Arizona State’s Larkin Named Pac-10 Wrestler Of The Year For Second Straight Season

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Erin Rowley (ASU)
04/18/2002


TEMPE, Ariz. -  For the second straight season, Arizona State junior  Eric Larkin was named the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year, conference  commissioner Tom Hansen announced today.    A native of Tucson, Ariz., Larkin was the NCAA runner-up at 141 pounds this season, earning his third All-America honors and becoming the first Sun Devil to advance to the NCAA wrestling finals since 1996.  He was the 14th ASU wrestler to earn runner-up honors at the national tournament.  Larkin also won his third straight Pac-10 title and compiled a 31-5 overall record with a career high 15 pins.    He was first named the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year for his 2001 sophomore campaign that included his second All-America honors, a third place finish at the NCAA Championships and his second Pac-10 title.  Larkin is the fourth Sun Devil to twice be named the conference wrestler of the year.    It is the third straight Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year honor for Arizona State and 12th overall.  Three-time All-American Steve Blackford was awarded the distinction in 2000.    Boise State's Mike Young was named this year's Pac-10 Coach of the Year, while Stanford's Matt Gentry was named the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year.  The awards are determined by a vote of the league's coaches.     Arizona State Pac-10 Wrestlers of the Year  2002 - Eric Larkin, 141  2001 - Eric Larkin, 141  2000 - Steve Blackford, 165  1993 - Ray Miller, 158  1992 - Ray Miller, 158  1990 - Dan St. John, 167  1989 - Dan St. John, 158  1988 - Mike Davies, 190  1987 - Mike Davies, 190  1986 - Adam Cohen, 150  1985 - Eddie Urbano, 150  1983 - Gary Bohay, 126