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Kocer earns place among sports' elite with ESPY
Matt Bunke The Daily Republic
Published Friday, July 18, 2008
LeBron James. Tiger Woods. Tom Brady. Brett Favre. Ryan Kocer.
Those names were just five of the more than 30 athletes from around the world that won ESPYs Wednesday in Los Angeles, and needless to say, Kocer, a former Wagner High School wrestler, found himself among some elite company.
Kocer, who had his left leg amputated above the knee after an accident on the family farm last August, won the award for the “Best Male Athlete with a Disability.” The annual awards, given out by ESPN, were hosted by music superstar Justin Timberlake, and featured some of the top professional and college athletes from around the world.
Wagner’s Ryan Kocer, left, wrestles at the Jerry Opbroek Invitational in Mitchell in January. Kocer went on to finish fourth in the state at 152 pounds, and on Wednesday, he won the ESPY for “Best Male Athlete with a Disability.” (Matt Bunke/Republic)
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The show will air at 8 p.m. Sunday on ESPN. Kocer, who attended the ceremony in Los Angeles, could not be reached for comment.
Kocer’s comeback from his amputation received national attention when he returned to the mat only four months after the injury. In early January, Kocer wrestled with his Wagner teammates for the first time at The Clash, a national duals tournament in Rochester, Minn. Kocer won his first match, and went 3-1 at the tournament. Stories soon followed on ESPN.com and in USA Today.
Kocer, who previously had wrestled at 171 pounds, wrestled this year at 152 pounds, without the use of his prosthetic leg during competition. The three-time state champion in wrestling and three-year starter in football still managed to finish fourth at this year’s Class B state tournament in Sioux Falls. He was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Kocer beat out three other athletes for the ESPY. Also nominated for the award, which was voted on by fans, were Matt Scott, a wheelchair basketball player for the U.S. team and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; Phil Scholz, a blind swimmer for Loyola College in Maryland; and Marthell Vazquez, a midfielder for the U.S. men’s paralympic soccer team who suffers from cerebral palsy.
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