March 30, 2007

Columbia, Mo. - One week removed from earning his second consecutive Dan Hodge Award, Tiger senior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) was named 2007 Rev Wrestler of the Year as announced by RevWrestling.com. The honor is the second of Ben's four year career at Missouri and comes after the four-time All-American successfully defended his title at 174 pounds at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships March 17, at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Presented to the nation's top collegiate wrestler from across all divisions of wrestling, the annual award is voted on by the writers and executives of RevWrestling.com.

Named the 2006 Rev Wrestler of the Year, Askren improved on his junior campaign by finishing with a perfect 42-0 record while earning 29 wins by fall. After four years of TigerStyle wrestling, Askren has etched his name into the Missouri wrestling season and career record books, collecting a program-high 153 career wins, 91 career falls and 29 falls in a single season.

"With his trademark Afro and his outsized, outgoing personality, it's impossible to overlook Ben Askren," said Mark Palmer, staff writer for RevWrestling. "But he's backed it up with his total domination of the 174-pound weight class. None of his competitors seemed to be able to decipher his mastery of the funk; in fact, two-thirds of them fell victim to his considerable pinning prowess."