WOAY – West Virginia redshirt sophomore wrestler Noah Adams has been named the winner of the 2020 Hardman Award. The award, decided by the West Virginia Sportswriters Association, is given annually to the top amateur athlete in the state.
Adams, a Coal City native and 2017 graduate of Independence High School, went 32-0 for the Mountaineers at 197 in 2019-20, earning Big 12 Wrestler of the Year honors. He was the individual Big 12 Tournament champion at 197, and would’ve been the #2 overall seed at the NCAA Championships, which were canceled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After redshirting his true freshman season, Adams went 19-15 on the mat in the 2018-19, tying a team-high for wins. He gained an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships that year.
As a Patriot, Adams won four team and three individual state wrestling championships, along with the 2017 Dutton Award as the best high school wrestler in the state. He was a Second Team Class AA All-State football selection in 2016.
Adams had originally committed to continue his wrestling career at Virginia Tech, but would eventually sign with WVU.
Finalists for the 2020 Hardman Award included WVU baseball pitcher Alek Manoah, Parkersburg South High School wrestler Braxton Amos, and Ripley High School distance runner Tori Starcher.
