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Missouri's Keegan O'Toole to receive Amateur Wrestling News' Hammer Award for winning most competitive weight class

by Amateur Wrestling News

Keegan O'Toole of Missouri has hand raised after winning 2022 NCAA title at 165 pounds. Photo by Larry Slater.


Amateur Wrestling News will present The Hammer, its annual award, to the University of Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole.


The award is presented to the wrestler who wins the national title at what the writers at AWN determine to be the most competitive weight class.


O’Toole won the 165-pound title this year in Detroit, defeating Stanford’s Shane Griffith in the finals. Griffith was the defending champion, and the 2021 NCAA Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. There were nine returning All Americans at the weight. O’Toole finished the season undefeated at 25-0.


Past Hammer recipients include Logan Stieber (Ohio State), Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State), Spencer Lee (Iowa), Zahid Valencia (Arizona State), Bo Nickal (Penn State), and Nick Lee (Penn State).


An award is only as prestigious as the quality of those who have previously won it.