Takedown Report

Nick Ackerman named 2026 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipient

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The NCAA has selected Simpson College alum and former national champion Nick Ackerman as one of its 2026 Silver Anniversary Award recipients, recognizing athletes who graduated 25 years ago and have gone on to demonstrate exceptional leadership, service and professional achievement.
Ackerman will be formally recognized during the NCAA Convention in January, where he and the other Silver Anniversary Award honorees – Drew Brees (Purdue football), Tamika Catchings (Tennessee women’s basketball), and Dr. Lauren Witmer (Millersville women’s tennis) – will be celebrated for their enduring impact and accomplishments.
Ackerman is one of the most celebrated athletes in Simpson College history. In 2001, he won the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship at 174 pounds, defeating defending national champion Nick Slack of Augsburg College, who entered the championship on a 60-match win streak. His remarkable victory made him the first athlete in NCAA history to win a national title without the use of his legs, as Ackerman is a bilateral below-knee amputee due to a childhood illness.
That same year, Ackerman was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA Championships and became the only Division III wrestler to win the Dan Hodge Trophy, wrestling’s equivalent of the Heisman, which he shared with Cael Sanderson of Iowa State. He finished the season with an impressive 38-4 record. … more at … https://www.simpsonathletics.com/sports/wrest/2025-26/releases/20251106inutsy

November 22, 2025 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized