Courtesy: Stanford Athletics
STANFORD, Calif. – True freshman Joey McKenna has been tabbed the Pac-12 Wrestling Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, the conference announced today.
A native of Towaco, New Jersey, McKenna finished his rookie year with a 27-3 (.900) overall record, ranking seventh on the program's freshman wins list. He placed third at 141 pounds at the NCAA Championships in Madison Square Garden, becoming the first Cardinal freshman to garner All-America honors.
McKenna is the fifth Stanford freshman to win an individual Pac-12 title, and the third in the past three seasons. He is the first Cardinal wrestler to win a conference championship at 141 pounds.
McKenna went 11-1 in duals this season, helping lead Stanford to an 11-4 overall record. He tied for second on the squad with 45.0 dual points. On the year, he tallied seven major decisions, a technical fall and five pins for the Cardinal. His only three losses came at the hands of the eventual NCAA champion, Oklahoma State's Dein Heil (twice), and the NCAA runner-up, Wyoming's Bryce Meredith.
McKenna is the fourth Stanford wrestler to earn Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, joining Matt Gentry (2002), Zack Giesen (2007) and teammate Jim Wilson (2014).