Franklin Gomez named Alderton Male Athlete of the Year

Gomez earns MSU's highest athletic award for 2008-09

Spartan wrestler Franklin Gomez solidified his status as one of the nation's elite this past season when he won MSU's 25th individual national title. The 133-pounder became the 19th wrestler in MSU history to be crowed a national champion when he defeated No. 2 seed Reece Humphrey of Ohio State, 5-4, on March 21 in St. Louis.

"Franklin is very deserving of this prestigious award," said wrestling head coach Tom Minkel. "He is the consummate student-athlete as he's a honor student and is very involved in his church as well. He is everything you would want in a student-athlete, and we're thrilled for him that he is the recipient of this award.

Franklin Gomez became the 19th wrestler in MSU history to win a national title.

"Winning an NCAA Championship is the ultimate college athletic experience. There are so many student-athletes aspiring for the same goal and for him to reach it is a real credit to him and his family. We are enormously proud of him."

As a junior this past season, Gomez finished the year with a staggering 27-2 mark. On Feb. 8, Gomez defeated Michigan's Zac Stevens, 18-6, starting a 14-match winning streak that carried him through the national championship bout. Entering the NCAA Championships, Gomez defeated five ranked opponents while his two losses, also to ranked opponents, were each one-point decisions.

Considered the nation's toughest wrestling conference, Gomez won all four bouts at the Big Ten Championships by at least three points to capture his second consecutive individual title.

As a sophomore, Gomez went 33-2 en route to earning All-America honors after placing third at the 2008 NCAA Championships. He went undefeated (17-0) in dual matches during the regular season and outscored his opponents, 62-0.

Through three years, his career record stands at 91-12 overall, including a mark of 46-6 in dual meets.

Gomez's credentials in the classroom are equally impressive as his statistics on the mat. In addition to earning Academic All-Big Ten honors this season, the native of the Dominican Republic also garnered National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic accolades. The human resources major currently sports a 3.14 GPA.