Vote For Yianni Diakomihalis for the #HodgeTrophy! https://t.co/n3pV2dHfiR I https://t.co/qJokzQI7Zy #YellCornell (📸: Tony Rotundo/WrestlersareWarriors.com) pic.twitter.com/Xvv5YHF4DS
— Cornell Big Red (@CornellSports) March 27, 2019
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Sophomore Yianni Diakomihalis has been named one of four finalists for the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's most outstanding college wrestler. Given each year by W.I.N. Magazine (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine), the deadline for the associated fan vote is Friday, March 29, at 6:00 p.m.
Criteria for the award includes: A wrestler's record; the number of pins; dominance on the mat; quality of competition; past credentials; sportsmanship/citizenship; and heart.
The Official Hodge Fan Vote winner gets two first-place votes toward the final selection of the committee made up of all former winners, national wrestling media, retired college coaches from each region and a representative of each national wrestling organization.
Diakomihalis capped off a 29-0 season with a 6-4 win over No. 2 seed Joey McKenna of Ohio State in sudden victory in the NCAA finals for his second straight national title. The two-time Ivy League Wrestler of the Year and unanimous first-teamer was chosen as the EIWA Most Outstanding Wrestler en route to his second crown. He concluded his campaign with a 47-match win streak dating back to his freshman campaign. His .985 win percentage (66-1) ranks No. 1 on the school's all-time list. In all, 17 of his wins came by bonus points.
Dating back to high school, Diakomihalis has won 276 of his last 277 matches (.996) and has avenged the lone loss, a 9-6 last-second defeat at the hands of Missouri's Jaydin Eierman, three times since - including in the 2018 and 2019 NCAA semifinals.
Diakomihalis joins Penn State seniors Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf and Rutgers' Anthony Arshnault are the other finalists. Kyle Dake '13 was the lone Cornell wrestler to claim the trophy since it was first handed out in 1995. Other Big Red wrestlers that have been finalists are Travis Lee (2003), Dake (2012) and Nahshon Garrett (2016).
The winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 2.