SoCon Wrestling Championship Set for Saturday at Davidson
Chattanooga Looks for Sixth-Straight SoCon Tournament Title
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The 2010 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship is set to begin this Saturday, March 6 at the Baker Sports Complex in Davidson, N.C.
The 73rd annual conference meet will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET with first-round matches, with the finals slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET and the awards ceremony to follow.
Chattanooga is looking for its sixth straight and 25th overall SoCon Championship, after winning its sixth consecutive regular-season championship already this season.
Three tournament champions from 2009 will return this season, including Chattanooga's Demetrius Johnson at 125 pounds and VMI's Josh Wine in the heavyweight class. The Citadel's Odie Delaney, who claimed the SoCon title at 197 pounds in 2009, has moved up in class and will challenge Wine for the heavyweight title on Saturday.
Each of the 10 conference champions will earn an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships to be held March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.
The top two wrestlers in each class will receive byes to the quarterfinals. Seeding will be announced the evening prior to the tournament.
Team scoring will determine a team champion of the six competing schools, including Appalachian State, Chattanooga, Davidson, The Citadel, UNC Greensboro and VMI.
Fans unable to attend can watch a live video stream of the entire tournament at SoCon.TV.
Additionally, a live blog of results will be available throughout the day at SoConSports.com.
2010 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships
Baker Sports Complex, Davidson, N.C.
Schedule:
10 a.m. - Doors Open
11 a.m. - First round matches
1 p.m. - Semifinals immediately followed by consolation semifinals
5 p.m. - Consolation Finals
7 p.m. - Finals and awards
Chattanooga Wrestlers Dominate All-SoCon Wrestling Team
Mocs' Wrestlers Earn Five of 10 Spots; Appalachian State's Trotman Named Wrestler of the Year
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - After winning its sixth-consecutive Southern Conference regular season championship, Chattanooga wrestling was honored by the league's head coaches with five of the 10 spots on the 2010 SoCon Wrestling All-Conference team.
Appalachian State's Austin Trotman, wrestling at 184 pounds, was chosen as the league's Wrestler of the Year. The sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C., was 13-1 on the season at 184 pounds and 5-0 in the SoCon after moving up from the 174-pound class.
Chattanooga's Demetrius Johnson, who was undefeated at 125 pounds in league matches, was named to the all-conference team as were teammates Josh Statum (133), Josh Condon (157), Brandon Wright (165) and Niko Brown (197). Two of the Mocs' all-conference members, Condon and Brown, are freshman while a third freshman, Jake Young, was tabbed as the league's Freshman of the Year. The talented group helped UTC to run its conference match win streak to 30, covering six straight undefeated seasons.
Joining Trotman on the all-conference team from Appalachian State was Savva Kostis, who had nine pins on the season, at 149 pounds.
UNC Greensboro, which finished second in the regular season standings, placed redshirt-freshman Ivan Lopouchanski on the all-conference team at 141 pounds and Byron Sigmon at 174 pounds.
VMI's Josh Wine, who boasts a sterling 20-1 overall mark this season, earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive season at the heavyweight position.
The league's head coaches also selected a 10-wrestler all-freshman team. Chattanooga placed four wrestlers on that squad, with Dean Pavlou joining Brown, Condon and Freshman of the Year Young.
Appalachian State's Jacob Earp was joined on the All-Freshman team by Nick LaFevre and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj of The Citadel and Lopouchanski, Eric Chandler and Travis Sheehy of UNC Greensboro.
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own wrestlers.
The 2010 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships, the 73rd annual gathering of the league's wrestling teams, will take place on Saturday, March 6 at Davidson's Baker Sports Complex. First round matches will begin at 11 a.m., with the finals to start at 7 p.m.
