Varner ISU Male Athlete of the Year

**JonDMiller** · 07-09-2009, 10:20 AM

AMES, Iowa--The Iowa State Athletics Department announced today that national champion wrestler Jake Varner was named ISU’s 2008-09 Male Athlete of the Year.

Varner, a native of Bakersfield, Calif., capped off an outstanding junior season by winning the NCAA title at 197 pounds. Varner, who ended the year with a 31-2 mark, defeated Nebraska’s Craig Brester, 2-1 in the final match to give ISU its 65th NCAA individual title in school history.
“It’s a great honor to be in the same group as the other outstanding wrestlers who have won this award in the past,” Varner said.

Varner recently made the U.S. freestyle team for the World Wrestling Championships, defeating 2008 Olympian Andy Hrovat (96-kg) in the finals of the World Team Trials. A three-time All-American and three-time NCAA finalist (2007- 2nd, 184 pounds; 2008- 2nd, 184 pounds; 2009- 1st, 197 pounds), Varner will try to become just the 13th wrestler in NCAA history to be a four-time finalist at the NCAA Championships next season.

The criminal justice major was a 2009 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.

Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year Award Winners
1947 Ron Norman Basketball
1948 Glen Brand Wrestling
1949 Bob Peterson Basketball
1950 Bill Weeks Football
1951 Jim Doran Football
1952 Mal Schmidt Football & Swimming
1953 Jack Erickson Football & Wrestling
1954 Max Burkett Football
1955 Chuck Duncan Basketball
1956 Gary Thompson Baseball & Basketball
1957 Gary Thompson Baseball & Basketball
1958 Frank Powell Football & Wrestling
1959 Ron Gray Wrestling
1960 Dwight Nichols Football
1961 Tom Watkins Football
1962 Dave Hoppman Football
1963 Marv Straw Basketball
1964 Gordon Hassman Wrestling
1965 Tom Vaughn Football
1966 Tom Peckham Wrestling
1967 Don Smith Basketball
1968 Don Smith Basketball
1969 Dan Gable Wrestling
1970 Dan Gable Wrestling
1971 Otto Stowe Football
1972 George Amundson Football
1973 Chris Taylor Wrestling
1974 Doug Fitzjarrell Gymnastics
1975 Al Nacin Wrestling
1976 Pete Galea Wrestling
1977 Wayne Stanley Football
1978 Mark Trippel Gymnastics
1979 Mike Land Wrestling
1980 Mike Schwartz Football
1981 Ron Galimore Gymnastics
1982 John Quinn Football
1983 Nate Carr Wrestling
1984 Bob Verbeeck Track & Field
1985 Barry Stevens Basketball
1986 Mark Diab Gymnastics
1987 Stewart Carter Wrestling
1988 Eric Hansen Swimming
Jeff Grayer Basketball
1989 Tim Krieger Wrestling
1990 Mike Busch Baseball & Football
1991 John Nuttall Cross Country and Track & Field
1992 Obinna Eregbu Track & Field
1993 Jonah Koech Track & Field
1994 Eric Akin Wrestling
1995 Fred Hoiberg Basketball
1996 Dmitry Drozdov Track & Field and Cross Country
1997 Chris Bono Wrestling
1998 Dwight Hinson Wrestling
1999 Cael Sanderson Wrestling
2000 Marcus Fizer Basketball
2001 Jamaal Tinsley Basketball
Cael Sanderson Wrestling
2002 Cael Sanderson Wrestling
2003 Seneca Wallace Football
2004 Zach Roberson Wrestling
Jake Sullivan Basketball
2005 Ellis Hobbs Football
2006 Nate Gallick Wrestling
2007 Trent Paulson Wrestling
2008 Chris Baker Golf
2009 Jake Varner Wrestling

**JonDMiller** · 07-09-2009, 10:21 AM

"Varner will try to become just the 13th wrestler in NCAA history to be a four-time finalist at the NCAA Championships next season."

That is staggering to me...only 12 have ever made it to the finals all four years...and Varner has a chance to be added to that amazingly exclusive club....at least two of them will have worn the ISU singlet. If Freshmen would have been eligible for varsity, a third, Dan Gable, likely would be on that list.

**CycoCyclone** · 07-09-2009, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

"Varner will try to become just the 13th wrestler in NCAA history to be a four-time finalist at the NCAA Championships next season."

That is staggering to me...only 12 have ever made it to the finals all four years...and Varner has a chance to be added to that amazingly exclusive club....at least two of them will have worn the ISU singlet. If Freshmen would have been eligible for varsity, a third, Dan Gable, likely would be on that list.

