Luke Pletcher of the Ohio State wrestling team and Bia Franklin of the women’s volleyball team both won the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award.
Courtesy of Ohio State athletics.
Members of every team at each Big Ten school were selected by their institutions as Sportsmanship Award honorees, with two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners at each school.
Each of the Sportsmanship Award winners have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. The honorees must also be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
Franklin thrived as a leader for Buckeye volleyball, serving as a member of the women’s volleyball team’s leadership committee for three years because of her innate abilities on and off the court. The Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, native gave guidance to her younger teammates as well as leading by example.
An excellent student, Franklin, strived for success in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big Ten selections and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors every year she was eligible. Franklin represented Ohio State as a Bucks Go Pro and Huntington Bucks Go Pro 2.0 intern during her last two summers in Columbus. She began as an intern for the James Outreach and Network Development department in 2018 before interning with Pelotonia in their social media and marketing department in 2019.
Applying what she learned, Franklin combined her passions for healthcare and marketing to lead the women’s volleyball team’s annual pink match, which raises money for breast cancer survivors.
Pletcher won the Big Ten title at 141 pounds as a senior, concluding a decorated career with multiple All-American accolades. He held the No. 1 seed and boasted a 26-1 season record entering the 2020 NCAA Championships before the event was canceled due to COVID-19.
The Latrobe, Pa., native concluded his Buckeye career with a 108-21 overall record, including 23 major decisions, eight pins and five tech falls.
Thriving off the mat as well, Pletcher earned many accolades for his academic prowess. He earned the honors of NWCA Scholar All-American, Academic All-Big Ten and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete each year he was eligible for each award.
Courtesy of Ohio State athletics.
Courtesy of Ohio State athletics.
What follows is each Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner from Ohio State for 2019-20.
Ohio State 2019-20 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Winners
Men’s Cross Country
Giovanni Copploe
Women’s Cross Country
Allison Gaugenti
Football
Justin Hilliard
Men’s Soccer
Parker Siegfried
Women’s Soccer
Bailey Kolinski
Field Hockey
Jennica Jonovich
Volleyball
Bia Franklin
Men’s Gymnastics
Robert Costea
Women’s Gymnastics
Olivia Aepli
Men’s Basketball
Danny Hummer
Women’s Basketball
Jacy Sheldon
Men’s Indoor Track & Field
Robbie Oswald
Women’s Indoor Track & Field
Alexus Pyles
Men’s Swimming & Diving
Jacob Siler
Women’ Swimming & Diving
Laura Banks
Men’s Tennis
JJ Mercer
Women’s Tennis
Kolie Allen
Men’s Golf
Justin Wick
Women’s Golf
Adeena Shears
Men’s Hockey
Gordi Myer
Wrestling
Luke Pletcher
Men’s Fencing
Domenik Koch
Men’s Pistol
Robbie Delagrange
Men’s Rifle
Jacob Buchanan
Women’s Fencing
Gabriella Cecchini
Women’s Ice Hockey
Jincy Dunne
Women’s Pistol
Emily Nothnagle
Women’s Rifle
Rhiann Travis
Synchronized Swimming
Kaitlyn Carboun
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