Since 1995, the NCAA has given out the Dan Hodge Award to the nation’s top college wrestler. There have been 23 wrestlers who have received college wrestling's top honor, including four two-time winners and one three-time winner. In years past, Mizzou has seen two of its wrestlers become finalists for the award, J’Den Cox and Ben Askren.
Ben Askren became the first wrestler in Mizzou history to receive this honor. He not only won it during his junior year, he won it in back to back seasons, taking it his senior year as well.