Varner to be honored Sunday

ISU senior Jake Varner defeated Missouri wrestler Brent Haynes 14-5 on Feb. 14 at Hilton Coliseum. Varner and the Cyclones are now preparing for the 2010 NCAA Championships to be held March 18–20. Photo: Rebekka Brown/Iowa State Daily

Rebekka Brown

ISU senior Jake Varner defeated Missouri wrestler Brent Haynes 14-5 on Feb. 14 at Hilton Coliseum. Varner and the Cyclones are now preparing for the 2010 NCAA Championships to be held March 18–20. Photo: Rebekka Brown/Iowa State Daily

Daily Staff

Former ISU wrestler Jake Varner will be honored at Sunday’s ISU wrestling dual, where a banner will be unfurled commemorating his place as Iowa State’s most recent Olympic gold medalist.

Varner, a four-time NCAA finalist and two-time NCAA champion, won a gold medal at 96 kilograms (211.5 pounds) at the summer Olympics this past August in London. Varner’s first-place finish makes him the sixth former ISU wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling.

In his time at Iowa State, Varner compiled a career record of 121-10, which included a 31-0 senior campaign that was capped off with a 197-pound national title in 2009-10.

Varner took second place at 184 pounds as a sophomore before winning national titles at 197 pounds as a junior and senior.

A banner will be unfurled among the rafters at Hilton Coliseum alongside his training partner and fellow Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson.