CAREER NOTES
• Four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• Three-time NWCA All-Academic selection (2017, 2018, 2019)
• Two-time NCAA Championships 133-pound qualifier (2018, 2019)
• Two-time Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar Award (2018, 2019)
• Tied for 19th on Purdue’s career wins list (91)
• Ranks 15th on Purdue’s career back points list (162)
• Ranks 16th on Purdue’s season record list for back points (86; 2018-19)
2018-19 / AS A REDSHIRT SENIOR
• Stats
Season Notes
2017-18 / AS A REDSHIRT JUNIOR
• Stats
Awards & Honors
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar Award
• NWCA All-Academic
• Purdue Wrestling’s Joe Patacsil Leadership Award
Tournaments
• Michigan State Open 133-pound champion (11/5)
• Competed at Navy Classic (11/18)
• Competed at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (12/1-2)
• Competed at Midlands Championships as the No. 5 seed (12/29-30)
• Placed eighth at Big Ten Championships as the No. 8 seed (3/3-4)
• Competed at NCAA Championships (3/15)
Team Leader
• Non-conference dual wins (7), riding time (67:08), riding time points (22), dual points scored (48) ... tied for dual wins (13)
Career Highs Set
• Wins (27), dual wins (13), Big Ten dual wins (6), non-conference dual wins (7), decisions (20), major decisions (4), technical falls (2), bonus point wins (7), shutouts (4), riding time (67:08), four-point nearfalls (6), back points (26), riding time points (22), dual points (48)
Season Notes
• Bumped up to 133 pounds after wrestling his first two seasons at 125.
• Owned the riding time in 28 of his 40 matches, earning the point 22 times ... outrode opponents by 48:43.
• Appeared at No. 19 in the national rankings on Dec. 19 for the first national ranking of his career.
• Received one of five at-large bids that were awarded at 133 pounds to qualify for his first NCAA Championships ... went 1-2 in Cleveland ... avenged a 7-4 Navy Classic loss to Ohio’s Cameron Kelly with a 5-3 win in wrestlebacks.
• Became a two-time Big Ten Championships placewinner by finishing eighth ... went 1-3 at the tournament ... took a 3-0 match from Indiana’s Garrett Pepple in the second round of wrestlebacks.
• Started every dual except for Illinois ... with a 13-2 overall dual record, Thornton led the way with 45 dual points scored (8 D, 1 MD, 2 TF, 1 F) ... only dual losses came to No. 7 Stevan Micic of Michigan (14-4) and Penn State’s Corey Keener (3-2).
• Posted a 7-3 win over Wisconsin’s Jens Lanz in the regular season finale, extending his winning streak to six straight ... it was the longest active winning streak and the longest since Welch won six straight from Dec. 30 to Jan. 26.
• Three of Thornton’s wins during his six-match winning streak were by one point ... he was 9-2 in matches decided by one or two points this season ... a quarter of Thornton’s career matches have been decided by 1-2 points ... he is 17-11 in those matches.
• Fell one match short of placing at the Midlands Championships and the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
• Began season with a career-best seven-match winning streak that included winning the Michigan State Open 133-pound title.
2016-17 / AS A REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE
• Stats
Awards & Honors
• NWCA All-Academic selection
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Purdue Wrestling's Joe Patacsil Leadership Award
Tournaments
• Placed third at Eastern Michigan Open (11/5)
• Placed third at Roadrunner Open (11/20)
• Placed seventh at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (12/2-3)
• Competed at Midlands Championships as the No. 4 seed (12/29)
• Placed eighth at Big Ten Championships (3/4-5)
• Competed in freestyle at University Nationals at 61 kg (6/4)
Season Notes
• One of three Boilermakers to start all 16 duals, doing so at 125 pounds ... won a team-best 10 dual matches scoring 35 points.
• Set career high marks this season in wins (26), back points (26) and total points (250) ... surpassed his total points scored from last season by 77 points ... scored first in 63.4 percent of his matches for 88 points.
• Tied Alex Griffin for team lead in wins (26) ... topped major decision category alongside Luke Welch and Christian Brunner with five ... ranked second on team in takedowns (63) and total points scored (250).
• Placed eighth at Big Ten Championships unseeded at 125 ... received an injury default from Nick Suriano of Penn State in the first round for Thornton’s 40th career victory.
• Scored a career-high 22 points in consolation semifinals of Roadrunner Open.
• Went 5-2, posting a pair of decisions and a major decision in addition to receiving two medical forfeits, to place seventh at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Wrestling Invitational ... became Purdue’s second 125-pounder to place at the tournament -- Chris Fleeger won the title in 2002.
• Upset No. 12 Freddie Rodriguez of SIU Edwardsville in sudden victory 11-9 ... overcame an 8-4 deficit to with a pair of takedowns in the third period to force sudden victory ... needed just three seconds to score the winning takedown.
• Made his debut at No. 19 on Amateur Wrestling News’ top 20 at 125 pounds after his win over Rodriguez ... it was the first time in his career he had been ranked by the outlet.
• His 3:33 pin of South Dakota State’s Ben Gillette, his first of the season, was the deciding factor that lifted Purdue past the No. 17 Jackrabbits, 20-19, on their home mat ... the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals Championship Series matchup was decided on the second tiebreaking criteria.
2015-16 / AS A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN
• Stats
Awards & Honors
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Purdue Wrestling's Most Dedicated Wrestler
Tournaments
• Placed fifth at Michigan State Open (unattached) (11/15)
• Competed at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (12/4)
• Placed seventh at Midlands Championships (12/29-30)
• Competed at Big Ten Championships (3/5)
• Competed at UWW Junior National Freestyle National Championships at 60 kg (5/1)
• Placed eighth in freestyle at University Nationals at 57 kg (6/4)
Season Notes
• Wrestled at 125 pounds
• Tied for the largest margin of victory of 18 points ... had a 19-1 technical fall of Patrick Kearney of The Citadel in 6:57 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
• Captured the riding time point 11 times, which tied for second ... his 173 points ranked third on the team ... averaged 6.4 points per match, which ranked second among those that wrestled 20 matches ... tied for third with points scored in the second period with 48 ... was fifth in takedowns with 37
• Appeared on the Gregg Henry top 33 five times throughout the season with a high ranking of No. 30
• Went 4-1 to take fifth at the Michigan State Open ... opened the tournament with a 4:19 fall vs. Parker Howell of Notre Dame College
• Won a season-best six straight matches from Nov. 15 to 21 ... five of the wins were by decision, the other was a 16-4 major decision of Shippensburg’s Dustin Steffenino
• Became Purdue’s first 125-pounder to place at Midlands, upsetting 11th-seeded Brandon Jeske of Old Dominion with a 6-4 decision for seventh place ... went 4-2 at the tournament with three decisions and received a medical forfeit
• Provided an 18-6 major decision of Maryland’s Michael Beck in a 32-6 dual win for Purdue
• Missed the last six duals of the season due to a hand injury suffered at Minnesota (1/24) ... returned for Big Ten Championships
2014-15 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Redshirted
• Competed in freestyle at University Nationals at 57 kg (5/30)
HIGH SCHOOL
• Two-time Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association state champion (2012: 106; 2014: 120) ... two-time runner-up (2011: 103; 2013: 113)
• High school record of 199-2 (49-1, 50-0. 50-1, 50-1)
• Four-time academic all-state ... three-time first team academic all-state selection
• Four-year wrestling letterwinner ... three-year baseball and football letterwinner
• Baseball first team academic all-state as a junior
• Mississippi Valley Conference first team running back (2012), punter (2013), shortstop (2012) and honorable mention infielder/pitcher (2014)
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Benjamin Michael Thornton
• Major: Movement & sport sciences
• Minor: Psychology
• Birthday: June 23, 1996
• City Born: La Crosse, Wisconsin
• Parents: Mike and Amy Thornton
• Siblings: Older brother, Cal
• Notes: Father played baseball and football at UW Eau Claire
• Four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• Three-time NWCA All-Academic selection (2017, 2018, 2019)
• Two-time NCAA Championships 133-pound qualifier (2018, 2019)
• Two-time Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar Award (2018, 2019)
• Tied for 19th on Purdue’s career wins list (91)
• Ranks 15th on Purdue’s career back points list (162)
• Ranks 16th on Purdue’s season record list for back points (86; 2018-19)
2018-19 / AS A REDSHIRT SENIOR
• Stats
Awards & Honors
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar Award
• Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar Award
• NWCA Division I Scholar All-American Award
• Purdue Wrestling’s Most Dedicated Wrestler
• Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award
• Purdue’s male student-athlete recipient of Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship
Tournaments
Tournaments
• Princeton Open 133-pound champion (11/4)
• Journeymen Collegiate Classic 133-pound A draw champion (11/11)
• Competed at 133 pounds at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational as the No. 10 seed (11/30)
• Placed seventh at 133 pounds at Big Ten Championships as the No. 7 seed (3/9-10)
• Competed at 133 pounds at NCAA Championships as the No. 15 seed (3/21-22)
Team Leader
• Technical falls (5), shutouts (10), longest overall winning streak (10), two-point nearfalls (9), total point differential (+122)
Career Highs Set
Career Highs Set
• Consecutive matches won (10), major decisions (5), technical falls (5), bonus point wins (10; 5 MD, 5 TF), shutouts (10), first period points (96), two-point nearfalls (9), four-point nearfalls (17), back points (86), points per match (6.7), total point differential (+122)
Season Notes
• Improvements in Thornton’s wrestling on top resulted in many stats being shattered, ... his defense also tightened, limiting opponents unlike previous seasons.
