Luke Pletcher honored as Ohio State's Male Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winner

Luke Pletcher image courtesy of Ohio State Athletics.

Wrestler Luke Pletcher and  Volleyball player Bia Franklin Receive B1G Outstanding Sportsmanship Awards


Columbus, Ohio – Buckeye wrestler Luke Pletcher and Bia Franklin of the Ohio State women’s volleyball team have been recognized by the Big Ten as Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners, the Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday.


Members of varsity sports team on every campus were chosen by his or her institution as a Sportsmanship Award honoree and two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners were then selected from each institution. All of the Sportsmanship Award winners have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these honorees must be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.


Pletcher laid hands on the 141-pound Big Ten title, capping off a career which included multiple trips to the All-American stand. He was the No. 1 seed and owner of a 26-1 season record entering the 2020 NCAA Championships prior to the event cancelation. Pletcher leaves Ohio State with a career record 108-21 with 23 major decisions, eight pins and five tech falls. Off the mat, Pletcher earned vast recognition for his academic efforts as well. He was named an NWCA Scholar All-American, Academic All-Big Ten honoree and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete in all seasons eligible for those awards.


During her time in Scarlet and Gray, Franklin was a three-time member of the women’s volleyball team’s leadership committee thanks to the example she set on and off the court. She worked diligently in the classroom to earn Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors every year and was recognized as a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Franklin spent her last two summers in Columbus as a Bucks Go Pro and Huntington Bucks Go Pro 2.0 intern. She started her experience as an intern for the James Outreach and Network Development department before interning with Pelotonia in their social media and marketing department the following summer. Franklin used her passion for marketing and healthcare to put on the women’s volleyball team’s annual pink match, which recognizes and raises money for breast cancer survivors.

2020 Ohio State Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees


Men’s Cross Country

Giovanni Copploe


Women’s Cross Country

Allison Gaugenti


Football

Justin Hilliard


Men’s Soccer

Parker Siegfried

Women’s Soccer

Bailey Kolinski


Field Hockey

Jennica Jonovich


Women’s Volleyball

Bia Franklin


Men’s Gymnastics

Robert Costea


Women’s Gymnastics

Olivia Aepli


Men’s Basketball

Danny Hummer


Women’s Basketball

Jacy Sheldon


Men’s Indoor Track & Field

Robbie Oswald


Women’s Indoor Track & Field

Alexus Pyles


Men’s Swimming & Diving

Jacob Siler


Women’ Swimming & Diving

Laura Banks


Men’s Tennis

JJ Mercer


Women’s Tennis

Kolie Allen


Men’s Golf

Justin Wick


Women’s Golf

Adeena Shears


Men’s Hockey

Gordi Myer


Wrestling

Luke Pletcher


Men’s Fencing

Domenik Koch


Men’s Pistol

Robbie Delagrange


Men’s Rifle

Jacob Buchanan


Women’s Fencing

Gabriella Cecchini


Women’s Ice Hockey

Jincy Dunne


Women’s Pistol

Emily Nothnagle


Women’s Rifle

Rhiann Travis


Synchronized Swimming

Kaitlyn Carboun