CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) office has announced the Men's Wrestling Individual Awards for the 2024-25 season, where the No. 14-ranked Corban University Men's Wrestling program's very first individual national champion was selected as the top performer from the CCC following his national title run that concluded less than a week ago. Redshirt senior David Rubio hoisted his individual national champion trophy last Saturday after his perfect run through the 157-weight class, earning him the title of 2025 CCC Wrestler of the Year by the conference via today's award ceremony.
To read the conference's release on their yearly men's wrestling awards, click HERE.
"David has worked really hard, so it's encouraging to see him receive recognition for it," Corban head coach Nolan Harris shared on his senior leader. "He put together a great season and was focused in spite of a lingering knee injury. He had a tough loss to a great opponent in the CCC finals, and I know it hurt as it was one of his goals to be a four-time conference champion. He did a good job, however, of refocusing and using that loss to fuel his national tournament performance. When I reflect on the many performances of David, it is clear that he is one of the most dynamic wrestlers, that he puts points on the board, and that he conducts himself on and off the mat in a manner that makes him a fan favorite. He is one of the best outright competitors I've seen or coached on the mat and just finds a way to accomplish the goal. He's been fun to watch and fun to coach. I know the wrestling community appreciates how he has competed this season and throughout his career. Being honored with this award is indicative of that. He embodies the Warrior-for-Christ mentality that we preach at Corban, and it is encouraging that he was named the CCC Wrestler of the Year."
The 102nd head-to-head win of Rubio's collegiate men's wrestling career not only concluded his Corban record for most wins by a Warrior but also clinched the first national championship title in program history when he upset the No. 1-ranked contender in the 157-weight class. With the entire nation tuning in, Rubio delivered when it mattered most and avenged his two previous runner-up finishes with a dominant 11-1 major decision over Central Methodist University's Donald Griffin.
In addition to a national crown, Rubio was named the 2025 Outstanding Wrestler of the NAIA National Tournament after posting a perfect 5-0 record in Wichita, Kansas that featured a trio of major decisions and two five-point decisions. In the previous two years at the national tournament, Rubio hasn't surrendered a single takedown to his double-digit number of opponents, yielding only escape points while outscoring his tourney foes 52-10 during his magical postseason run.
Rubio wraps up his collegiate career on top of the NAIA scene following his 26-4 overall record in 2024-25 and with a packed trophy case of recognitions and awards to go along with his national championship plaque. In his Corban career, he was named an All-American on four separate occasions, numerous CCC Wrestler of the Week awards, is a three-time conference weight class champion, a four-time conference finalist and three-time national finalist, along with two National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) Academic All-American awards.
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