AMES, Iowa – For the second time in his career, Iowa State wrestler David Carr has been named the Gary Thompson Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year. Carr is the seventh Cyclone to win the award at least twice in his career.

Carr posted a 27-1 record during the 2022-23 season and finished as the national runner-up at 165 pounds, becoming Iowa State’s first multi-time finalist since 2010. Of his 27 wins, 12 came against wrestlers ranked in the top 15 of FloWrestling’s final poll.

The Canton, Ohio native won his fourth Big 12 title in 2023, becoming the second Iowa State wrestler, and first since Cael Sanderson in 2002, to win four Big 12 titles. He is the 11th wrestler in league history to win four titles in the Big 12 era (1997-pres.).

Carr was named the Big 12 Championship’s Most Outstanding Wrestler after going 3-0 in the tournament with two bonus-point wins, capped by a pin against No. 2 Keegan O’Toole in overtime of the finals. Carr was the first Cyclone to receive the honor since 2011.

At the NCAA Championships, Carr became Iowa State’s 12^th four-time All-American and led the Cyclones with 18.0 team points. He led Iowa State to its best team finish since 2013 (11^th) and highest point total since 2010 (47.0 points).

Carr’s bracket was loaded with three past NCAA champions, another returning NCAA finalist and five more returning All-Americans. Nevertheless, Carr navigated to the finals with four consecutive victories, including over Stanford’s Shane Griffith, a 2021 national champion, in the quarterfinals and Princeton’s Quincy Monday, a returning national finalist, in the semifinals. Awaiting him in the finals was his rival and defending national champion O’Toole who would hand Carr his only loss of the season.

In November, Carr made an appearance at the NWCA All-Star Classic where he defeated Monday, 2-1, to become the first Cyclone to win at the event since 2009.

Carr was as dominant as they come for much of the season. More than half of his wins (14) came with bonus points, including five pins, three tech falls and six major decisions. He allowed only five takedowns on the year and secured 93 for himself, his most in a season during his career.

Carr led Iowa State with 77 team points in dual action and he was one of two Cyclones not to miss a dual during the season, wrestling in all 19.

Off the mat, Carr logged 112 hours of community service in 2022-23, the third-most by a Cyclone student-athlete during the academic year. His community service work consisted of Courts for Kids in Costa Rica, Elementary Milage Club, Kate Mitchell Carnival, WBB Night with Special Olympians, Adopt-A-Family and Fields of Faith.

Carr posted a 3.86 GPA in the education graduate program and was a 2023 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America First Team member, CSC All-District At-Large team member, First Team Academic All-Big 12 selection and NWCA scholar All-American.

He owns a 93-3 (.969) career record entering his final season of eligibility.

Carr will be recognized at a football game this fall.

Gary Thompson Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year Winners
1947 – Ron Norman, Basketball
1948 – Glen Brand, Wrestling
1949 – Bob Peterson, Basketball
1950 – Bill Weeks Football
1951 – Jim Doran, Football
1952 – Mal Schmidt, Football & Swimming
1953 – Jack Erickson, Football & Wrestling
1954 – Max Burkett, Football
1955 – Chuck Duncan, Basketball
1956 – Gary Thompson, Baseball & Basketball
1957 – Gary Thompson, Baseball & Basketball
1958 – Frank Powell, Football & Wrestling
1959 – Ron Gray, Wrestling
1960 – Dwight Nichols, Football
1961 – Tom Watkins, Football
1962 – Dave Hoppman, Football
1963 – Marv Straw, Basketball
1964 – Gordon Hassman, Wrestling
1965 – Tom Vaughn, Football
1966 – Tom Peckham, Wrestling
1967 – Don Smith, Basketball
1968 – Don Smith, Basketball
1969 – Dan Gable, Wrestling
1970 – Dan Gable, Wrestling
1971 – Otto Stowe, Football
1972 – George Amundson, Football
1973 – Chris Taylor, Wrestling
1974 – Doug Fitzjarrell, Gymnastics
1975 – Al Nacin, Wrestling
1976 – Pete Galea, Wrestling
1977 – Wayne Stanley, Football
1978 – Mark Trippel, Gymnastics
1979 – Mike Land, Wrestling
1980 – Mike Schwartz, Football
1981 – Ron Galimore, Gymnastics
1982 – John Quinn, Football
1983 – Nate Carr, Wrestling
1984 – Bob Verbeeck, Track & Field
1985 – Barry Stevens, Basketball
1986 – Mark Diab, Gymnastics
1987 – Stewart Carter, Wrestling
1988 – Eric Hansen, Swimming
Jeff Grayer, Basketball
1989 – Tim Krieger, Wrestling
1990 – Mike Busch, Baseball & Football
1991 – John Nuttall, Cross Country and Track & Field
1992 – Obinna Eregbu, Track & Field
1993 – Jonah Koech, Track & Field
1994 – Eric Akin, Wrestling
1995 – Fred Hoiberg, Basketball
1996 – Dmitry Drozdov, Track & Field and Cross Country
1997 – Chris Bono, Wrestling
1998 – Dwight Hinson, Wrestling
1999 – Cael Sanderson, Wrestling
2000 – Marcus Fizer, Basketball
2001 – Jamaal Tinsley, Basketball
Cael Sanderson, Wrestling
2002 – Cael Sanderson, Wrestling
2003 – Seneca Wallace, Football
2004 – Zach Roberson, Wrestling
Jake Sullivan, Basketball
2005 – Ellis Hobbs, Football
2006 – Nate Gallick, Wrestling
2007 – Trent Paulson, Wrestling
2008 – Chris Baker, Golf
2009 – Jake Varner, Wrestling
2010 – Jake Varner, Wrestling
2011 – Jon Reader, Wrestling
2012 – Nate McCoy, Golf
2013 – Scott Fernandez, Golf
2014 – Melvin Ejim, Basketball
2015 – Edward Kemboi, Track & Field and Cross Country
Kyven Gadson, Wrestling
2016 – Georges Niang, Basketball
2017 – Monté Morris, Basketball
2018 – Joel Lanning, Football
2019 – Edwin Kurgat, Track & Field and Cross Country
2020 – Edwin Kurgat, Track & Field and Cross Country
2021 – David Carr, Wrestling
2022 – Breece Hall, Football
2023 – David Carr, Wrestling