Ohio State's Logan Stieber defeated Edinboro's Mitchell Port 11-6 in the NCAA finals (Photo/Rob Preston)Four-time Ohio high school state champion. Junior Dan Hodge Trophy winner. Four-time Big Ten conference titlist. Four-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, only the fourth wrestler to earn this distinction in 85 years of national mat championships. Dan Hodge Trophy winner. Now Ohio State's Logan Stieber can add one additional honor to his impressive wrestling resume: 2015 InterMat Wrestler of the Year.
2015 InterMat Wrestler of the Year
1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1
Total Votes/(First-Place Votes)
1. Logan Stieber, Ohio St. 82 (6)
2. Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma St. 64 (2)
3. Isaiah Martinez, Illinois 53 (2)
4. Nick Gwiazdowski, NC St. 24
5. Haley Augello, King 8
6. Joey Davis, Notre Dame College 3
6. Bo Jordan, Ohio St. 3
6. Nathan Tomasello, Ohio St. 3
6. Emily Webster, OCU 3
10. Cody Brewer, Oklahoma 2
10. Kyven Gadson, Iowa St. 2
12. Drake Houdashelt, Missouri 1
12. Robert Kokesh, Nebraska 1
12. Mitchell Port, Edinboro 1
The amateur wrestling website announced the award on Tuesday morning. Presented each year since 2006 to the best college wrestler in all divisions, the award is based solely on the balloting of writers and executives at InterMat. Each staff member is asked to select five wrestlers and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point for a wrestler listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place choice.
1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1
Total Votes/(First-Place Votes)
1. Logan Stieber, Ohio St. 82 (6)
2. Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma St. 64 (2)
3. Isaiah Martinez, Illinois 53 (2)
4. Nick Gwiazdowski, NC St. 24
5. Haley Augello, King 8
6. Joey Davis, Notre Dame College 3
6. Bo Jordan, Ohio St. 3
6. Nathan Tomasello, Ohio St. 3
6. Emily Webster, OCU 3
10. Cody Brewer, Oklahoma 2
10. Kyven Gadson, Iowa St. 2
12. Drake Houdashelt, Missouri 1
12. Robert Kokesh, Nebraska 1
12. Mitchell Port, Edinboro 1
To earn InterMat Wrestler of the Year honors for 2015, Stieber received six of the 10 first-place votes for a total of 82 votes. In second place was Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State's two-time NCAA champ, with two first-place votes, for a total of 64 votes. Also receiving two first-place votes was freshman phenom Isaiah Martinez of the University of Illinois, who garnered 53 votes.
A native of the tiny farm community of Monroeville in north-central Ohio, Logan Stieber headed south to Ohio State to made his mark on wrestling mats far beyond the Buckeye State. In his collegiate career, he racked up an impressive overall record of 119-3 in his four seasons in Ohio State's lineup. Perhaps even more impressive, Stieber became the first Ohio State wrestler to have won four Big Ten individual titles -- not to mention the first from the school to have won four NCAA championships -- two at 133 pounds, two at 141. That history-making fourth title of Stieber's coincided beautifully with the Buckeyes winning their first NCAA team title in the 94-year history of the Columbus-based wrestling program.
At the post-finals press conference at the 2015 NCAAs, Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan provided an out-of-this-world yet accurate assessment of Stieber's achievement that night, saying, "More people have been on the moon than have won four national titles."
InterMat Wrestler of the Year Winners
2015: Logan Stieber, Ohio St.
2014: David Taylor, Penn St.
2013: Kyle Dake, Cornell
2012: Ed Ruth, Penn St.
2011: Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska
2010: Jayson Ness, Minnesota
2009: Jake Herbert, Northwestern
2008: Brent Metcalf, Iowa
2007: Ben Askren, Missouri
2006: Ben Askren, Missouri
"It's easy to overlook Logan Stieber's dominance this season because of the bigger picture of what he accomplished: winning his fourth NCAA title and leading Ohio State to its first national championship in wrestling," said InterMat senior editor Andrew Hipps. "Over seventy-five percent of Stieber's wins this season were bonus-point victories. He won by technical fall in the conference finals, and then crushed his competition two weeks later in St. Louis. In 2015, Logan Stieber was the nation's best college wrestler on the nation's best college wrestling team."
2015: Logan Stieber, Ohio St.
2014: David Taylor, Penn St.
2013: Kyle Dake, Cornell
2012: Ed Ruth, Penn St.
2011: Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska
2010: Jayson Ness, Minnesota
2009: Jake Herbert, Northwestern
2008: Brent Metcalf, Iowa
2007: Ben Askren, Missouri
2006: Ben Askren, Missouri
In the coming days, InterMat will announce winners of its annual Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year awards.
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