Penn State’s Bo Nickal is a high-risk, high-reward type of wrestler, and because just about every risk he took the past four seasons for the Nittany Lions yielded reward, he was given college wrestling’s most prestigious award on Monday.
NIckal is the 2019 winner of the Hodge Trophy, given to the top collegiate wrestler in the nation. He won three NCAA championships for Penn State in four finals appearances.
Nickal earned 37 first-place votes out of 51 total votes. Teammate Jason Nolf was second with 10 votes for the No. 1 spot. Nickal also won a nationwide fan tally with 13,892 votes, compared to 7,828 for Rutgers’ Anthony Ashnault, 5,251 for Nolf and 933 for Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis.
It's the fifth time in eight years that a Penn State wrestler has won college wrestling's most prestigious award; Nickal joins two-time winners Zain Retherford (2017-2018) and David Taylor (2012, 2014). Kerry McCoy won for Penn State in 1997.
Both Nickal and Nolf said throughout the season that awards weren’t important, but now that the season is over Nickal admitted that he is honored and it was a goal.
“It’s something I’ve wanted since I was in high school and I first found out about the award,” Nickal told W.I.N. Magazine. “I’ve tried to go out and do what the Hodge symbolizes, going for the pin and scoring as many points as I can.”
NIckal won 120 matches and lost just three in his Penn State career. He finished with a 68-bout winning streak and he had 59 career falls, one shy of program-leader Nolf. And 94 of Nickal’s victories earned bonus points for the Nittany Lions.
Perhaps his most memorable bonus-point win came in the 2018 NCAA finals in Cleveland. NIckal was taken down to his back by Ohio State’s Myles Martin but quickly worked an elevator series against Martin and flipped him to his back, trapping his chin and securing a fall that not only gave him his second title but Penn State another team title.
Yet another fan favorite was the 2019 dual meet at Ohio State against Kollin Moore when he hit a takedown at about the two-minute mark and hooked up a tight cradle for a fall against the previously unbeaten Moore during Penn State’s 28-9 victory against the No. 2 Buckeyes.
Two of NIckal’s NCAA titles came at 184 in 2017 and 2018, and one this season at 197.
“It’s a validation for my hard work. I tried to make the most out of every second on the mat,’’ Nickal told W.I.N.
Penn State coach Cael Sanderson won three Hodge Trophies of his own during his 159-0 career at Iowa State and he was pleased to see Nickal earn this year’s award.
“He truly had an amazing college career and he will not only go down as one of the best ever, but also one of the most entertaining and dangerous wrestlers ever,” Sanderson said. “Bo had such unforgettable pins in big matches throughout his career.”
Nickal was part of a Penn State team that hasn’t lost a dual meet in four seasons; the Nittany Lions have a 59-meet winning streak going and he played a major role.
“The way you carry yourself is more important than the wins and losses,” he told W.I.N. “I don’t define myself by wins and losses. Because of that, I’m able to compete more freely. I’ve never been afraid to go for certain moves. I like to put on a show for the fans. And I’m not afraid to take risks and go for big moves.”
Nickal will receive his award at the Penn State wrestling banquet on April 14; he’ll also be honored at a Penn State football game next fall.
“I wrestled freely,” Nickal said. “When you watch me, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. I gave 100 percent in every match. I had fun out there and loved what I did.”
