Monarch Wrestlers Honored for Achievements

Following their performances both on and off the mat, ODU wrestling's Jack Dechow and Tristan Warner were honored Monday at the halftime of the men's basketball game versus Radford (see photo below).

This past weekend Dechow went 4-2 and finished fourth in the 184-pound bracket of the 2014 NCAA tournament, becoming the 26th All-American in school history and first ever at his weight class, while undoubtedly being one of the youngest to ever to accomplish such a feat. Dechow, who is from Richmond, Ill., is the first All-American at ODU since James Nicholson achieved All-America status in 2011.

Warner, a 157-pound redshirt junior from Mechanicsburg, Pa., was named the sole recipient of the prestigious Elite 89 Award for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship. Warner became the first athlete from ODU to win the Elite 89 Academic Award.

"Tristan is the epitome of a student-athlete and is very deserving of this prestigious award," said head coach Steve Martin. "This award proves ODU Athletics' commitment to academic excellence. This could not have been achieved without the help from our academic advisers who have been absolutely tremendous."

The Elite 89, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.