By Mike Basford
Assistant Communications Director
Ohio State University Athletics
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Olympic freestyle wrestling champion Kyle Snyder has been nominated for an ESPY in the category of Best Male U.S. Olympic Athlete.

Fans can vote by CLICKING HERE.

The winner will be announced during ESPN’s broadcast on July 12, which will begin at 8 p.m. ET and hosted by Peyton Manning.

Along with Snyder, the nominees are decathlete Ashton Eaton and swimmers Ryan Murphy and Michael Phelps.

Earlier this week, 2013 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award national winner and current Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Zain Retherford was nominated for a 2017 ESPY Award int the Best Male College Athlete category.

Snyder became the youngest American wrestling Olympic champion last August when he won gold in at 97kg in Rio. Olympic gold medal capped a 12-month period that saw him win both World and Olympic gold as well as a NCAA title. After the Olympics, Snyder returned to Ohio State and went 17-0 last winter on his way to the 285 lb. Big Ten and NCAA championships. During the season, he wrestled internationally as well – highlighted by his gold-medal performance at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia, which is considered the toughest open tournament in the world.

Many wrestlers have been nominated for ESPY awards in the past. Wrestlers who have won ESPYs include Rulon Gardner (Best Olympic Athlete), who was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2010; Cael Sanderson (Best Male College Athlete), who was inducted as a Distinguished Member in 2011; and and Kyle Maynard (Best Athlete with a Disability), who received the Medal of Courage from the Hall of Fame in 2005.

Other star wrestlers who have received ESPY nominations include Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award national winners Logan Stieber (2010), David Taylor (2009) and Steve Mocco (2001), 2012 Medal of Courage recipient Anthony Robles, Alex Dieringer and Ben Askren.

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