Spencer Lee won’t get to go for a three-peat at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, but he ended the season with a perfect record and that carries plenty of weight for candidates who are up for a national award.
Lee, a junior 125-pounder at Iowa and a Franklin Regional alum, is a finalist for the WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s most dominant college wrestler.
The winner will be selected based on a fan vote that runs from March 23-27.
The winner will be announced March 30.
Other finalists: West Virginia sophomore Noah Adams (197), Northwestern junior Ryan Deakin (157), Princeton sophomore Pat Glory (125), Stanford freshman Shane Griffith (165), Ohio State senior Kollin Moore (197), Minnesota sophomore Gable Steveson (heavyweight) and Cornell senior Charles Tucker (133).
Spencer Lee Named Finalist for Dan Hodge Trophy: https://t.co/DO4gXJKbjB
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) March 20, 2020
Online fan voting begins Monday.#Hawkeyes #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/TJ8uupj2vQ
Lee (18-0) would have been the top seed in the NCAA Tournament after winning his first Big Ten championship and earning the conference’s wrestler of the year honor.
He outscored his opponents 234-18 and racked up bonus points in 17 of 18 matches, including nine technical falls.
Ahah thanks man. You had a stellar season though don’t sell yourself short man!
— Spencer Lee (@LeeSpencerlee36) March 20, 2020
Lee also is up for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually to the nation’s top amateur athlete. He is one of 33 semifinalists for the award, which also chooses a winner via fan voting.
"??????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??????-???????."
— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) March 17, 2020
Seven of the sweetest words in all of @ncaawrestling.@LeeSpencerlee36 was other-worldly this season and the numbers (and B1G ?) back it up.@Hawks_Wrestling | @FloWrestling pic.twitter.com/uytAnFS1zO