• Went over 200 total points scored for third consecutive season ... previous career high for back points in a season was 26, as a senior he scored 86 ... outscored opponents 228-106 (+122) ... Thornton’s previous point differential high was 63 (222-159), an improvement of 59 points ... finished as one of two Purdue wrestlers to outscore opponents by 100+ points.
• Limited opponents to a career-low 32 takedowns and points allowed in each period (32, 32, 36) ... held opponents to career low 106 total points, giving up just 3.1 points per match ... the 3.1 opponent points per match is the lowest among Boilermakers with 20+ matches.
• Went 2-2 at NCAA Championships, falling one match out of the Blood Round ... both losses were to eventual All-Americans: Stevan Micic of Michigan and Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State.
• In his first match of the tournament, Thornton survived a third period flurry from No. 18 Gary Wayne Harding of North Carolina, winning 12-10 in sudden victory ... Thornton held a 6-0 lead late into the second period before Harding rattled off five takedowns to go ahead 10-9 ... Thornton’s 1:35 of riding time knotted it at 10-10 to force sudden victory ... his winning takedown came 26 seconds in.
• After falling to Micic, Thornton responded to an early takedown by No. 17 Sean Nickell of CSU Bakersfield by unleashing for 10 back points on his way to a 13-2 major decision in wrestlebacks.
• Tenth-seeded Bravo-Young avenged the dual loss Thornton dealt him in January, with a 3-1 decision to end the Boilermaker’s career ... Bravo-Young had a takedown in the first period ... with 20 seconds remaining in the third, Thornton picked an ankle, only to have Bravo-Young evade what would have been a match-tying takedown as time expired.
• Used a 4-2 decision to get past No. 9-seed Anthony Tutolo of Michigan State in the second round of Big Ten wrestlebacks to qualify for his second NCAA Championships.
• A quick takedown in sudden victory lifted seventh-seeded Thornton past Illinois’ Dylan Duncan 3-1 in the seventh-place match at the Big Ten Championships ... it was his first overtime match since Dec. 29, 2017 ... the win was the 89th of his career, giving him sole possession of the No. 20 spot on Purdue’s career wins list.
• Along with Christian Brunner, Thornton became Purdue’s first three-time Big Ten Championships placewinner since Braden Atwood (2012-15) and Brandon Nelsen (2012, 13, 15).
• Thornton went 3-2 at Big Tens ... he began the tournament with a 3-0 outing against No. 10 Colin Valdiviez of Northwestern for his 10th shutout of the season.
• Started the season winning a career-best 10 straight while capturing the Princeton Open and Journeymen Collegiate Classic 133-pound A draw titles ... during his run, he outscored his opponents 102-5, had six shutouts and won seven of those matches with bonus points ... had three straight major decisions—Max Lyon was the last Boilermaker with three consecutive major decisions (11/2017).
• Won four of his five Princeton Open bouts with bonus points (2 MD, 2 TF), including an 11-1 major decision in the championship match against Army’s Lane Peters.
