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Ohio State wrestler Logan Stieber named Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year

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by Michael Basford, Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Logan Stieber, a four-time Big Ten and NCAA champion as a member of the Ohio State wrestling team, has been named the 2015 Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year, the conference announced today. The Big Ten Athletes of the Year are selected by a panel of conference media members from nominations submitted by each institution.


Stieber, who last week was named Ohio State's 2015 Male Athlete of the Year, is just the fourth Buckeye to win the Jesse Owens Award in school history, joining Eddie George (football, 1996), Blaine Wilson (gymnastics, 1997) and Evan Turner (men's basketball, 2010).


“Logan is a special student-athlete who has left a legacy at Ohio State,” said head coach Tom Ryan. “His four national titles are the first ever for a Big Ten athlete, but it was his ability to lead the program to our first-ever NCAA team title that most accurately defines him. I am proud that someone who has worked as hard as he has for as long as he has is receiving such great recognition.”


In March, Stieber became the fourth all-time Division I wrestler to win four NCAA championships in his career when he defeated Edinboro's Mitchell Port, 11-5, for the 141-pound championship. Stieber, whose career record was 119-3, also won NCAA titles at 133 pounds in 2012 (vs. Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State) and 2013 (vs. Tony Ramos, Iowa) and a third at 141 pounds in 2014 (vs. Devin Carter, Virginia Tech). He finished his senior season with 10 pins, eight technical falls four major decisions on his way to being named the NCAA's Most Dominant Wrestler, NWCA Most Outstanding Wrestler and Ohio State's first-ever Dan Hodge Trophy winner.


The list of Stieber's career accomplishments include:


• The first wrestler in the history of the Big Ten conference to win four national titles.

• With a 16-1 tech fall win over Iowa's Josh Dziewa in the finals, became the first Ohio State wrestler to ever win four Big Ten titles.

• Finished his career on a 50-match winning streak dating back to December, 2013.

• Fastest Buckeye to ever reach the 100-win milestone (103 matches).

• Winning percentage ranks first in Ohio State history (.975).

• 50 career falls, tied for the most in school history.

• Just the second wrestler ever to win four CKLV titles.

• Big Ten Most Outstanding Wrestler and Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Big Ten Championships.

• At the 2015 NCAA Championships, won four of five matches by a combined score of 57-9 and added a first period pinfall in his other win. Scored a team-high 26 points.

• 96 of Stieber's 119 wins at Ohio State were bonus point wins.

• Became only the second wrestler in history to win both the Hodge and Jr. Dan Hodge Trophy, given to the top high school wrestler in the country.


Led by Stieber, Ohio State captured its first-ever NCAA team title in the 94-year history of the sport in Columbus.


A wrestler has won this award two straight years, as Penn State's David Taylor won the award in 2014. Other wrestlers who have won were Ed Banach of Iowa in 1983, Barry Davis of Iowa in 1985, Matt Lackey of Illinois in 2003, Damion Hahn of Minnesota in 2004, Cole Konrad of Minnesota in 2007, Brent Metcalf of Iowa in 2008 and Jake Herbert of Northwestern in 2009.

JESSE OWENS MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

1982 - Jim Spivey, Indiana, track and field/cross country

1983 - Ed Banach, Iowa, wrestling

1984 - Sunder Nix, Indiana, track and field

1985 - Barry Davis, Iowa, wrestling

1986 - Chuck Long, Iowa, football

1987 - Steve Alford, Indiana, basketball

1988 - Jim Abbott, Michigan, baseball

1989 - Glen Rice, Michigan, basketball

1990 - Anthony Thompson, Indiana, football

1991 - Mike Barrowman, Michigan, swimming

1992 - Desmond Howard, Michigan, football

1993 - John Roethlisberger, Minnesota, gymnastics

1994 - Glenn Robinson, Purdue, basketball

1995 - Tom Dolan, Michigan, swimming

1996 - Eddie George, Ohio State, football

1997 - Blaine Wilson, Ohio State, gymnastics

1998 - Charles Woodson, Michigan, football

1999 - Luke Donald, Northwestern, golf

2000 - Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, football

2001 - Ryan Miller, Michigan State, ice hockey

2002 - Jordan Leopold, Minnesota, ice hockey

2003 - Amer Delic, Illinois, tennis (co)

2003 - Matt Lackey, Illinois, wrestling (co)

2004 - Damion Hahn, Minnesota, wrestling

2005 – Luis Vargas, Penn State, gymnastics

2006 – Peter Vanderkaay, Michigan, swimming

2007 – Cole Konrad, Minnesota, wrestling

2008 – Brent Metcalf, Iowa, wrestling

2009 – Jake Herbert, Northwestern, wrestling

2010 – Evan Turner, Ohio State, basketball

2011 – David Boudia, Purdue, diving

2012 – Draymond Green, Michigan State, basketball

2013 – Derek Drouin, Indiana, track and field

2014 – David Taylor, Penn State, wrestling

2015 – Logan Stieber, Ohio State, wrestling

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