Zain Retherford rides Michigan's Alec Pantaleo in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Retherford won the 149-pound title at both the 2016 Big Ten conference championships and 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, helping propel Penn State to its fifth NCAA and Big Ten team titles in six years. The Benton, Pa. native completed his sophomore season with a flawless 33-0 overall record, including 15 falls, eight technical falls, and seven major decisions. In addition, Retherford placed third at the 2016 United States Olympic Team Trials, earning a spot on the 2016 U.S. Freestyle World Team.
For his on-the-mat performance, Retherford has earned a number of honors this year beyond his selection as Penn State Male Athlete of the Year. Retherford was named 2016 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and 2016 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler of the Year. In addition, the Nittany Lion mat champ was selected as 2016 InterMat Wrestler of the Year.
Retherford was equally impressive in the classroom. A First Team Academic All-Big Ten selection, Retherford was also a NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) First Team National All-Academic selection. He earned CoSIDA First Team Academic All-Region At-Large honors and closed out his academic accolades for the year by earning CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America At-Large honors. Retherford has a 3.72 grade-point average and is finance major.
Retherford's selection as Penn State's Male Student-Athlete of the Year marks the fifth straight year that a wrestler has earned the honor, joining David Taylor in 2012 and 2014, Ed Ruth in 2013, and Matt Brown 2015.
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