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Bo Nickal Named Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete Of The Year

After putting together a dominant 2019 season for Penn State wrestling, Bo Nickal is this year’s Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year award recipient.

Nickal put together a perfect 30-0 record for the Nittany Lions throughout the year, which he capped off by winning the national championship at his 197-pound weight class. He finished his collegiate career with a staggering 120-3 overall record as part of a Penn State program that’s surely up there among the all-time great dynasties in sports.

More than half of Nickal’s 120 collegiate victories were pins or technical falls. He recorded 59 pins and 12 technical falls throughout his career, and he also posted 23 victories via major decision. The superstar also won the Dan Hodge Trophy as the most outstanding college wrestler in 2019, and he helped the Nittany Lions win the team NCAA title in each of his four seasons in Happy Valley.

The last Penn Stater to win the Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year award, which was established in 1983, was also a wrestler. The award went to David Taylor in 2014 after a dominant season that saw him win the Hodge trophy and his second individual NCAA title at 165. Gymnast Luis Vargas became the first Nittany Lion to win the award in 2005.

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About the Author

Mikey Mandarino

In the most upsetting turn of events, Mikey graduated from Penn State with a digital & print journalism degree in the spring of 2020. He covered Penn State football and served as an editor for Onward State from 2018 until his graduation. Mikey is from Bedminster, New Jersey, so naturally, he spends lots of time yelling about all the best things his home state has to offer. Mikey also loves to play golf, but he sucks at it because golf is really hard. If you, for some reason, feel compelled to see what Mikey has to say on the internet, follow him on Twitter @Mikey_Mandarino. You can also get in touch with Mikey via his big-boy email address: [email protected]

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