The 2019 FloWrestling NCAA Awards

The 2019 FloWrestling NCAA Awards

The FloWrestling team hands out their annual awards for the 2018-19 NCAA season.

Apr 16, 2019 by Andrew Spey
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They're back! As if they never left! The Second Annual FloWrestling NCAA Awards! 

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They're back! As if they never left! The Second Annual FloWrestling NCAA Awards! 

Break out your air guitars and lets party. Below are the winners of the most coveted and prestigious awards of them all.


MVW (Most Valuable Wrestler)

Co-winners: Jason Nolf & Bo Nickal, Penn State

There was some contention in the office about whether two people could share the award, but eventually the naysayers succumbed to the logic that two is better than one.


The JCVD Bloodsport Award

Steven Bleise, Minnesota

The Very Nice Steven Bleise never let a little blood get in the way of a wrestling match. For even more graphic evidence, please click here and here.



Most Redeemed Wrestler of the Year

Chance Marsteller, Lock Haven

Not that long ago, the smart money was that Chance Marsteller, once the No. 1 recruit in the country, would never wrestle an NCAA match. Now, Marsteller is a two-time All-American with a bright future on the international freestyle circuit. 


Coaching Milestone Awards

Scott Goodale, Rutgers

Rutgers never had a national champion before Saturday night. Now they have two of them. Not bad for what was once a middling program in the EIWA.


Tony Robie, Virginia Tech

The Hokies had likewise never had a national champion before Mekhi Lewis forever etched his name in the school's record books. 


Doug Schwab, Northern Iowa

Drew Foster was the first national champ for the Schwab Mob, and just the second UNI champ since 1963.


Glad We Didn’t Jinx It Award

Ryan Preisch, Lehigh | Mitch Finesilver, Duke

Seniors Ryan and Mitch both climbed podium steps for the first time in four trips to the NCAAs. They both also placed fourth.

Preisch reached the quarterfinals before getting dropped into his third consecutive blood round match. Preisch didn't let any nerves get to him, as he took out Lou DePrez to finally punch his way through to the medal matches. 


Finesilver also made the quarterfinals before being sent to the wrestlebacks. He battled through Navy's Jared Prince to reach the promised land. 


And sorry for jinxing it, everyone else from this article. We don't believe we have the power to affect matches with our articles but if we somehow gained that ability, we submit our deepest condolences for our reckless behavior.


The Second Annual Billy Baldwin Best Bearcat Award

Lou DePrez

DePredator came within one match of being the first Bearcat All-American since Donnie Vinson finished third in 2012.


Rage Against the Machine presents the Know Your Enemy Award

Austin O'Connor, North Carolina | Mitch Finesilver, Duke

Finesilver and O'Connor wrestled six times this year. SIX! They split those six matches, each winning three contests. Finesilver won at the Hokie Open and ACCs, as well as the dual meet. O'Connor won at the CKLV and most importantly, both matches at NCAAs. 

Finesilver also won the cumulative scoring battle, 21 to 20, but unfortunately, that doesn't count for anything but a note in a meaningless NCAA awards article.


The BMOC Award

Josh Hokit, Fresno State

Not content with just being a varsity running back on Fresno State's Mountain West Conference champion Bulldog football team, Josh Hokit also became Fresno State's first All-American wrestler since the program was reinstated. 

Hokit also made the podium as the No. 16 seed, tied with Chad Red for the second-highest seed at NCAAs. No. 26 seed Dakota Geer was the highest seeded All-American. A graduate of nearby Clovis High School, Hokit was the Fresno Bee athlete of the year. It is safe to say that Fresno is Josh Hokit's city.



Inigo Montoya Award For Best Revenge 

Ben Harvey over Dylan Lydy

Back in 2015, Lydy beat Harvey in the Indiana 170-pound state finals 3-1 in sudden victory. Harvey carried that loss with him for the next few years and allowed his vengeance to lie dormant. It wasn't until the opening round of the 174-pound 2019 NCAA Championship that Harvey, like one of the 47 ronin, exacted his revenge in the form of an 11-3 victory over Lydy.

Both Lydy and Harvey were stopped in the blood round, which will serve to fuel further revenge for both competitors, to be exacted at a later yet-to-be-determined date.


The Wrestle-Like-You're-Double-Parked Award

Matt Stencel, Central Michigan | Mason Parris, Michigan

Parris and Stencel wrestled three times this season. Each match ended in the first period. Parris pinned Stencel in just 14 seconds at the Michigan State Open. Stencel, in turn, scored pins in 30 seconds at the CKLV and in 2:30 at NCAAs. 


Coaches Who Have Recently Gained the Power of Levitation

Not really an award, just an observation of an impressive skill to possess. 

Adam Hall, North Carolina State


Mike Grey and Gabe Dean, Cornell


The AARP Award

Willie Miklus, Iowa State

Miklus graduated high school in 2012 the only All-American from that class. Miklus is also undeniably a hammer, reaching the podium in all four trips he's taken to the NCAA Tournament. 


Most Likely To Be A Character in Game of Thrones

Ian Butterbrodt of Brown

Also not really an award, more like a senior superlative from a yearbook. Great name though, and we needed to highlight it. Butterbrodt also had an impressive NCAA Tournament for a No. 26 seed, losing in the blood round to Amar Dhesi, and beating the No. 8 seed Demetrius Thomas among others in the consolation rounds. 


The Edinboro Alumni Association Award

Sean Russell, Minnesota

Korbin Myers, Virginia Tech

Pat Lugo, Iowa

Dakota Geer, Oklahoma State

Edinboro did not score any points at NCAAs this season, but four wrestlers who were at one point part of the program did. The quartet of transfers scored 21.5 points, which would have been good enough for 23rd. 


The Rankings-Don't-Matter Award

Kyle Shoop, Lock Haven

Proving that rankers aren't perfect, Kyle Shoop reached All-American status despite not being ranked in the NCAA top 20. Luckily for the sizable Lock Haven contingent in Pittsburgh, Shoop completely ignored the clueless rankers and beat four ranked wrestlers, who were at the time, No. 10 Josh Alber, No. 11 Chad Red, No. 14 Kaid Brock, and No. 19 Matt Findlay, on his way to a seventh-place finish.


The Kyle Bratke BWest Virginian Award

Josh Humphreys, Lehigh

True freshman Josh Humphrey represented the Lehigh Engineers and West Virginians alike with his blood round performance in Pittsburgh.

Josh also understands the importance of staying warm while waiting for your match to start. 


The 3 Amigos Award

Alec Pantaleo, Myles Amine and Stevan Micic, Michigan

The Wolverines had three wrestlers place third at the NCAA Tournament, cause they're the three best friends that anyone can ever have.