The 'Other' Awards of 2005-06
After every wrestling season there are a series of traditional awards that get handed out to wrestlers and coaches who have achieved great things. Wrestling International Newsmagazine, for example, annually helps presents the Dan Hodge Trophy, the Dan Gable Coach of the Year and Impact Person of the Year, while the NCAA names its Outstanding Wrestler at the national tournament.
But there are several awards that should be given out to those wrestlers who helped make the college wrestling season better simply because they chose to take part. As a way to honor these individuals, the following is a list of awards that I’ve decided to give to select wrestlers, coaches and fans.
No trophies will be given out so, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it: the reward of a thing well done is to have done it.
Best Dressed Head Coach
Winner: Hofstra’s Tom Ryan
From the opening whistle to the closing seconds of a tournament, Tom Ryan can found wearing a suit and tie. Ryan presents himself with dignity and class everywhere he goes.
Best Dressed Assistant
Winner: Ohio State’s Mitch Clark
I don’t recall seeing Mitch Clark at the NCAA tournament this year but I’m sure he was looking dapper. In years past, Clark has impressed with his fashionable suits and stylish attire. He is one of the few people who can wear a pink shirt and get away with it. Mitch Clark is proof that the girls go crazy for a sharp-dressed man.
Greatest Moment
Winner: Cole Konrad’s pin over Steve Mocco at National Duals
Wh
en Minnesota’s Cole Konrad and Oklahoma State’s Steve Mocco faced each other during the heavyweight match of the 2006 NWCA National Duals championship, Jan. 15, the stage was set for an epic college wrestling dual.All the necessary components for a dramatic conclusion were in place. The Cowboy and Gopher programs had collectively won the past five NCAA tournaments and Mocco had defeated Konrad in the 2005 NCAA finals. (Konrad beat Mocco at the NWCA All-Star meet earlier in the year but it didn’t count on Mocco’s record).
Mocco also had transferred from Iowa to Oklahoma State and the dual took place in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and … most importantly … the winner of the match decided the meet.
Minnesota held a 15-14 lead heading into the heavyweight match and the score of their bout was tied 1-1 in the third period. But Konrad sent shockwaves through the UNI Dome and the college wrestling world when he executed a trapped-arm body lock and threw Mocco to his back for the fall. Never in my life have I seen a collection of people using their cell phones at the same time to tell someone what had happened.
The Rick Sanders Funk Award
Winner: Ben Askren (Missouri)
Once every 10 to 15 years, a wrestler comes along who is worthy of the Rick Sanders Funk Award. After dying in a car wreck in 1972, Sanders’ memory lives on through renowned wrestling lore. The former Portland State star possessed flair and funk both on and off the mat, so the winner of this award would have to be Sanders approved. Missouri’s Ben Askren is one of the few wrestlers who fit the bill. Simply put: Dan Hodge Trophy winner Ben Askren is a funk machine.
Entertainer of the Year
Winner: Oklahoma State’s Johny Hendricks
Johny Hendricks was in contention for this award all year long based on his swagger on the mat and his ability to give long and entertaining interviews with the press. However, it was his post-victory celebration after his controversial win over Michigan’s Ryan Churella in the 165-pound finals of the NCAA tournament that put Hendricks in the lead for good. The Cowboy junior gave the hometown crowd a grand victory celebration the likes of which we may never see again.
Hendricks also received bonus points for his name. Johny (yes, spelled with only one n) sounds and looks like a name straight out of an old-time western.
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