Northwestern University Athletics
Deakin Named a Finalist for Prestigious Hodge Trophy
3/20/2020 9:29:00 AM | Wrestling
EVANSTON, Ill. – Ryan Deakin has been named a finalist for college wrestling's top individual honor, the Hodge Trophy, as announced by the voting committee on Friday.
Fans are encouraged to participate in the Official Hodge Fan Vote, which opens this Monday, March 23 at Noon CT. The 2020 Hodge winner will be announced at Noon CT on Monday, March 30. Fans can vote HERE.
The winner of the Official Hodge Fan Vote gets two First-Place Votes toward the final Hodge selection of the Committee made up of all former winners, national wrestling media, retired college coaches from each region.
Deakin put together one of the most dominant seasons in Northwestern history this past season, going undefeated at 157 lbs with a perfect 21-0 record while finishing the season as the consensus No. 1 ranked wrestler heading into the 2020 NCAA Championships.
Most recently, Deakin captured a Big Ten championship after stringing together three decisive victories in Piscataway en rotue to his first-ever conference title. He joined Sebastian Rivera as one of two Wildcat wrestlers to earn a Big Ten title this year, marking the first time since 2015 that the Wildcats had multiple conference champions in the same season.
"Ryan has proven himself to be one of the most dominant wrestlers in the NCAA," head coach Matt Storniolo said. "Being a Hodge Trophy finalist is a tremendous honor, but one that he has undeniably earned. You will not find a better ambassador for our Northwestern Wrestling or wrestling in general. His impact on our program is beyond measure."
The redshirt junior from Broomfield, Colo. picked up bonus points in 13 of his 21 victories this season, securing eight major decisions and five falls while posting 55 team points in just 13 duals.
Deakin also rose to the occasion while facing the top competition in his class, as 15 of his 21 wins came against wrestlers who qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Furthermore, he posted wins over the No. 2, 3, 5, 11, 12 and 14 ranked wrestlers in FloWrestling's final 157 lb rankings, leaving no doubt as to who the No. 1 wrestler in his class was after the season was shortened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ranked No. 3 among the major outlets to start the season, Deakin put the wrestling world on notice at the CKLV Invitational in early December, headlining a phenomenal showing with two emphatic wins over the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked wrestlers in his class, defeating David Carr (Iowa State) by a 9-3 decision followed by a 6-2 decision over Hayden Hidlay (NC State) in the tournament finals to secure his second-straight CKLV title.
The voting criteria for the award includes a wrestler's record, number of pins, dominance and quality of competition. Past credentials, sportsmanship/citizenship and heart are used as secondary criteria in years where two finalists stats are nearly equal
Deakin is the first Northwestern wrestler to be named a finalist for the award since 2009, when Jake Herbert won the award following a perfect 34-0 season which culminated with his second-consecutive national championship at 184 lbs.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Fans are encouraged to participate in the Official Hodge Fan Vote, which opens this Monday, March 23 at Noon CT. The 2020 Hodge winner will be announced at Noon CT on Monday, March 30. Fans can vote HERE.
The winner of the Official Hodge Fan Vote gets two First-Place Votes toward the final Hodge selection of the Committee made up of all former winners, national wrestling media, retired college coaches from each region.
Deakin put together one of the most dominant seasons in Northwestern history this past season, going undefeated at 157 lbs with a perfect 21-0 record while finishing the season as the consensus No. 1 ranked wrestler heading into the 2020 NCAA Championships.
Most recently, Deakin captured a Big Ten championship after stringing together three decisive victories in Piscataway en rotue to his first-ever conference title. He joined Sebastian Rivera as one of two Wildcat wrestlers to earn a Big Ten title this year, marking the first time since 2015 that the Wildcats had multiple conference champions in the same season.
"Ryan has proven himself to be one of the most dominant wrestlers in the NCAA," head coach Matt Storniolo said. "Being a Hodge Trophy finalist is a tremendous honor, but one that he has undeniably earned. You will not find a better ambassador for our Northwestern Wrestling or wrestling in general. His impact on our program is beyond measure."
The redshirt junior from Broomfield, Colo. picked up bonus points in 13 of his 21 victories this season, securing eight major decisions and five falls while posting 55 team points in just 13 duals.
Deakin also rose to the occasion while facing the top competition in his class, as 15 of his 21 wins came against wrestlers who qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Furthermore, he posted wins over the No. 2, 3, 5, 11, 12 and 14 ranked wrestlers in FloWrestling's final 157 lb rankings, leaving no doubt as to who the No. 1 wrestler in his class was after the season was shortened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ranked No. 3 among the major outlets to start the season, Deakin put the wrestling world on notice at the CKLV Invitational in early December, headlining a phenomenal showing with two emphatic wins over the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked wrestlers in his class, defeating David Carr (Iowa State) by a 9-3 decision followed by a 6-2 decision over Hayden Hidlay (NC State) in the tournament finals to secure his second-straight CKLV title.
The voting criteria for the award includes a wrestler's record, number of pins, dominance and quality of competition. Past credentials, sportsmanship/citizenship and heart are used as secondary criteria in years where two finalists stats are nearly equal
Deakin is the first Northwestern wrestler to be named a finalist for the award since 2009, when Jake Herbert won the award following a perfect 34-0 season which culminated with his second-consecutive national championship at 184 lbs.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
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