The Open Mat presents awards annually in three categories for each division of college wrestling at the conclusion of the season. Awards are presented for Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Wrestler of the Year.

Less than a year after graduating from high school, Jacob Strausbaugh became an NCAA Division II national champion at the University of Mary.

The true freshman from Alaska claimed the national title at 133 pounds.

On Thursday, Strausbaugh was honored as the 2026 NCAA Division II Freshman of the Year by The Open Mat.

Strausbaugh made an immediate impact in college wrestling. He won tournament titles at the Jimmie Open and DWU Open in November before finishing third at the Younes Hospitality Open, with his lone loss coming to an NCAA Division I wrestler.

In January, Strausbaugh competed at NWCA National Duals, where he posted a 3-0 record and helped UMary earn a sixth-place finish against the nation's top NCAA Division II wrestling programs.

After a third-place finish at the 2026 NCAA Super Regional V, Strausbaugh earned the No. 7 seed at the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.

He was dominant on the opening day of the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, outscoring his first two opponents 23-0, which included an 18-0 technical fall in his first match, which he followed up with a 5-0 shutout over second-seeded Jeremiah Echevarria of Gannon in the quarterfinals.

Strausbaugh then pinned No. 3 Jason Henschel of Central Oklahoma in the semifinals to punch his ticket to the national finals. In the finals, Strausbaugh faced Lander's James Joplin and found himself trailing 3-1 after two periods. He earned an escape in the third period before getting a takedown with 33 seconds remaining to grab the lead. He then rode out Joplin to secure his national championship at 133 pounds.

He became the second UMary wrestler to win an NCAA Division II national title, joining Reece Barnhardt, who won a national championship at 133 pounds last season. Strausbaugh finished his true freshman season with a 25-2 record, which included a 72% bonus rate.