Big Ten honors Penn State's national wrestling champs

Published: June 19, 2012 

PARK RIDGE, Ill. — The season may have been over for months, but the Penn State wrestling team keeps on winning.

The Nittany Lions were honored Monday night as the Big Ten’s Men’s Team of the Year while Cael Sanderson was named the Men’s Head Coach of the Year at the conference’s annual awards ceremony.

The awards caps a season in which Penn State captured the NCAA team championship for a second straight year to go with a Big Ten team crown.

The Team of the Year victory was the second straight, thanks to three individual national champions in David Taylor, Ed Ruth and Frank Molinaro, each of whom finished their seasons undefeated. Taylor also picked up Outstanding Wrestler honors for his dominating performance at the national championship and was named the Hodge Trophy winner as the nation’s top wrestler.

They were joined by national runner-ups Quentin Wright and Nico Megaludis and third-place finisher Dylan Alton.

Sanderson, the Big Ten Wrestling Coach of the Year, upped his coaching record to 42-8-2 in three seasons guiding the Nittany Lions and 86-18-2 overall in dual meets.

Also, Michigan State basketball standout Draymond Green was named the Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year, and Ohio State track athlete Christina Manning picked up the Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year. The Big Ten Athletes of the Year are selected by a panel of conference media members from nominations submitted by each institution.

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