Dan Hodge Trophy

The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler.^[1] The trophy is presented at the end of the season by WIN magazine and Culture House.^[2] It is the collegiate wrestling equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in college football.^[3] Its high school wrestling equivalent is the Junior Hodge Trophy, which has been awarded annually since 1998.^[4]

The Hodge Trophy is named after Danny Hodge, a three–time NCAA champion for the University of Oklahoma from 1955 to 1957.^[5] The Hodge Trophy was created by Mike Chapman, founder of WIN magazine and Culture House, a company that produces books and posters.^[6] The first winner was T.J. Jaworsky, a three–time NCAA Division I National champion from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995.^[7]

There have been six multiple winners of the Hodge Trophy. The first was Iowa State's legend Cael Sanderson, who won the award three times in his run as the first undefeated four–time NCAA champion, the second was Ben Askren from Missouri, who won the award two times, the third and fourth were David Taylor and Zain Retherford respectively, both from Penn State, who won the award two times, the fifth is Spencer Lee from Iowa, and the sixth (and most recent) is Gable Steveson, who won the award two times, becoming the only heavyweight to do so.^[8]

Award criteria

Since 2022, the Hodge Trophy Voting Criteria has been based on four criteria:^[9]

1. Record
2. Dominance/Bonus-Point Percentage
3. Quality of Competition
4. Sportsmanship

Formerly, the trophy was awarded based on seven criteria:^[10]

1. Record
2. Number of pins
3. Dominance
4. Past credentials
5. Quality of competition
6. Sportsmanship/Citizenship
7. Heart

Hodge Trophy Winners

Year	Recipient	Weight	School	Finalists*
2024	Aaron Brooks	197	Penn State	Aaron Brooks (48), Parker Keckeisen (8), Carter Starocci (2), Greg Kerkvliet (1), Levi Haines (0)[11]
2023	Mason Parris	285	Michigan	Mason Parris (38), Carter Starocci (14), Yianni Diakomihalis (6), Andrew Alirez (4), Austin O'Connor (2)[12]
2022	Gable Steveson	285	Minnesota	Gable Steveson (49), Yianni Diakomihalis (5), Nick Lee (3)[13]
2021**	Spencer Lee Gable Steveson	125 285	Iowa Minnesota	Spencer Lee, Gable Steveson, David Carr, Roman Bravo-Young, Aaron Brooks, Austin O'Connor[14]
2020	Spencer Lee	125	Iowa	Spencer Lee (52), Kollin Moore (3), Ryan Deakin (1), Shane Griffith (1), Noah Adams (0), Pat Glory (0), Chas Tucker (0), Gable Steveson (0)[15]
2019	Bo Nickal	197	Penn State	Bo Nickal (37), Jason Nolf (10), Co-Winner Nickal/Nolf (4), Yianni Diakomihalis (0), Anthony Ashnault (0)[16]
2018	Zain Retherford	149	Penn State	Zain Retherford (35), Bo Nickal (6), Seth Gross (4), Zahid Valencia (3)[17]
2017	Zain Retherford	149	Penn State	Zain Retherford (33), J'Den Cox (5), Kyle Snyder (4), Jason Nolf (3)[18]
2016	Alex Dieringer	165	Oklahoma State	Alex Dieringer (27), Zain Retherford (14), Kyle Snyder (3), Nahshon Garrett (1)[19]
2015	Logan Stieber	141	Ohio State	Logan Stieber (38), Alex Dieringer (3), Isaiah Martinez (1), Nick Gwiazdowski (1)[20]
2014	David Taylor	165	Penn State	David Taylor (38), Logan Stieber (3), Ed Ruth (2), Chris Perry (2), Alex Dieringer[21]
2013	Kyle Dake	165	Cornell	Kyle Dake (39), Ed Ruth (4), Jordan Oliver, Logan Stieber[22]
2012	David Taylor	165	Penn State	David Taylor, Ed Ruth, Kyle Dake, Frank Molinaro, Cam Simaz, Matt McDonough[23]
2011	Jordan Burroughs	165	Nebraska	Jordan Burroughs, Jordan Oliver, Anthony Robles, Jon Reader, Kellen Russell[24]
2010	Jayson Ness	133	Minnesota	Jayson Ness, Jake Varner, Jay Borschel[25]
2009	Jake Herbert	184	Northwestern	Jake Herbert, Brent Metcalf, Jordan Burroughs, Jake Varner, Mike Pucillo [26]
2008	Brent Metcalf	149	Iowa	Brent Metcalf, Keith Gavin, Mike Pucillo, Phil Davis, Angel Escobedo, Tervel Dlagnev, Dustin Fox [27]
2007	Ben Askren	174	Missouri	Ben Askren, Cole Konrad, Jake Herbert, Derek Moore [28]
2006	Ben Askren	174	Missouri	Ben Askren, Les Sigman, Nate Gallick, Cole Konrad, Ben Cherrington [29]
2005	Steve Mocco	285	Oklahoma State	Steve Mocco, Greg Jones [30]
2004	Emmett Willson	197	Montana State-Northern	Emmett Wilson, Scott Moore, Matt Gentry, Greg Jones [31]
2003	Eric Larkin	149	Arizona State	Eric Larkin, Matt Lackey, Steve Mocco, Travis Lee [32]
2002	Cael Sanderson	197	Iowa State	Cael Sanderson, Stephen Abas [33]
2001**	Nick Ackerman Cael Sanderson	174 184	Simpson College, Iowa State	Nick Ackerman, Cael Sanderson, Stephen Abas, Michael Lightner, T.J. Williams, Josh Koscheck[34]
2000	Cael Sanderson	184	Iowa State	Cael Sanderson [35]
1999	Stephen Neal	285	Cal State Bakersfield	Stephen Neal [36]
1998	Mark Ironside	134	Iowa	Mark Ironside [37]
1997	Kerry McCoy	285	Penn State	Kerry McCoy [38]
1996	Les Gutches	177	Oregon State	Les Gutches [39]
1995	T.J. Jaworsky	134	North Carolina	T.J. Jaworsky, Lincoln McIlravy, Joel Sharratt, Kerry McCoy [40]

