Noah Adams Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Year
West Virginia's superstar wrestler Noah Adams has earned yet another honor, being named Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Year. He is the first Mountaineer to win the award in school history.
The Coal City, West Virginia native finished the third undefeated season in school history, joining three-time national champion Greg Jones as one of the only two Mountaineer grapplers to do so. He finished his season with a championship at 197 pounds in the Big 12 tournament.
Adams was set to enter the NCAA Championships as the two-seed at his weight behind Ohio State senior Kollin Moore. With the cancellation of all winter championships due to the COVID-19 epidemic, Adams will not have the chance to challenge Moore who went from end to end as the top-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds.
Despite the unfortunate end of his season, Adams has an outstanding chance to continue to add to his many honors. In addition to being named conference wrestler of the year, he is a finalist for the Dan Hodge Trophy, college wrestling's equivalent to football's Heisman Trophy.
He is the first West Virginia wrestler to be named Big 12 Wrestler of the Year since the Mountaineers joined the league but not the only Mountaineer to claim such a title. He becomes the fifth to take home a conference award, joining Scott Collins, Dean Morrison, Vertus Jones, and Greg Jones who each was named wrestler of the year in the Eastern Wrestling League.
He will return to West Virginia next season as a junior and the likely favorite for the 2020-21 national championship at 197 pounds
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