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Varner named Athlete of the Year
Date Posted: 2009-07-09
When Jake Varner won the 197-pound match at this spring’s NCAA meet, he became the 65th Cyclone to wear the title of NCAA wrestling champion.
On Thursday he became the 22nd wrestler named Iowa State’s male athlete of the year.
Varner finished his standout junior season with a 31-2 record. His 2-1 win against Nebraska’s Craig Brester in the NCAA championship match pushed his stellar season over the top.
“It’s a great honor to be in the same group as the other outstanding wrestlers who have won this award in the past,” Varner said.
The native of Bakersfield, Calif., joins Cyclone wrestling legends like Cael Sanderson, Chris Bono and Dan Gable, all of whom previously won the Athlete of the Year award. Non-wrestler recipients of the honor, which was established in 1947, include Gary Thompson, Barry Stevens and Ellis Hobbs.
Varner recently made the U.S. freestyle team for the World Wrestling Championships, defeating 2008 Olympian Andy Hrovat (96-kg) in the finals of the World Team Trials. A three-time All-American and three-time NCAA finalist (2007- 2nd, 184 pounds; 2008- 2nd, 184 pounds; 2009- 1st, 197 pounds), Varner will try to become just the 13th wrestler in NCAA history to be a four-time finalist at the NCAA Championships next season.
The criminal justice major was a 2009 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.
Iowa State announced Wednesday that volleyball setter Kaylee Manns was the female recipient.
Date Posted: 2009-07-09
When Jake Varner won the 197-pound match at this spring’s NCAA meet, he became the 65th Cyclone to wear the title of NCAA wrestling champion.
On Thursday he became the 22nd wrestler named Iowa State’s male athlete of the year.
Varner finished his standout junior season with a 31-2 record. His 2-1 win against Nebraska’s Craig Brester in the NCAA championship match pushed his stellar season over the top.
“It’s a great honor to be in the same group as the other outstanding wrestlers who have won this award in the past,” Varner said.
The native of Bakersfield, Calif., joins Cyclone wrestling legends like Cael Sanderson, Chris Bono and Dan Gable, all of whom previously won the Athlete of the Year award. Non-wrestler recipients of the honor, which was established in 1947, include Gary Thompson, Barry Stevens and Ellis Hobbs.
Varner recently made the U.S. freestyle team for the World Wrestling Championships, defeating 2008 Olympian Andy Hrovat (96-kg) in the finals of the World Team Trials. A three-time All-American and three-time NCAA finalist (2007- 2nd, 184 pounds; 2008- 2nd, 184 pounds; 2009- 1st, 197 pounds), Varner will try to become just the 13th wrestler in NCAA history to be a four-time finalist at the NCAA Championships next season.
The criminal justice major was a 2009 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.
Iowa State announced Wednesday that volleyball setter Kaylee Manns was the female recipient.
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