Alex Dieringer runs out onto the mat for his NCAA finals match (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Once a freshman phenom and now a seasoned senior, Dieringer's rise through the college ranks has caught the attention of many other wrestlers, coaches and fans across the country. As he wraps up his final collegiate season, Dieringer has accomplished nearly all there is to accomplish in college wrestling. There is still a prize he has yet to capture, however.
The Dan Hodge Trophy, awarded each year to the nation's most outstanding college wrestler, has often been referred to as the Heisman Trophy of wrestling. It is the one of the only awards Dieringer hasn't won, but that should change this year. There have been 21 winners of the award, and only one Cowboy has ever won it.
There are seven specific criteria for which the Hodge Trophy is based on: record, number of pins, dominance, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship/citizenship, and heart. Dieringer, now a three-time finalist for the award, has already fallen under several of these criteria in the past and most definitely during this season.
Dieringer has all the credentials to win this award. He has been outstanding on and off the wrestling mat, and he has been dominant.
After redshirting his first year at Oklahoma State, Dieringer, a senior from Port Washington, Wisconsin, quickly established himself as one the nation's best wrestlers during his time in Stillwater. As a freshman, Dieringer compiled a 35-3 record and won his first Big 12 title en route to being named an All-American.
Dieringer's sophomore campaign saw him finish with a 32-1 record, going 10-1 against ranked opponents, while winning his second Big 12 title, first NCAA individual title, and earning his second All-American honor.
His junior season saw Dieringer improve upon his already dominant career. He compiled a perfect 33-0 record, going 11-0 against ranked opponents. Dieringer led the Cowboys in wins (33), dual wins (15), bonus point wins (28), wins by fall (11), wins by major decision (13), wins by technical fall (4), dual takedowns (64) and dual nearfalls (13). Dieringer won his second-consecutive NCAA individual title and third-straight Big 12 title.
This season, he compiled a second-consecutive perfect record, putting together another 33-0 season to bring his career total to 133-4. He is among the nation's leaders and consistently dominated quality competition, going 14-0 against ranked opponents in 2015-16. Of his 33 wins, 27 came with bonus points attached, including 12 pins -- 10 of which came in the first period -- eight major decisions and seven technical falls.
His dual stats also provide more impressive numbers as he led the team with 47 takedowns and also tallied 14 nearfalls in his 16 dual wins.
What is even more impressive is that Dieringer surrendered only two offensive points the entire season -- a takedown in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships.
Dieringer is second all-time in career wins, trailing John Smith, and his unbeaten streak ranks third in Cowboy wrestling history. As far as bonus points go, he has 97 bonus wins as a Cowboy, putting him at fourth in the record books, with 16 technical falls, 36 major decisions and 45 falls. His bonus win percentage sits at 72.9 percent, while his overall win percentage is an astonishing 97.1 percent, the fourth-best in school history.
Few have stood in Dieringer's way throughout his outstanding career. This year was no different. Oklahoma State head coach, the legendary John Smith, has frequently predicted Dieringer as one of top-five greatest wrestlers in Oklahoma State history and now Dieringer has rightfully earned his spot among the elite.
His name is Alex Dieringer, a three-time NCAA Champion, and he is one that few in the wrestling community should ever forget.
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