Mankato, Minn. -- The Minnesota State wrestling
team named the recipients of its team awards at the annual Maverick
Wrestling Awards Banquet held Saturday in Mankato. The award winners
are listed below.
Purple Heart Award: Nick Smith and Andy Pickar. Smith, a senior from
Yankton, S.D., earned All-America honors this year with a second-place
finish at 125 pounds and completed the year with a 23-6 record. He
completed his MSU career with a 109-45 record. Pickar, a three-time
All-American and this year’s national champion at 165 pounds, was 27-2
in 2007-08 and finished his three-year MSU career with a record of
73-17. Pickar hails from Brainerd, Minn.
Top Newcomer: Tommy Abbott. Abbott earned All-America honors in
his first season with the Mavericks with a fifth-place finish at 149
pounds at the NCAA tournament. The Wilmington, Del., native racked up a
25-5 record in 2007-08.
Most Improved: John Putman. Putman, a junior from Oaklawn, Ill.,
crafted 21-13 record in 2007-08. He earned All-America honors with a
sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division II national championships this
year.
Most Valuable and Hardest Worker: Jason Rhoten. A four-time
wrestling All-American and the national 157-pound champion this year,
this Mantorville, Minn., native completed 2007-08 with a record of 40-2
and his 40 wins this year ranks third on MSU’s single-season list. He
established a school record for career wins with 136 and this past year
helped lead Minnesota State to the National Duals title, the NCAA
Division II Central Region championship and a second-place finish at
the NCAA Division II national wrestling championship.