2010 SoCon Wrestling All-Conference Team
125 Demetrius Johnson, So., Chattanooga
133 Josh Statum, Sr., Chattanooga
141 Ivan Lopouchanski, R-Fr., UNC Greensboro
149 Savva Kostis, So., Appalachian State
157 Josh Condon, Fr., Chattanooga
165 Brandon Wright, So., Chattanooga
174 Byron Sigmon, Jr., UNC Greensboro
184 Austin Trotman, So., Appalachian State
197 Niko Brown, Fr., Chattanooga
HWT Josh Wine, Jr., VMI
Wrestler of the Year
Austin Trotman, So., 184, Appalachian State
2010 SoCon Wrestling All-Freshman Team
Jacob Earp, Appalachian State
Niko Brown, Chattanooga
Josh Condon, Chattanooga
Dean Pavlou, Chattanooga
Jake Young, Chattanooga
Nick LaFevre, The Citadel
Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, The Citadel
Eric Chandler, UNC Greensboro
Ivan Lopouchanski, UNC Greensboro
Travis Sheehy, UNC Greensboro
Freshman of the Year
Jake Young, 174, Chattanooga
UNCG's Sughrue Honored as Wrestler of the Week
Senior tallied two pins in less than a minute
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - UNC Greensboro senior Ryan Sughrue has been selected as the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all competition from January 27 - February 2.
Sughrue went 2-0 this past week with a pair of pins in his two matches. The Modesto, Calif., native began his week last Wednesday night by pinning Davidson's Mark Jeevratnam in just 50 seconds. He followed that up Tuesday with another impressive pin. He wasted only 24 seconds to pin Brandon Johnson from Liberty. Those two pins were the quickest of the season for him after he recorded a 51 second pin earlier this season.
The 197-pounder is 18-9 on the season, including a 3-1 mark in SoCon action and a 7-3 record in duals. Sughrue has tallied eight pins among his 18 victories.
Other wrestlers receiving consideration this week were The Citadel's Nick LeFevre and Davidson's Vitaly Radsky.
2009-10 Southern Conference Wrestlers of the Week
Dec. 2 Jake Young, Chattanooga
Dec. 9 Odie Delaney, The Citadel
Dec. 16 Ronnie Ellsworth, VMI
Jan. 6 Andrew Saunders, UNC Greensboro
Jan. 13 Andrew Szymborski, VMI
Jan. 20 Austin Trotman, Appalachian State
Jan. 27 Kyle Blevins, Appalachian State
Feb. 3 Ryan Sughrue, UNC Greensboro
VMI's Szymborski Named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week
Sophomore Went 2-0 in Duals Last Week
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - VMI sophomore Andrew Szymborski has been selected as the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all competition from January 6-12.
Szymborski (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) moved up a weight class to 184 pounds in back-to-back duals last week and scored a pair of wins, one via major decision. Szymborski knocked off George Mason's James Webb, 3-1, before winning a major decision against North Carolina State's Cedric Moore, 10-2. Szymborski leads the team with four major decisions. He is now 8-6 on the season with a 3-2 dual mark.
The honor is the second Wrestler of the Week accolade for VMI this season, as Szymborski joins junior Ronnie Ellsworth, who was so named on Dec. 16. Junior heavyweight Josh Wine also earned league honors last month, being named the Southern Conference's Wrestler of the Month for December. Other wrestlers receiving consideration this week included UNC Greensboro's Andrew Saunders, Appalachian State's Austin Trotman and Davidson's Ben Altman.
The Keydets return to action this evening, taking on Franklin & Marshall at 7:30 p.m. in a dual held on Post at The Thunderdome.
2009-10 Southern Conference Wrestlers of the Week
Dec. 2 Jake Young, Chattanooga
Dec. 9 Odie Delaney, The Citadel
Dec. 16 Ronnie Ellsworth, VMI
Jan. 6 Andrew Saunders, UNC Greensboro
Jan. 13 Andrew Szymborski, VMI
VMI's Josh Wine Southern Conference December Athletes of the Month
Josh Wine, VMI, Jr., 285 pounds
Wine, the two-time defending Southern Conference champion in the heavyweight class, was a perfect 7-0 during the month of December. The junior claimed the 285-pound title at the Wilkes Open and provided the decisive points in the Keydets' first dual win of the season, a 21-15 decision over Gardner-Webb on Dec.
UNCG's Saunders Named Southern Conference Wrestler Wrestler of the Week
Junior Went 3-0 in Old Dominion Quad Last Week
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - UNC Greensboro junior Andrew Saunders has been selected as the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all competition from December 16 - January 5.
Wrestling in the 184-pound class, Saunders went 3-0 last weekend at the Old Dominion Quad as the Spartans battled Rider, Old Dominion and Purdue. In his first match, the junior scored a major decision over Joe Budi from No. 24 Old Dominion before defeating Nicholas Corpe from Purdue (4-3) and Joseph Ferber from Rider (8-3).
Earlier in the month, the Geneva, Ill., native went 2-2 at the UNCG Southern Scuffle tournament where he scored a first period pin and a major decision.
Other wrestlers receiving consideration this week were Appalachian State's Savva Kostis, The Citadel's Nick LeFevre, Chattanooga's Jason McCroskey and VMI's Josh Wine.
2009-10 Southern Conference Wrestlers of the Week
Dec. 2 Jake Young, Chattanooga
Dec. 9 Odie Delaney, The Citadel
Dec. 16 Ronnie Ellsworth, VMI
Jan. 6 Andrew Saunders, UNC Greensboro
VMI's Ellsworth Named Wrestler of the Week
Junior Led Keydets to Win over Gardner-Webb
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - VMI junior Ronnie Ellsworth has been selected as the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all competition from December 9-15.
Ellsworth improved to 5-2 on the season with his 4-1 decision against Gardner-Webb's Travis Porter on Friday night. That win gave him a 2-0 record in duals this season and clinched VMI's 21-15 dual victory against the Bulldogs. Ellsworth, who wrestles at 197 pounds, also currently ranks second on the team in wins.
2009-10 Southern Conference Wrestlers of the Week
Dec. 2 Jake Young, Chattanooga
Dec. 9 Odie Delaney, The Citadel
Dec. 16 Ronnie Ellsworth, VMI
Chattanooga,s
Jon Sioredas Tabbed Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week
Spartanburg, SC -- The Southern Conference has named Jon Sioredas
from
Chattanooga as the SoCon Wrestler of the Week for the week of
February 15.
Sioredas, a 165 pound senior from Chesapeake, VA, wrestled
his way to a
number five ranking in the February 15 Intermat Rankings, pinning
Davidson,s
Trebor Clavette in the Mocs, 49-0 win at Davidson on February
12. Sioredas
has won 17 of his last 18 matches, including eight straight. He
is the SoCon
,s winningest wrestler at 165-pounds, posting a 21-1 record with
a 4-0
record in league matches.
The Mocs,s win on Feb. 12 clinched at least a share of the
05 Southern
Conference regular season crown, and Chattanooga can clinch it
outright with
a win over VMI on February 20.
Other top performers this week were Tommy Cunningham of VMI,
UNC Greensboro,
s Daren Burns and Ruebon Daniels of Appalachian State.
SoCon
Wrestler of the Week, Feb. 9
The Citadel,s Ryan McClester Named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week
Spartanburg, SC -- The Southern Conference has selected Ryan
McClester from
The Citadel as the SoCon Wrestler of the Week for the week of
February 9.
McClester, a 133-pound senior from Lugoff, SC, went 3-0 at
the All-Academy
Championships en route to winning the 133-pound weight class.
In the finals
of the 133-pound bracket, the top-seeded McClester knocked off
20th-ranked
Sam Gray of the Naval Academy, 5-3, in overtime. On the season
McClester is
11-5 overall, posting one pin.
Other top performers this week were Matt Pendle of Davidson,
VMI,s Sam
Alvarenga, Daren Burns from UNC Greensboro and Jon Sioredas of
Chattanooga.
Nic Bowman
Southern Conference
702 N. Pine St.
Spartanburg, SC 29303
864-591-5100
www.SoConSports.com
SoCon Wrestler of the Week, Feb. 2
UNC Greensboro,s Daren Burns Named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week
Spartanburg, SC -- The Southern Conference has selected Daren
Burns of UNC
Greensboro as the SoCon Wrestler of the Week for the week of February
2.
Burns, a 197-pound sophomore from Catawba, NC, finished the
week with a
perfect 3-0 record. He started the week by knocking off Zach Garren
of NC
State, 8-2. Three days later in a tri-match at Maryland, Burns
recorded two
pins over Tim Frank of Duquesne and Mike Maceroli of Maryland.
On the season
he is 19-4 overall and 9-1 in dual matches. Burns has won 12 of
his last 13
matches, and is currently on a seven match winning streak.
Other top performers this week were Trebor Clavette of Davidson,
VMI,s Tommy
Cunningham and Travis Piccard of The Citadel.
