Lee named finalist for Dan Hodge Trophy
The award is presented annually to the nation’s most dominant college wrestler.
Iowa’s 125-pound Spencer Lee grapples with Purdue’s Devin Schroder during the final session of the Big Ten Wrestling Tournament in Piscataway, NJ, on Sunday, March 8, 2020. Lee won by major decision 16-2, securing the 125-pound championship, and Iowa won the team title with 157.5 points.
March 20, 2020
Iowa junior Spencer Lee has been named a finalist for the 2020 Dan Hodge Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s most dominant college wrestler.
Fan voting for the award runs from March 23-27 and the winner is announced March 30.
Lee was the top-seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships, putting together an 18-0 record on his way to the 125-pound Big Ten championship. He was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, outscoring his opponents 234-18 this season. He scored bonus points in 17 of 18 wins, recorded four first-period falls and nine technical falls, and averaged 5.0 team points per match.
Of Lee’s 18 matches, only four of them went the entire seven minutes. Lee was 5-0 in the month of January with five technical falls. He outscored those five opponents 84-1.
Lee is one of eight finalists for an award that considers seven pieces of criteria: record, number of pins, dominance, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship/citizenship, and heart.
The winner is determined by fan vote and the Hodge Trophy Voting Committee.