Good post Jon, This is exciting. I just wish he was a bit more menacing, Jake wrestles very methodically.

**JonDMiller** · 07-09-2009, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by CycoCyclone

Good post Jon, This is exciting. I just wish he was a bit more menacing, Jake wrestles very methodically.

Like Cael? I don't know that menacing is how I would describe Cael...except for his senior year, where just his name probably was worth two points before the match even began.

**joefrog** · 07-09-2009, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by CycoCyclone

Good post Jon, This is exciting. I just wish he was a bit more menacing, Jake wrestles very methodically.

I think that has a lot to do with how Cael would coach. If you are an absolutely amazing wrestler, you can make it work. The thing is, it doesn't seem to lend itself towards many upsets. ISU wrestlers seemed to beat who they should, but would lose to favorites, almost all the time.

I hope that under KJ, they can add some calculated aggresiveness. Add some upsets and bonus points, and ISU wins the whole damn thing.

Also, whatup Jon Miller? See, it doesn't feel so bad dipping your toes in positive Cyclone news. Take a vacation from Hawkville and strap on some cardinal and gold. You just may like the look.

**Knownothing** · 07-09-2009, 10:48 AM

My vote would have been Brackins. He carried the basketball team and returned to ISU. Is this a senior only award?

**JonDMiller** · 07-09-2009, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by Knownothing

My vote would have been Brackins. He carried the basketball team and returned to ISU. Is this a senior only award?

Varner is not a senior. Which means you probably don't follow wrestling...which means you probably don't appreciate the achievement of a national title over Brackins being the star on a bad basketball team ;)

**MoreCowbell** · 07-09-2009, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

Varner is not a senior. Which means you probably don't follow wrestling...which means you probably don't appreciate the achievement of a national title over Brackins being the star on a bad basketball team ;)

This. Not to say that Brackins couldn't potentially be the recipient next year, but this year it should go to Jake.

Congrats to Jake!

**CycoCyclone** · 07-09-2009, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

Like Cael? I don't know that menacing is how I would describe Cael...except for his senior year, where just his name probably was worth two points before the match even began.

Originally Posted by joefrog

I think that has a lot to do with how Cael would coach. If you are an absolutely amazing wrestler, you can make it work. The thing is, it doesn't seem to lend itself towards many upsets. ISU wrestlers seemed to beat who they should, but would lose to favorites, almost all the time.

I hope that under KJ, they can add some calculated aggresiveness. Add some upsets and bonus points, and ISU wins the whole damn thing.

Also, whatup Jon Miller? See, it doesn't feel so bad dipping your toes in positive Cyclone news. Take a vacation from Hawkville and strap on some cardinal and gold. You just may like the look.

You are both very correct, I hope KJ changes that. Safe wrestling doesn't get ISU bonus points to beat folks, like more aggressive wreslting.

**LindenCy** · 07-09-2009, 11:04 AM

You know what is crazy about that list? That there is no Troy Davis on it anywhere.

**Haverhill** · 07-09-2009, 11:07 AM

I wanna see Jon Miller wear Cyclone stuff at least once in his life... I would pay to see it.

**JonDMiller** · 07-09-2009, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Haverhill

I wanna see Jon Miller wear Cyclone stuff at least once in his life... I would pay to see it.

I worked at McDonald's when I was 15. Does that count?

Just kidding. I think I might own two things that are red, and it has nothing to do with ISU...a hat and wind breaker, both West Branch Bears...I am more of a blue guy.

**Haverhill** · 07-09-2009, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

I worked at McDonald's when I was 15. Does that count?

Just kidding. I think I might own two things that are red, and it has nothing to do with ISU...a hat and wind breaker, both West Branch Bears...I am more of a blue guy.

I have a picture of me when I was 4 in a Black and Gold shirt, and my aunt and uncle refuse to get rid of it... It's perhaps my most embarrassing moment in this short life of mine...

**RayShimley** · 07-09-2009, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by LindenCy

You know what is crazy about that list? That there is no Troy Davis on it anywhere.

That is crazy. I guess we can't complain about him not winning the Heisman when we don't even give him the best male ISU athlete award..

**theshadow** · 07-09-2009, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by LindenCy

You know what is crazy about that list? That there is no Troy Davis on it anywhere.

Drozdov was an absolute stud. 5-time all-American (4x in the steeplechase), and picked up a national title in '96.

Bono was a national champion in '96 and finished 2nd in '97. 3x all-American, 2x conference champ. His 130 wins ranked 2nd all-time at ISU (but now rank 5th).

Besides, Troy got enough love nationally that being ISU's Athlete of the Year wouldn't have been a blip on anyone's radar.