NDSU 197-pounder Cordell Eaton has been named the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Eaton, a redshirt senior from Long Grove, Iowa, is the second NDSU wrestler to receive the award, joining former teammate and two-time recipient Clay Ream (2017, 2018).

During his career, Eaton was a four-time Academic All-Big 12 Wrestling first-team honoree. He maintains a 3.831 GPA working toward a degree in agricultural and biosystems engineering.

The Big 12 Conference established its Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2012-13. A recipient is named in each conference-sponsored sport. Every Big 12 institution nominates one individual per sport with the winners selected by a vote of the league head coaches for that sport, who are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.

Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominees must be a junior or senior (athletic and academic standing), have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher, participate in at least 20 percent of the team’s scheduled contests and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.

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