Takedown Report

Bo Nickal’s legacy: a creative pinner and two-time Schalles Award winner

By Mike Finn
Bo Nickal may be the most famous “Bo” since Bo Jackson, the former multi-professional sport athlete of the 1980s, who capitalized on his fame with the “Bo Knows” commercials. But there are a lot of differences between these men with the same first name and not just because Bo is Nickal’s given name, and not a nickname that Jackson showcased with the Kansas City Royals or Oakland Raiders. Nickal, who recently capped off his final season at Penn State with a third national championship and won the 2019 Hodge Trophy, admitted he does not know everything when it comes to wrestling.

“We have 35 guys on the team and everyone one of them does something better than I do so I have something to learn from every single guy on the team,” said Nickal. The native of Allen, Texas, said that attitude is also part of his style which helped  him earn the 2019 Schalles Award, presented by WIN Magazine, as the nation’s top pinner for a second straight year. “Being in the Penn State room and having the amazing partners and coaches that I have, I’ve seen ten times in practice every situation I’ve been in during a match,” he said. “I’m very confident in every position that I’m in. That’s a huge testament to my coaches and training partners.” That included teammate and fellow three-time national champion Jason Nolf, who had three less pins (15) than Nickal’s 18 falls this past winter but finished one pin ahead of Nickal (60-59) in career falls at Penn State. Rest of the story, photo and list of previous winners at https://www.win-magazine.com/2019/05/nickal-wins-2019-schalles-award/?mc_cid=5cf27f4634&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

June 2, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized