Thomas Penola Season 2022-23

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Three-time NCAA Championship qualifier (2020 – 285, 2021 – 197, 2022 – 197)
• Three-time NWCA Scholar All-American (2020, 2021, 2022)
• Four-time Academic All-Big Ten
• Two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
• Wayne Duke Award winner
 
2022-23 / AS A SENIOR
• The Big Ten's male recipient of the Wayne Duke Award for 2022-23, becoming just the third Boilermaker to win it since its inception in 2008.
• Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the fourth time.
• Named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar for the second straight season.

2021-22 / AS A REDSHIRT JUNIOR
• Posted a career-best record of 24-9, comprised of an 11-4 dual record and 13-5 tournament mark.
• Named the Boilermakers’ Most Outstanding Wrestler for 2021-22.
• Advanced to the NCAA Championships for the third straight season, earning an automatic bid at the Big Ten Championships.
• Ranked in the top-20 in the nation at 197 in every poll of the country, earning a No. 6 national mark from TheOpenMat.com, in addition to No. 10 marks from both InterMat and FloWrestling.
• Earned 15 of his 24 wins on the season over ranked opponents, including trio of top-10 wins.
• Finished a perfect 7-0 in matches decided by bonus points, with four major decisions and three technical falls.
• Led the team with 24 wins, 85 takedowns and 246 total points scored.
• Won seven straight matches to open the season, including six consecutive dual victories.
• Took third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational, posting wins over No. 6 Jake Woodley of Oklahoma, No. 11 Louie Deprez of Binghamton and No. 18 Jacob Cardenas of Cornell.
• Won five straight Big Ten duals to close the regular season, including a trio of ranked individual victories.
• Placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships, posting a 4-2 record and avenging one of his two losses in the fifth-place match as he topped fifth-ranked Cam Caffey of Michigan State in the placing match 3-2.
• Earned the No. 11 seed at 197 pounds at nationals, where he posted a 2-2 record.
• Dug out of a 4-0 hole to No. 7 ranked Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State to tie things at 8-8 at the end of regulation and then secured the 10-8 sudden victory.
• Earned his third straight Academic All-Big Ten and NWCA Scholar All-America honors, in addition to receiving his first career Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors.
 
2020-21 / AS A REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE#
• Stats
• Finished 13-6 in his first season at 197 pounds, including a 7-2 Big Ten dual record
• Named Purdue’s Most Dedicated Wrestler and the team’s Most Improved Wrestler for 2021
• Advanced to the Round of 12 at the NCAA Championships, posting a 3-2 mark as the No. 19 seed and falling one win shy of All-America honors
• Knocked off No. 14 seed Greg Bulsak of Clarion in the opening round 6-4, and added wins over No. 18 ranked Max Shaw of North Carolina and No. 14 Marcus Coleman of Iowa State
• Received an at-large bid to nationals after a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Championships
• Went 3-2 at Big Ten’s, including a 10-1 major decision over Rutgers’ Billy Janzer in the seventh-place match
• Led the Boilermakers with 19 matches and 13 wins, in addition to scoring the most total points on the team with 126
• 59 of his team-high 126 points came in the third period
• Finished second on the team with a career-most 42 takedowns, and ranked third on the squad with 25 dual team points
• Won three of his first four matches of the season by bonus points, including a season-high 21 points in a technical fall win over Northwestern’s Jon Halvorsen in the season opener
• Ranked as high as No. 16 in the nation in the NCAA Coaches Poll
• Earned Academic All-Big Ten and NWCA Scholar All-America honors for the second straight year
• Placed fourth at the U23 UWW Freestyle National Championships at 92 kg
 
2019-20 / AS A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN
• Stats (PDF)
• NWCA Scholar All-America
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Earned Purdue’s Hammer Down Strength and Conditioning Award recipient
• Named Purdue’s Most Dedicated Wrestler
• Posted a 21-14 overall record in his first varsity seasons, competing at 197 and 285 pounds
• Finished 7-2 at 197 pounds, including a 5-0 record in dual competition, and was 14-12 overall at heavyweight, where he qualified for the NCAA Championships
• Placed seventh at the conference tournament, earning an automatic bid to nationals
• Earned a national ranking as high as No. 18 at 197 pounds, via FloWrestling and The Open Mat, and rose as high as No. 23 in the country at heavyweight, via FloWrestling
• Started the season with a 2-2 showing at the Michigan State Open at 197 pounds with wins over a pair of Big Ten opponents
• Went 3-0 at the Journeymen Northeast Duals, including an 8-6 win over Buffalo’s Sam Schuyler and a second-round fall over Utah Valley’s Jayden Woodruff
• Earned a 6-4 sudden victory over Cordell Eaton at North Dakota State in a team dual victory
• Won his final 197-pound match of the season at the Boilermaker Duals, pinning Indianapolis’ Zach Fry in 6:36
• Won his first career heavyweight match at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, posting a 10-5 decision over Minnesota’s Bobby Steveson
• Knocked off No. 17 Colton McKiernan of SIUE 7-3 for his first career win over a nationally ranked opponent
• Advanced the blood round at the Midlands Championships, going 4-2 at the tournament with wins over Ohio’s Jordan Ernest (D 8-2 and Virginia’s Quinn Miller (F 5:29)
• Won his Big Ten dual opener, posting an 8-0 major decision over Northerwestern’s Jack Heyob
• Picked up wins in three straight conference duals, posting a 6-1 decision over Indiana’s Jake Kleimola, pinning Maryland’s Parker Robinson in 3:45 and scoring a 6-4 sudden victory over Matthew Correnti at Rutgers in a 20-18 dual win over the No. 22 Scarlet Knigthts
• Won his regular-season finale, posting a 5-3 decision over Luke Luffman to seal the dual and an 18-14 team win at No. 23 Illinois
• Went 2-2 at the Big Ten Championships as the No. 8 seed, posting a 12-1 major decision over Alex Esposito of Rutgers and edging Luffman 3-2 in the seventh-place match
• Earned the No. 26 seed at nationals

2018-19 / AS A FRESHMAN

• Purdue Wrestling’s Outstanding Freshman

• Redshirted

• Placed fourth at 184 pounds in Freshmen/Sophomore Division of Michigan State Open (unattached) (11/3)

• Maryville Kaufman/Brand/Bayly Open 184-pound champion (unattached) (11/10)

• Competed in Gold Division at Lindenwood Open at 184 pounds (unattached) (11/17)

• Placed eighth at 184 pounds at Midlands Championships (unattached) (12/29-30)

• Greyhound Open 184-pound champion (unattached) (1/20)

• Placed sixth at 86 kg at UWW Junior Freestyle National Championships (4/26-27)
• Competed at 86 kg at U23 Freestyle World Team Trials (6/1-2)