Four Penn State Wrestlers Named 2024 Hodge Trophy Finalists
After clinching the 2024 NCAA Championship team title and four individual national championships, Penn State wrestlers Levi Haines, Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks, and Greg Kerkvliet were named Dan Hodge Trophy finalists.
The Hodge Trophy is awarded annually to the best collegiate wrestler.
The winner is selected based on record, dominance and bonus-point percentage, quality of competition, and sportsmanship. The Hodge Trophy voting committee is made up of national wrestling media, a retired college coach from each region, a representative of each national wrestling organization, and a percentage of fan votes.
At 197 pounds, Brooks is the frontrunner for the award after reeling in his fourth national championship following an undefeated season. Additionally, he was named the NCAA Championship’s Most Outstanding Wrestler and the NCAA’s Most Dominant Wrestler at the close of the NCAA Championships Sunday.
Haines and Kerkvliet each tallied undefeated seasons and clinched national titles, while Starocci recorded two injury default losses in the Big Ten Championships because of a knee injury. He received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships and won as a No. 9 seed.
The only non-Nittany Lion on the ballot is Northern Iowa senior Parker Keckeisen. The 184-pound wrestler went 31-0 and secured a national title this year. Penn State’s Bernie Truax fell in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships and earned a fifth-place finish in the 184-pound class.
Folks can vote here.
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