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    Burroughs named 2011 InterMat Wrestler of the Year

    Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs came back from a potential career-ending injury in December 2009 to win the 165-pound title at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships, and the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy. The senior from Sicklerville, N.J. concludes his college mat career with yet another honor: the InterMat Wrestler of the Year award for 2011.

    This award is presented each year to the nation's top wrestler across all divisions of college competition, based on a vote of InterMat writers and executives.

    2011 InterMat Wrestler of the Year
    1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1
    Total Votes/(First-Place Votes)

    1. Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska, 106 (8)
    2. Anthony Robles, ASU, 88 (5)
    3. Jordan Oliver, OSU, 66 (1)
    4. Jon Reader, ISU, 28
    5. Kellen Russell, Michigan, 24
    6. Kyle Dake, Cornell, 12
    7. Dustin Kilgore, KSU, 7
    8. Bubba Jenkins, ASU, 6
    9. Mario Morgan, UNO, 4
    T10. Donovan McMahill, WSU, 3
    T10. David Taylor, PSU, 3
    T12. Myanganbayar Batsukh, SJU, 1
    T12. Ashley Hudson, OCU, 1
    T12. Matt McDonough, Iowa, 1
    As InterMat's 2011 Wrestler of the Year, Burroughs is in top-flight company. Among the previous honorees are some of the most accomplished amateur wrestlers of the past decade: Jayson Ness of Minnesota in 2010, Northwestern's Jake Herbert in 2009, Brent Metcalf of Iowa in 2008, and Missouri's Ben Askren, 2006 and 2007.

    Burroughs came in first in the balloting, with eight first-place votes, for a total of 106 points. Arizona State's Anthony Robles, crowned the 125-pound champ at the 2011 NCAAs, came in second, with 88 points, and five first-place votes. Jordan Oliver, the 2011 NCAA 133-pound titlewinner from Oklahoma State, was third in the voting, with 66 points and one first-place vote.

    A bit of history was made this year, as Ashley Hudson of Oklahoma City University became the first woman to receive votes in five years of InterMat Wrestler of the Year voting.

    Here's why InterMat senior writer Andrew Hipps considers the two-time Nebraska national champ worthy of Wrestler of the Year honors: "Coming into this season, there were questions surrounding Jordan Burroughs. How would he do coming off a serious injury? How would he do moving up a weight class? Could he get past the defending NCAA champion? But after a dominating senior campaign, there are no more questions. Jordan Burroughs was the most impressive wrestler in college this season. Period."

    Jordan Burroughs finished his senior season a perfect 36-0 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)
    After winning the 157-pound title at the 2009 NCAAs, Jordan Burroughs was derailed from his quest to win a second title last season when he suffered a serious knee injury during a match in December 2009, and was unable to compete. However, this season, the fifth-year senior came back with a vengeance, moving up to 165, and dominating that weight class. Burroughs was undefeated the entire 2010-2011 season, with a 36-0 record, winning all but three matches by fall, technical fall, or major decision. Among the highlights: a 10-7 win over Wisconsin's Andrew Howe (defending NCAA champ and top-ranked at 165 at the time) ... and his third Big 12 conference title. Burroughs continued that dominance at the 2011 NCAAs by winning all his matches by major, including his 11-3 finals win over Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell to become the first two-time NCAA champ in the 100-year history of wrestling at Nebraska.
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