27, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- RevWrestling.com, a Web site dedicated to covering all levels and aspects of amateur wrestling, announced Friday that Northwestern senior Jake Herbert is the winner of its Rev Wrestler of the Year Award. The award's voters cited Herbert's triumphant finish to an oustanding career -- including his career-ending 66-match win streak, 2009 Big Ten title and conference Wrestler of the Year honors, and his second 184-pound NCAA championship -- as the deciding factors in his recognition.
"Jake Herbert proved all season long that he was the dominant force in college wrestling," said Andrew Hipps, senior writer at RevWrestling.com. "He possesses all the necessary ingredients one needs to be special in the sport. You would be hard-pressed to find a more intense, driven wrestler than Jake Herbert. He has a passion for the sport that is unmatched."
This award is presented each year to the nation's best college wrestler across all divisions, and is based on a vote of RevWrestling.com writers and executives. With this award, Herbert joins previous Rev Wrestler of the Year honorees Brent Metcalf of Iowa (2008), and Missouri's Ben Askren (2006 and 2007).
Herbert garnered 60 votes, including five first-place votes, to land the 2009 Rev Wrestler of the Year award. Coming in a close second was 149-pound NCAA champ Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State, with 58 votes, including three first-place votes. Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska's 157-pound national champ, was third with 34 votes, while 174-pound NCAA titlewinner Steve Luke of Michigan placed fourth with 15 votes. Rounding out the top five vote-getters: Arizona State's 125-pounder Anthony Robles, the first Division I wrestler to earn All-American honors wrestling with one leg.
Herbert, a native of Wexford, Pa., launched his wrestling career in fourth grade. In high school, he built a 141-18 record, and was a four-time placewinner at the Pennsylvania state tournament, winning the state title as a senior in 2003. At Northwestern, Herbert compiled a 135-4 record varsity record, winning three Big Ten titles and three Midlands championships. He is Northwestern's second four-time All-American and only the second two-time NCAA champ for the Wildcats (the first being Jack Riley, NCAA heavyweight champ for Northwestern in 1931 and 1932).
Click here to read the full RevWrestling.com release on Jake Herbert.
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