• Used a 5-1 decision to defeat Lehigh’s Brandon Paetzel for the Journeymen Collegiate Classic title ... the one-point escape by Paetzel was the only point Thornton allowed in three matches
• Was sidelined with injury during South Beach Duals following the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... returned to the lineup against Maryland (1/11), scoring big points with a 17-2 (4:33) technical fall of Orion Anderson.
• Upset Penn State’s No. 13 Roman Bravo-Young 7-3 ... struck early in the opening frame for the first takedown and added an escape after injury time was taken by Bravo-Young ... the lead grew to 6-0 in the second period thanks to another escape and a second takedown ... Bravo-Young had an escape and takedown in the third period.
• Rallied from a 5-3 deficit going into the third period to beat Mason Pengilly of Stanford 7-5 ... escaped to start the third and blasted Pengilly with a double-leg takedown to win it ... Thornton added 1:40 of riding time accumulated in the second period.
• A hands to the face call on Thornton was the difference in a 2-1 loss to No. 6 Luke Pletcher of Ohio State ... it was the second matchup in as many meetings Pletcher has defeated Thornton 2-1 ... they went to the first tiebreaker in the second round of the 2017 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
2017-18 / AS A REDSHIRT JUNIOR
• Stats
Awards & Honors
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar Award
• NWCA All-Academic
• Purdue Wrestling’s Joe Patacsil Leadership Award
Tournaments
• Michigan State Open 133-pound champion (11/5)
• Competed at Navy Classic (11/18)
• Competed at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (12/1-2)
• Competed at Midlands Championships as the No. 5 seed (12/29-30)
• Placed eighth at Big Ten Championships as the No. 8 seed (3/3-4)
• Competed at NCAA Championships (3/15)
Team Leader
• Non-conference dual wins (7), riding time (67:08), riding time points (22), dual points scored (48) ... tied for dual wins (13)
Career Highs Set
• Wins (27), dual wins (13), Big Ten dual wins (6), non-conference dual wins (7), decisions (20), major decisions (4), technical falls (2), bonus point wins (7), shutouts (4), riding time (67:08), four-point nearfalls (6), back points (26), riding time points (22), dual points (48)
Season Notes
• Bumped up to 133 pounds after wrestling his first two seasons at 125.
• Owned the riding time in 28 of his 40 matches, earning the point 22 times ... outrode opponents by 48:43.
• Appeared at No. 19 in the national rankings on Dec. 19 for the first national ranking of his career.
• Received one of five at-large bids that were awarded at 133 pounds to qualify for his first NCAA Championships ... went 1-2 in Cleveland ... avenged a 7-4 Navy Classic loss to Ohio’s Cameron Kelly with a 5-3 win in wrestlebacks.
• Became a two-time Big Ten Championships placewinner by finishing eighth ... went 1-3 at the tournament ... took a 3-0 match from Indiana’s Garrett Pepple in the second round of wrestlebacks.
• Started every dual except for Illinois ... with a 13-2 overall dual record, Thornton led the way with 45 dual points scored (8 D, 1 MD, 2 TF, 1 F) ... only dual losses came to No. 7 Stevan Micic of Michigan (14-4) and Penn State’s Corey Keener (3-2).
• Posted a 7-3 win over Wisconsin’s Jens Lanz in the regular season finale, extending his winning streak to six straight ... it was the longest active winning streak and the longest since Welch won six straight from Dec. 30 to Jan. 26.
• Three of Thornton’s wins during his six-match winning streak were by one point ... he was 9-2 in matches decided by one or two points this season ... a quarter of Thornton’s career matches have been decided by 1-2 points ... he is 17-11 in those matches.
• Fell one match short of placing at the Midlands Championships and the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
• Began season with a career-best seven-match winning streak that included winning the Michigan State Open 133-pound title.
2016-17 / AS A REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE
• Stats
Awards & Honors
• NWCA All-Academic selection
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Purdue Wrestling's Joe Patacsil Leadership Award
Tournaments
• Placed third at Eastern Michigan Open (11/5)
• Placed third at Roadrunner Open (11/20)
• Placed seventh at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (12/2-3)
• Competed at Midlands Championships as the No. 4 seed (12/29)
• Placed eighth at Big Ten Championships (3/4-5)
• Competed in freestyle at University Nationals at 61 kg (6/4)
Season Notes
• One of three Boilermakers to start all 16 duals, doing so at 125 pounds ... won a team-best 10 dual matches scoring 35 points.
