Kyle Snyder at the NCAAs (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)For Kyle Snyder, it's a matter of wrestle, receive awards, repeat.
For the second straight year, the Buckeye big man -- who capped off the 2016-17 college wrestling season with his second Big Ten and NCAA Division I titles on the heels of winning an Olympic gold medal - has been named 2017 Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year, the Columbus-based Big Ten school announced Tuesday.
Snyder, who won the award in 2016, is the fourth wrestler in a row to receive the Male Athlete of the Year award, with Logan Stieber being the recipient in 2014 and 2015. In addition, J Jaggers -- past Ohio State mat champ and current assistant wrestling coach -- was named Male Athlete of the Year in 2009.
Francesca Di Lorenzo of the women's tennis team was named Ohio State Female Athlete of the Year for the 2016-17 school year.
Snyder just completed his junior year at Ohio State in spectacular style, compiling a 17-0 record, with 13 of those victories resulting in bonus points. The Maryland native finished the season by claiming his second NCAA heavyweight title, defeating Wisconsin's Connor Medbury in the finals.
Prior to returning to the Ohio State campus last fall, Snyder made history in his freestyle wrestling career by becoming the youngest World champion, then Olympic gold medalist at 96 kilograms/211 pounds at the 2016 Rio Games this summer.
Snyder was also a finalist for two major national awards: the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, given annually to the nation's top amateur athlete, and Dan Hodge Trophy, considered the Heisman of collegiate wrestling.
Snyder and Di Lorenzo are now in the running for the Big Ten Athlete of Year honors.
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