Kent State’s Dustin Kilgore crowned MAC Wrestler of the Year

The eight Mid-American Conference head coaches voted fifth-year senior Dustin Kilgore MAC Wrestler of the Year for the second time in his career Tuesday.

Representing Kent State as the only MAC wrestler advancing to the finals of the NCAA Championships this season, Kilgore placed second en route to becoming the program’s first three-time All-American. Up until his 2013 NCAA finals bout against Penn State’s Quentin Wright, Kilgore remained undefeated since December 2010.

Finishing opponents all season long with his signature cradle, Kilgore went 43-1 this season with 33 bonus victories, 11 major decisions and a Kent State single-season record 18 pins.

In the face of some of the toughest competitors Division I wrestling has to offer, the 197-pound Flash defeated 21 NCAA qualifiers in 2013.

Dating back to his 2011 national championship-caliber year, Kilgore put together an impressive array of streaks, including 62 straight NCAA victories and 65 straight dual meet victories.

Dominating the MAC ever since he put on a Kent State wrestling singlet, Kilgore finished his career with a perfect 20-0 record in MAC duals while becoming Kent State wrestling’s sixth four-time MAC champion.

Kilgore will graduate in May and walk away from Kent State wrestling as the program’s career leader in both victories (178) and pins (50). He will continue his promising wrestling career on a professional level this summer when he travels to the U.S. Olympic Training Center located in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Contact Joe Smith at [email protected].