CLEVELAND, Ohio - Redshirt senior Evan Cheek of the Cleveland State University wrestling team claimed his highest individual honor to conclude his career as he was named an All-American in a recent announcement by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Cheek earned Honorable Mention All-American honors at 141 pounds. At each weight class, eight student-athletes earned First Team honors with four each earning Second Team and Honorable Mention accolades.

Each year the NWCA recognizes the outstanding work of the DI student-athletes by naming the All-Americans based on their achievements in the NCAA Championship. However, this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic the championships were canceled. Therefore, All-American honors were based on each wrestler's overall body of work through the conference tournaments and up to the national championships.

"During difficult times there are always people who rise to the occasion and I'm proud of the action that the NWCA Division I Leadership Group in providing direction for honoring the 2020 Division I All-American team," NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer said. "It's important that these athletes' efforts and successes during the season are recognized."

Cheek had been slated as the No. 16 seed at 141 pounds in the 33-man field for NCAA's. He finished 14th in the final RPI produced by the NCAA, which was the top spot held by a MAC wrestler and the second-highest of any athlete that did not hail from a Power Five school.

Cheek had earned his second career national tournament berth by virtue of his performance at the Mid-American Conference Championships. He won a trio of matches on the opening day of the event, two against top-26 opponents, to lock up a spot to NCAA's. He ended up finishing as the runner-up at the event, well inside the MAC's allotment of five automatic berths at the weight.

"Evan Cheek brought a ton of excitement and attention to the Cleveland State wrestling program over the last five years," head coach Josh Moore said. "He will leave as one of the most decorated wrestlers in the past decade at CSU."

Cheek went 36-5 overall in his final season as a collegian, including a 12-1 mark in duals. He posted eight pins and 18 total bonus-point victories. He won titles at the Clarion Open, Ohio Intercollegiate Open and Cleveland State Open, turning in a dominant performance in the latter event to becoming the first Viking to a win a title at CSU's home event since 2011. He also placed at the prestigious Southern Scuffle for the second time in his career.

Cheek had previously earned an automatic berth to 2018 NCAA Championships in Cleveland. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Eastern Wrestling League Championships that year, after winning the 141-pound EWL title, becoming just the third Viking ever to win that honor and the first in 35 years.

Cheek was one of only three All-Americans at his weight class that did not hail from a Power Five conference.

Cheek was one of seven Vikings to place at the 2020 MAC Championships and one of five that outpaced their seed. As a result, Cleveland State finished in the top half of the team standings at the event after being tabbed to finish dead last in the final pre-championship coaches' rankings. Cleveland State's nine dual wins were its highest such figure in 13 years.