Askren fulfills promise, cuts hair

By Matt Cavanah

Published March 24, 2006

Before the season, junior wrestler Ben Askren said he would not cut his hair until he was a national champion.

As Askren sat in a barber chair at the Crossroads Shopping Center on Thursday night, his signature shoulder-length curly blond locks fell to the floor. Askren won the 174-pound class at the NCAA Championships this past weekend and became the first national champion in program history.

Askren said he never had any trouble with his hair getting pulled during matches, but he said sometimes teammates gave him grief about it. He said his parents were excited he was finally cutting his hair.

Askren cut about eight inches off the top and side of his head, but he left the back untouched. The result: a textbook mullet.

On Thursday, Askren added to his accomplishments for the season when he was named the 2006 Rev Wrestler of the Year by RevWrestling.com. Askren finished the season 45-0, setting various records along the way.