Fan voting has begun in the 2026 ASICS Race for the Dan Hodge Trophy. When the dust settled on the 2026 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships March 21 in Cleveland, seven of the 10 NCAA champions finished the season undefeated and are the finalists for the 2026 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy.
Penn State and Oklahoma State each have multiple finalists. Nittany Lions Luke Lilledahl (25-0 at 125), Mitchell Mesenbrink (27-0 at 165), Levi Haines (26-0 at 174) and Josh Barr (24-0 at 197) each won their respective weights. Mesenbrink and Haines are now two-time champs.
The Cowboys have two Hodge finalists. Freshmen Jax Forrest (18-0 at 133) and Sergio Vega (24-0 at 141) were undefeated and won at consecutive weights in the lineup. However, the two Cowboys bookended the NCAA finals after the decision was made to start the finals at 141 so the much-anticipated battle of freshmen at 133 between Forrest and Ohio State’s talented Ben Davino would be the last bout of the night. Vega won his title over two-time NCAA champ Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, considered by many to be one of the front-runners all season for this year’s Hodge.
The seventh and final Hodge finalist is 285-pound champion Issac Trumble of North Carolina State. Trumble finished the season 21-0 and blanked top-seeded Yonger Bastida of Iowa State 5-0 in the finals.
The statistics of each Hodge finalist is included in the story’s main graphic.
The four criteria for the Hodge are record, dominance/bonus-point percentage, quality of competition, and sportsmanship. Similar to the Heisman Trophy in football, the Hodge Trophy Voting Committee is made up of each past Hodge winner, a group of retired college coaches from different parts of the country, national media members, and a representative of each national wrestling organization. In addition to their votes, the winner of the Hodge Fan Vote, which ends on Friday, March 27, gets five additional first-place votes.
Statistical look at notable 2026 Hodge Trophy candidates
The following list shows the seven wrestlers who completed undefeated seasons while climbing to the pinnacle of collegiate wrestling after winning NCAA titles in Cleveland. The list also includes how many pins (P), tech falls (TF), major decisions (MD) and forfeits/defaults (F/Def) each wrestler had through the 2025–26 season. The final column shows the % of matches in which they’ve scored bonus points.
NameSchoolYearW-LPTFMDF/DefBonus %
125 pounds
Luke Lilledahl
Penn StateSo.25-0184158.3%
133 pounds
Jax Forrest
OK StateFr.18-03112088.9%
141 pounds
Sergio Vega
OK StateFr.24-0425045.8%
165 pounds
Mitchell Mesenbrink
Penn StateJr.27-08116196.3%
174 pounds
Levi Haines
Penn StateSr.26-06132080.8%
197 pounds
Josh Barr
Penn StateSo.24-05126095.8%
285 pounds
Isaac Trumble
NC StateSr.21-0536171.4%
Source: wrestlestat.com
All-Time Dan Hodge Trophy Winners
YearNameSchool
2025Wyatt HendricksonOklahoma State
2024Aaron BrooksPenn State
2023Mason ParrisMichigan
2022Gable StevesonMinnesota
2021Spencer LeeIowa
2021Gable StevesonMinnesota
2020Spencer LeeIowa
2019Bo NickalPenn State
2018Zain RetherfordPenn State
2017Zain RetherfordPenn State
2016Alex DieringerOklahoma State
2015Logan StieberOhio State
2014David TaylorPenn State
2013Kyle DakeCornell U.
2012David TaylorPenn State
2011Jordan BurroughsNebraska
2010Jayson NessMinnesota
2009Jake HerbertNorthwestern
2008Brent MetcalfIowa
2007Ben AskrenMissouri
2006Ben AskrenMissouri
2005Steve MoccoOklahoma State
2004Emmett WillsonMont. State-Northern
2003Eric LarkinArizona State
2002Cael SandersonIowa State
2001Cael SandersonIowa State
2001Nick AckermanSimpson College
2000Cael SandersonIowa State
1999Stephen NealCSU Bakersfield
1998Mark IronsideIowa
1997Kerry McCoyPenn State
1996Les GutchesOregon State
The Hodge winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 31, at 12 pm CST.
One vote per person. Enter your vote below.
2026 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, Presented by ASICS Fan Vote
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- Who should win the 2026 Hodge Trophy?*
Select oneLuke Lilledahl, Penn State, 125Jax Forrest, Oklahoma State, 133Sergio Vega, Oklahoma State, 141Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State, 165Levi Haines, Penn State, 174Josh Barr, Penn State, 197Issac Trumble, North Carolina State, 285
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