Penn State wrestling was, once again, the best in the team in America this past spring, winning its 11th national championship in 13 years by an historically lopsided 100 points.
It also had the best individual wrestler in the nation in Aaron Brooks, who won his individual national title and, less than two weeks later, was named the Dan Hodge Trophy Winner.
The Hodge is to wrestling what the Heisman is to football.
Brooks wasn’t the first Penn State wrestler to win the Hodge and there’s no reason to believe he’ll be the last. As of now, there’s no way to know if Luke Lilledahl will join the likes of Brooks, David Taylor, Zain Retherford, Bo Nickal etc. in the lineage of Penn State wrestling greats. But the Penn State signee’s high school legacy is secure, and he was recognized again Thursday.
2 Penn State Commits – Bring Home WIN Magazine Annual Awards
Luke Lilledahl (2024) – Junior Hodge Trophy
PJ Duke (2025) – Junior Schalles Award
Both will be Competing at the U20 World Team Trials this Weekend@pennstateWREST @NittanyLionWC @Lightnin_luke20 @pj__duke https://t.co/7ywsQzEoA8— Penn State/NLWC Fan (@NlwcFan) May 29, 2024
Win Magazine, which covers all levels of wrestling, named Lilledahl its Junior Hodge Trophy Winner, which is awarded to the top high school wrestler.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.It’s a well-deserved honor.
Lilledahl, the top-rated pound-for-pound recruit in his class, ended his senior season at PA’s Wyoming Seminary with a 22-0 record, winning state and national titles at the 126-pound weight class.
Through three seasons at Wyoming Seminary, Lilledahl went 68-3 with three state titles and two national titles, winning Gold twice at 120 before moving to 126. Before Wyoming Seminary, Lilledahl, a Missouri native, wrestled at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis and won a state title as a true freshman.
He committed to Penn State in April 2023.
Along with Lilledahl’s honor, Penn State’s top Class of 2025 commit, PJ Duke, won the Junior Schalles Award presented to the best prep pinner in the country.