* Number of first place ballot votes from the Hodge Committee is indicated in parentheses

** In 2001 and 2021, the Dan Hodge Trophy was shared by two co-winners

Junior Hodge Trophy Winners

Year	Recipient	School
2024	Luke Lilledahl	Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)
2023	Cael Hughes	Stillwater (Okla.)
2022	Nick Feldman	Malvern Prep (Pa.)
2021	Jesse Mendez	Crown Point (Ind.)
2020	Keegan O’Toole	Arrowhead (Hartland, Wisc.)
2019	Andrew Alirez	Greeley Central (Colo.)
2018	Gable Steveson	Apple Valley (Minn.)
2017	Daton Fix	Sand Springs (Okla.)
2016	Mark Hall	Apple Valley (Minn.)
2015	Zahid Valencia	St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
2014	Chance Marsteller	Kennard-Dale (Fawn Grove, Pa.)
2013	Bo Jordan	Graham (St. Paris, Ohio)
2012	Jordan Rogers	Mead (Spokane, Wash.)
2011	Logan Storley	Webster (S.D.)
2010	Logan Stieber	Monroeville (Ohio)
2009	Chris Perry	Stillwater (Oklahoma)
2008	Jason Welch	Las Lomas (Walnut Creek, Calif.)
2007	Cody Gardner	Christianburg (Va.)
2006	David Craig	Brandon (Florida)
2005	Troy Nickerson	Chenango Forks (New York)
2004	Jeff Jaggers	St. Peter Chanel (Bedford, Ohio)
2003	Mark Perry	Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)
2002	Teyon Ware	Edmond North (Oklahoma)
2001	Steve Mocco	Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)
2000	Jesse Jantzen	Shoreham Wading River (New York)
1999	Damion Hahn	Lakewood (New Jersey)
1998	Shane Roller	Bixby (Oklahoma)

See also

• National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum

References

1. "Dan Hodge Trophy". WIN-Magazine.com. WIN Magazine. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
2. "Spencer Lee Named Finalist for Dan Hodge Trophy". University of Iowa Athletics. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
3. "Dan Hodge Trophy: History, winners and how it works | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
4. "Junior Hodge Trophy". WIN magazine. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
5. "OU Family Mourns Loss of Danny Hodge". University of Oklahoma. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
6. "Dan Hodge Trophy | Mike Chapman – Author/Historian". Retrieved 2021-03-29.
7. "T.J. Jaworsky - First Hodge Trophy Winner (1995)". WIN Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
8. "Gable Steveson Wins His Second Dan Hodge Trophy". University of Minnesota Athletics. 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
9. "The 2023 Dan Hodge Trophy Presented by ASICS Fan Vote". Retrieved 2023-03-21.
10. "O-State's Dieringer named WIN Magazine Dan Hodge Trophy winner | National Wrestling Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 2016-07-21. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
11. Finn, Mike (2024-04-01). "Penn State's four-time champ Aaron Brooks wins 2024 Hodge Trophy". WIN Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
12. Finn, Mike (27 March 2023). "Mason Parris wins 2023 Hodge; Starocci, Diakomihalis finish second, third". Wrestling Insider Magazine. WIN Magazine. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
13. Finn, Mike (28 March 2022). "Gable Steveson wins 2022 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, Presented by ASICS". Wrestling Insider Magazine. WIN Magazine. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
14. Finn, Mike. "2021 CO-WINNERS". Wrestling Insider Magazine. WIN Magazine. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
15. Finn, Mike. "Spencer Lee Wins 2020 Dan Hodge Trophy". Wrestling Insider Magazine. WIN Magazine. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
16. Finn, Mike (April 2019). "Bo Nickal Wins 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy". Wrestling Insider Magazine. WIN Magazine. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
17. Finn, Mike (27 March 2018). "Retherford wins second WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy". Wrestling Insider Magazine. WIN Magazine. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
18. "Penn State's Zain Retherford wins 2017 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, presented by ASICS". news.theopenmat.com. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
19. "Dieringer presented 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
20. "Logan Stieber wins 2015 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
21. "David Taylor wins 2014 Dan Hodge Trophy - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. April 2014. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
22. "Kyle Dake wins 2013 Dan Hodge Trophy - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
23. "Nittany Lion David Taylor Wins Hodge Trophy as National Wrestler of the Year". Archived from the original on 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
24. "Jordan Burroughs wins Dan Hodge Trophy - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
25. "Jayson Ness, 2010 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
26. "Jake Herbert, 2009 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
27. "Brent Metcalf, 2008 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
28. "Ben Askren of Missouri wins Dan Hodge Award for second straight year | TheMat.com - USA Wrestling". content.themat.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
29. "Ben Askren, 2006 & 2007 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
30. "Steve Mocco, 2005 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
31. "Emmett Willson, 2004 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
32. "Eric Larkin, 2003 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
33. "Cael Sanderson, 3-time Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
34. "Nick Ackerman, 2001 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
35. "Cael Sanderson, 3-time Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
36. "Stephen Neal, 1999 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
37. "Mark Ironside, 1998 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
38. "Kerry McCoy, 1997 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
39. "Les Gutches, 1996 Hodge Trophy winner - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
40. "T.J. Jaworsky – First Hodge Trophy Winner (1995) - WIN Magazine: Wrestling News". www.win-magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-02-26.

External links

• "Dan Hodge Trophy: History, winners and how it works" at NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships