NORFOLK, Va. – Senior wrestler Tristan Warner was named the male recipient of the Jack Wilkins/James Howard Scholar Athlete of the Year, while Associate Head Coach Mike Dixon earned the Student Athletic Advisory Committee Staffer of the Year honor at the annual Old Dominion University Athletic honors banquet Monday night.
Warnerrepeated as the recipient of the prestigious Elite 89 Award for the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships. He is a double major in criminal justice and communications and currently holds a 3.984 cumulative grade-point average. Over Warner’s career, he earned Academic All-American laurels and NWCA Division I All-Academic Team honors, and has also been a member of the Dean’s List nine times, earning a 4.0 GPA on seven occasions.
Warner earned an automatic bid to the NCAA National Championships, finishing second at the Mid-American Conference Championships and seeded 11th at the NCAA National Championships at 165 pounds. He compiled a 29-3 record this season and was 17-0 in duals. At the end of the season, he earned VaSID Second Team All-State Honors.
Dixon earned the Staffer of the Year award for the first time, as voted on by the SAAC panel. The award was initiated last year and members nominate athletic staff members that they believe go beyond the boundaries of their job description to provide exceptional service to the student athletes. Dixon is someone who has personally volunteered at many community service events, wore high heels in the Walk a Mile in her Shoes event, and helped freshman move in to their residence halls.
His motivational “It’s a great day to be a Monarch” greeting at 5:45 a.m. practices is well known among his team. Dixon is the first one in the office in the morning and last one to leave. Most importantly he makes time for all of his athletes, whether it’s academic related, about home life issues, or planning the future. That’s why he’s referred to as Daddy Dixon.
Chris Mecate was also named the team’s MVP after earning All-American honors for the first time in his career after his performance at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. He earned a bid after placing second at the Mid-American Conference Championship and entered as the No. 11 seed. He finished in sixth place after defying the odds and beating the No. 6 and No. 14 seeds to advance to the championship semifinals.
He also claimed second place at the Cleveland State Open and fifth place at the prestigious Midlands Championship. He completed the season with a 25-10 overall record and is now just 10 wins away from reaching 100 career wins. At the end of the season, he earned VaSID Second Team All-State Honors.
For an in depth look to everything Monarchs Wrestling, make sure to follow the team on Facebook, Twitter (@ODUWrestling) and YouTube and on ODUsports.com. Fans can join in on the conversation by using the hashtag #ODUWREST.