ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Ohio State wrestling star Kyle Snyder is the first in Big Ten history to repeat as the conference's male athlete of the year.
Snyder won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and beat Russian standout Abdulrashid Sadulaev to clinch the world freestyle title for the U.S. in 2017.
Snyder wrestled as a heavyweight last season as a senior — a weight class more than 70 pounds heavier than he typically competes in internationally — and won his third straight NCAA title.
He will be favored to win his fourth world championship this fall and possibly compete among the stars of the U.S. team in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics.
The Big Ten has given the award since 1982.
