After claiming their first career individual national titles this past weekend in St. Louis, Roman Bravo-Young and Aaron Brooks have both been named finalists for the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation’s best collegiate wrestler.
The list rounds out with fellow undefeated national champions Austin O’Connor of North Carolina, David Carr of Iowa State, and likely front runners Gable Steveson of Minnesota and Spencer Lee of Iowa.
As in year’s past, a portion of the award’s selection is based on fan vote, along with criteria such as bonus point rate, number of pins, quality of competition, sportsmanship and heart. The wrestler with the most amount of fan votes receives two additional first-place ballots.
While Lee and Steveson have been the heavy favorites all year, Bravo-Young and Brooks still make a strong case for themselves with their performances in the NCAA Championships. Bravo-Young upset Daton Fix of Oklahoma State, who was the favorite at the weight and had only lost twice in his career to that point. Brooks dominated all tournament and finished the season with a 50% bonus point rate.
Both wrestlers were 14-0 on the year. Bravo-Young finished with one pin, two tech falls, and two major decisions. Brooks finished with two tech falls and five major decisions.
Fans can vote for their favorite to win the Hodge Trophy here.
