University of Minnesota Athletics
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Photo by: Austin Janning
Sparks Garners Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
4/9/2026 11:00:00 AM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota's Andrew Sparks was named the team's honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, the conference announced Thursday.
According to the Big Ten, "the student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting."
Sparks is coming off his sixth and final season with the Maroon and Gold, earning All-America honors for the first time in his career. After a loss in the Round of 16, Sparks rattled off four straight victories to become the first Gopher All-American at 165 pounds since Danny Zilverberg in 2014. The No. 13 seed, Sparks finished in fifth place, the best by a Gopher at the weight since Jacob Volkmann was fourth in 2004. It was also the best finish by a Gopher seeded 13th or higher since Patrick McKee claimed third in 2021 as the No. 15 seed.
On the season, Sparks, who finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships, went 26-8 with an 11-3 dual record and 5-2 mark in the Big Ten. He posted one win by fall, three by tech fall and six by major decision.Â
A Costa Mesa, Calif., native, Sparks tied for the team lead in total matches wrestled on the season (34) and overall wins (26). He also tied for second in matches against ranked opponents (18), was third in overall win percentage (.765, 26-8), dual win percentage (.786, 11-3) and win percentage against ranked opponents (.611, 11-7), and tied for third in major decision wins (6), dual wins (11), dual team points scored (42) and wins over ranked opponents (11)Â
The first Gopher to compete at five different NCAA Championships, Sparks finished his Minnesota career with a 94-46 overall record, 38-17 record in duals and 23-13 conference mark. His 94 career wins are tied for 51st in program history.
Off the mat, Sparks was a 2025 CSC Academic All-District selection, a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American and a five-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
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According to the Big Ten, "the student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting."
Sparks is coming off his sixth and final season with the Maroon and Gold, earning All-America honors for the first time in his career. After a loss in the Round of 16, Sparks rattled off four straight victories to become the first Gopher All-American at 165 pounds since Danny Zilverberg in 2014. The No. 13 seed, Sparks finished in fifth place, the best by a Gopher at the weight since Jacob Volkmann was fourth in 2004. It was also the best finish by a Gopher seeded 13th or higher since Patrick McKee claimed third in 2021 as the No. 15 seed.
On the season, Sparks, who finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships, went 26-8 with an 11-3 dual record and 5-2 mark in the Big Ten. He posted one win by fall, three by tech fall and six by major decision.Â
A Costa Mesa, Calif., native, Sparks tied for the team lead in total matches wrestled on the season (34) and overall wins (26). He also tied for second in matches against ranked opponents (18), was third in overall win percentage (.765, 26-8), dual win percentage (.786, 11-3) and win percentage against ranked opponents (.611, 11-7), and tied for third in major decision wins (6), dual wins (11), dual team points scored (42) and wins over ranked opponents (11)Â
The first Gopher to compete at five different NCAA Championships, Sparks finished his Minnesota career with a 94-46 overall record, 38-17 record in duals and 23-13 conference mark. His 94 career wins are tied for 51st in program history.
Off the mat, Sparks was a 2025 CSC Academic All-District selection, a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American and a five-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
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