• Set career high marks this season in wins (26), back points (26) and total points (250) ... surpassed his total points scored from last season by 77 points ... scored first in 63.4 percent of his matches for 88 points.
• Tied Alex Griffin for team lead in wins (26) ... topped major decision category alongside Luke Welch and Christian Brunner with five ... ranked second on team in takedowns (63) and total points scored (250).
• Placed eighth at Big Ten Championships unseeded at 125 ... received an injury default from Nick Suriano of Penn State in the first round for Thornton’s 40th career victory.
• Scored a career-high 22 points in consolation semifinals of Roadrunner Open.
• Went 5-2, posting a pair of decisions and a major decision in addition to receiving two medical forfeits, to place seventh at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Wrestling Invitational ... became Purdue’s second 125-pounder to place at the tournament -- Chris Fleeger won the title in 2002.
• Upset No. 12 Freddie Rodriguez of SIU Edwardsville in sudden victory 11-9 ... overcame an 8-4 deficit to with a pair of takedowns in the third period to force sudden victory ... needed just three seconds to score the winning takedown.
• Made his debut at No. 19 on Amateur Wrestling News’ top 20 at 125 pounds after his win over Rodriguez ... it was the first time in his career he had been ranked by the outlet.
• His 3:33 pin of South Dakota State’s Ben Gillette, his first of the season, was the deciding factor that lifted Purdue past the No. 17 Jackrabbits, 20-19, on their home mat ... the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals Championship Series matchup was decided on the second tiebreaking criteria.
2015-16 / AS A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN
• Stats
Awards & Honors
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Purdue Wrestling's Most Dedicated Wrestler
Tournaments
• Placed fifth at Michigan State Open (unattached) (11/15)
• Competed at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (12/4)
• Placed seventh at Midlands Championships (12/29-30)
• Competed at Big Ten Championships (3/5)
• Competed at UWW Junior National Freestyle National Championships at 60 kg (5/1)
• Placed eighth in freestyle at University Nationals at 57 kg (6/4)
Season Notes
• Wrestled at 125 pounds
• Tied for the largest margin of victory of 18 points ... had a 19-1 technical fall of Patrick Kearney of The Citadel in 6:57 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
• Captured the riding time point 11 times, which tied for second ... his 173 points ranked third on the team ... averaged 6.4 points per match, which ranked second among those that wrestled 20 matches ... tied for third with points scored in the second period with 48 ... was fifth in takedowns with 37
• Appeared on the Gregg Henry top 33 five times throughout the season with a high ranking of No. 30
• Went 4-1 to take fifth at the Michigan State Open ... opened the tournament with a 4:19 fall vs. Parker Howell of Notre Dame College
• Won a season-best six straight matches from Nov. 15 to 21 ... five of the wins were by decision, the other was a 16-4 major decision of Shippensburg’s Dustin Steffenino
• Became Purdue’s first 125-pounder to place at Midlands, upsetting 11th-seeded Brandon Jeske of Old Dominion with a 6-4 decision for seventh place ... went 4-2 at the tournament with three decisions and received a medical forfeit
• Provided an 18-6 major decision of Maryland’s Michael Beck in a 32-6 dual win for Purdue
• Missed the last six duals of the season due to a hand injury suffered at Minnesota (1/24) ... returned for Big Ten Championships
2014-15 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Redshirted
• Competed in freestyle at University Nationals at 57 kg (5/30)
HIGH SCHOOL
• Two-time Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association state champion (2012: 106; 2014: 120) ... two-time runner-up (2011: 103; 2013: 113)
• High school record of 199-2 (49-1, 50-0. 50-1, 50-1)
• Four-time academic all-state ... three-time first team academic all-state selection
• Four-year wrestling letterwinner ... three-year baseball and football letterwinner
• Baseball first team academic all-state as a junior
• Mississippi Valley Conference first team running back (2012), punter (2013), shortstop (2012) and honorable mention infielder/pitcher (2014)
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Benjamin Michael Thornton
• Major: Movement & sport sciences
• Minor: Psychology
• Birthday: June 23, 1996
• City Born: La Crosse, Wisconsin
• Parents: Mike and Amy Thornton
• Siblings: Older brother, Cal
• Notes: Father played baseball and football at UW Eau Claire