Vito Arujau of Cornell to get Amateur Wrestling News' Hammer Award for winning toughest NCAA weight class

Vito Arujau (Cornell) secures single leg takedown on Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) in 2023 NCAA finals. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.

Amateur Wrestling News will present The Hammer, its annual award, to Cornell University’s Vito Arujau.


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 during the NCAA Tournament.


Arujau won the 133-pound title in Tulsa, defeating Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix in the semifinals and 2xNCAA champ Roman Bravo-Young in the finals. Arujau has placed third and fourth in previous NCAA tournaments. There were seven returning All Americans at the weight. Arujau finished the season 25-1.


Past Hammer recipients include Logan Stieber, Alex Dieringer, Spencer Lee, Zahid Valencia, Bo Nickal, Nick Lee, and Keegan O’Toole.


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