IRVING, Texas – North Dakota State wrestling’s Jared Franek has been honored as the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year, league officials announced on Friday after a vote of the conference’s head coaches.
A senior from Harwood, North Dakota, Franek has maintained a 4.00 grade-point average as he works towards a Master’s of Business Administration while obtaining NCAA All-American honors on the mat this season, along with his first Big 12 Wrestling Championship at 157 pounds. Franek posted a 27-3 record, including going undefeated in Big 12 duals and the Big 12 Tournament.
Throughout his career with the Bison, Franek is 92-20, all at 157 pounds. He has a Big 12 Championship, two runner-up finishes, and a third-place finish, qualifying for nationals all four seasons.
Academically, Franek has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team all four years. At the last two national championships, Franek has been named NCAA Wrestling’s Division I Elite 90 Award Winner as the top academic student competing at the championships.
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