Nic Bowman
Southern Conference
702 N. Pine St.
Spartanburg, SC 29303
864-591-5100
www.SoConSports.com
The
Citadel,s Travis Piccard and Daren Burns of UNC Greensboro Tabbed
SoCon Co-Wrestlers of the Week
Spartanburg, SC -- The Southern Conference today named Travis
Piccard from
The Citadel and UNC Greensboro,s Daren Burns as Co-Wrestlers of
the Week for
the week of January 5.
Piccard, a 157-pound junior from Allendale, MI, went 5-0 en
route to winning
the 157-pound weight class at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro,
NC. During
the tournament, Piccard recorded two major decisions and one tech
fall,
picking up his second open tournament championship this season.
Burns, a sophomore from Catawba, NC, ran the table in the 197-pound
weight
class, recording UNC Greensboro,s first ever title at the Southern
Scuffle.
During the tournament, Burns went 5-0 including two major decisions
and one
pin. In the finals of the 197-pound bracket, he knocked off top-seeded
Jerry
Rinaldi of Cornell, the nation,s seventh-best wrestler at the
197-pound
weight class.
The Citadel will be back in action on Friday, January 14, when
it heads up
to Hampton, VA, for the Virginia Duals. The Spartans return to
the mat on
Friday, January 8 at the Ohio State Duals.
Appalachian
State,s Jason Jones Tabbed SoCon Wrestler of the Week
Spartanburg, SC -- The Southern Conference has named Jason
Jones from
Appalachian State as the SoCon Wrestler of the Week for the week
of December
22.
Jones, a 141-pound senior from Port Jervis, NY, went 4-0 en
route to
finishing first in the 141-pound weight class at the Beast of
the East
Tournament in Newark, DE. This season Jones has been one of the
Mountaineers
, winningest wrestlers, posting a 10-2 overall record and a 3-1
record in
dual matches.
Another top performer this week was Travis Piccard of The Citadel.
At the
Beast of the East Tournament, Piccard went 3-1 and picked up second
place at
the 157-pound weight class.
Chattanooga,s
Jon Sioredas Tabbed SoCon Wrestler of the Week
Spartanburg, SC -- The Southern Conference has named Jon Sioredas
from
Chattanooga as the SoCon Wrestler of the Week for the week of
December 15.
Sioredas, a 165-pound senior from Chesapeake, VA, went 2-0
on the week with
major decision wins over 15-ranked Wisconsin,s Jake Donar and
John Foster of
Kent State. With the 11-3 win over Donar, and the 12-3 defeat
of Foster,
Sioredas now has a perfect 10-0 record in dual matches with four
major
decisions this season.
Another top performer this week was Tommy Cunningham of VMI.
Cunningham won
his first collegiate match of his career, pinning Kyle Hood of
Gardner-Webb.
2002
SoCon Wrestler of the Year
Appalachian State's Travis Drake Named SoCon Wrestler of the
Year
SoCon All-Conference Wrestlers Announced
ASHEVILLE, NC -- The Southern Conference announced today that
Travis Drake
of Appalachian State was selected as the 2001-02 Wrestler of the
Year by the
league coaches. It is the second consecutive year that Drake has
been
honored by the league. He also was also an all-conference selection
in the
133-lbs. weight class with a perfect 4-0 record.
Drake led the Mountaineers this season with 31 victories helping
ASU to its
third place finish in the 2002 final standings. He was crowned
the 133-lbs.
weight class champion in three tournaments this season, including
the
Keystone Classic (Nov. 18), Carolina Sharpie Open (Nov. 24), and
the MU
Belles Tournament (Jan. 5).
The junior from Cheraw, SC, was ranked as high as 13th this
season by
InterMat Wrestling. He finished with an overall record of 31-4
with four
pins. In addition to his perfect conference mark, Drake was 11-2
in dual
meets.
The Southern Conference also announced its All-Conference teams
by weight
class for the 2002 season. Regular season champion Chattanooga,
VMI, and
Appalachian State all had three selections to the squad. UTC grappler
Matt
Pitts was the 125-lbs. all-conference selection. He was joined
by teammates
Jared Sullivan at 141-lbs. and Austin David at 197-lbs.
VMI's trio included Mike Parsons at 149-lbs., Adam Britt, who
was a
three-time SoCon Wrestler of the Week selection, in the 157-lbs.
class, and
Jason Cox at 184-lbs. Britt led the Southern Conference in wins
with 35,
tying a VMI school record for wins in a season.
