IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior Derek St. John has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. The weekly honor is the first of St. John’s career.
The nation’s top-ranked 157-pounder earned the honor following his shutout victory over Lehigh’s fourth-rated Joey Napoli on Dec. 6. St. John scored one escape, two takedowns and piled up 2:02 of riding time to earn a 6-0 decision. The win was St. John’s first over a ranked opponent this season and improved his record to 7-0.
St. John is the second Hawkeye to earn the weekly conference award this season. Senior Matt McDonough was honored by the Big Ten on Nov. 20.
The Hawkeyes (7-0) return to the mat this weekend at the inaugural “Grapple at the Garden” in New York City. The Hawkeyes face Hofstra and Bucknell inside Madison Square Garden on Sunday beginning at 9:30 a.m. (CT).