In addition to Drake, ASU had Mark Fee at 165-lbs., and Lee
Roper edged out
VMI's Matt Erwin to earn the all-conference honor at 174-lbs.
Roper was a
perfect 4-0 wrestling 174-lbs., with one loss up a weight class
at 184-lbs.
UNC Greensboro senior Greg Forbes was named the heavyweight
all-conference
selection. He finished with an 8-2 record on the year, including
a perfect
5-0 in the SoCon.
The Southern Conference will team with the Atlantic Coast Conference
this
weekend with its wrestling championships in the second annual
Mat Jam
Wrestling Championships in Raleigh, NC. The event is to be held
this
Saturday, March 9 at historic Reynolds Coliseum on the campus
of North
Carolina State University.
Seedings for the championships will be set Friday night and
posted along
with all of the results on the Southern Conference's home in cyber
space,
www.SoConSports.com.
Wrestler of the Year
Travis Drake, Appalachian State
SoCon All-Conference Wrestlers
125-pounds Matt Pitts, UTC
133-pounds Travis Drake, ASU
141-pounds Jared Sullivan, UTC
149-pounds Mike Parsons, VMI
157-pounds Adam Britt, VMI
165-pounds Mark Fee, ASU
174-pounds Lee Roper, ASU
184-pounds Jason Cox, VMI
197-pounds Austin David, UTC
Heavyweight Greg Forbes, UNCG
VMI's
Adam Britt Named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week
ASHEVILLE, NC -- The Southern Conference today named VMI,s
Adam Britt as its
Wrestler of the Week for matches through February 25. This is
Britt,s third
selection as the SoCon,s top weekly performer this season having
earned
back-to-back honors on January 15 and 22.
Britt compiled a perfect 3-0 record last week winning two in
conference and
one in non-conference action while accumulating 12 points for
the Keydets.
The Mechanicsville, VA, junior defeated Chattanooga,s Quentin
Bell, who
entered the match having won six-straight duals, 5-4. Britt scored
a major
decision over Davidson,s Jeff Bender, 21-5, and defeated Vic Arena
of
Campbell, 10-1.
Overall, Britt stands at 35-6 with nine pins on the season.
His 35 victories
tied the VMI school record for wins in a season (Charlie Branch,
1993-94).
Britt finished 4-1 in the Southern Conference and continues to
be ranked by
InterMat wrestling.
VMI's Adam Britt Named Southern Conference Wrestler
of the Week
ASHEVILLE, NC -- The Southern Conference today
named VMI,s Adam Britt as its
Wrestler of the Week for matches through January 22. It is the
second
selection for Britt in the 2001-02 season.
Britt was a perfect 5-0 with a pair of pins
last week in the 157-pound
weight class. The junior from Mechanicsville, VA, registered three
of his
five wins over wrestlers from the University of Virginia in helping
the
Keydets to a 20-12 dual win over the Cavaliers and a third place
finish in
the Virginia Intercollegiate State Championships. The win over
Virginia was
VMI,s first since 1996. Britt took first at the Virginia Intercollegiates,
sweeping four matches, two from wrestlers from UVA, and earning
pinfall in
his other two bouts.
Britt holds a 26-6 overall record, including
a perfect 7-0 mark in dual
meets. He has won nine-straight and is unbeaten in 2002. Britt
has also
registered a team-high six pinfall victories in the 2001-02 season.
Britt is
ranked 16th in the latest 157-pound InterMat Wrestling Top 20.
Adam
Britt Named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week
ASHEVILLE, NC -- The Southern Conference today
named VMI,s Adam Britt as its
Wrestler of the Week for matches through January 15.
Britt, a junior from Mechanicsville, VA, was
a perfect 4-0 with one pin
last week in the 157-pound weight class. He accumulated a total
of 19 points
for the Keydets who went 3-1 during the week with wins at George
Mason and
over American and tournament host, East Stroudsburg. Britt scored
major
decision victories versus George Mason and East Stroudsburg, and
recorded a
pinfall in the match versus American in the 165-lbs. weight class.
Britt holds a 21-6 overall record, including
a perfect 6-0 mark in dual
meets. He has also registered four pinfall victories in the 2001-02
season.
Britt is ranked 15th in the 157-pound InterMat Wrestling Top 20.