The 2006 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships will commence on Saturday, March 4 on the campus of Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. Six teams will descend upon the historic campus to decide the 2006 Southern Conference champion and ultimate NCAA participants.
After winning its second consecutive Southern Conference league title, Chattanooga enters the weekend as the favorite. The Mocs claimed the 2005 Mat Jam title by accumulating a total of 90 points, holding off defending champion Citadel by nine points. The Mocs are led on the mats by University of Nebraska transfer Matt Keller. Keller, a junior from McDonald, TN, leads the team with a 32-8 overall record and is ranked eighth in the nation by Intermat at the 133-pound weight class. Junior Michael Keefe posted a 32-10 record during the regular-season, while sophomore Javier Maldonado finished the year with a 23-10 mark. Chattanooga enters the 2006 Mat Jam with a 16-8-1 record and posted an unblemished 5-0 mark in Southern Conference play.
UNC Greensboro is poised to make a strong bid to place themselves atop the Southern Conference ledger when the results are complete Saturday, March 4. The Spartans made a strong push for the 2006 regular-season title, losing their final conference contest to Chattanooga to close out their conference slate. Tyler Sholvin and Kevin Artis lead what is a strong group of grapplers for the Spartans. Sholvin, who competes as a heavyweight, completed the season with a 23-7 mark. He is ranked 15th in the latest Intermat rankings and finished the season with a 4-1 record in Southern Conference competition. His only loss came on the final weekend against Chattanooga, as he dropped his bout against Israel Silva. Artis has also put up some impressive individual numbers, finishing the season with a team-leading 24-7 record and won SoCon Wrestler of the Week honors during the last week of the regular-season. UNCG enters the competition with a 9-6 mark and finished second in the SoCon with a 4-1 mark.
A team that has seemingly been a solid competitor throughout the 2005-06 season is The Citadel. The Bulldogs enter the 2006 Mat Jam with some grapplers capable of putting the Bulldogs over the top. The Bulldogs’ leading man is Sean Markey at the 141-pound class. The two-time Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week honoree has recorded a 26-3 record on the 2006 season and is ranked 10th in the nation at his weight class by Intermat. He has recorded a team-high 15 pins during the regular-season. Daruis Caldwell (174) and Dan Thompson (165) comprise a solid back-to-back tandem for the Bulldogs, giving them a solid chance to make some noise when they take the mats on March 4.
The Davidson Wildcats won their first Southern Conference dual match in 23 years this season and could be a team that surprises the rest of the SoCon at the 2006 Mat Jam. The Wildcats enter the tournament with a 7-9-1 record and were 1-3-1 in Southern Conference dual matches. Davidson is led at the by Patrick Coman who has produced a 21-13 overall record, wrestling at both the 125 and 133-pound weight classes. Coman was 4-1 in Southern Conference bouts. Marcus Boyd proved to be a formidable foe, completing the regular-season with a 14-2 record. He went 13-2 at the 174-pound weight class and was 1-0 at the 184 pound limit. The Wildcats’ top moment during the regular-season in 2005-06 was a 23-17 victory at Appalachian State on January 23. That was the victory that ended Davidson’s 23 year SoCon losing streak.
For 30-year head coach Paul Mance, the 2005-06 season had its share of ups and downs for Appalachian State. The Mountaineer grapplers enter the 2006 Mat Jam with an 11-8-1 record in dual matches and posted a 1-4 mark in Southern Conference dual matches. Mance directed ASU to its 23rd winning season in his 30 years at head coach of Appalachian. Neal Martin, Scott Ervin, and Marcus Cox form a solid core of Appalachian grapplers heading into the 2006 Mat Jam. Ervin, a 157-pound sophomore from Weatherford, OK, posted a 22-1 record during the regular season and was 4-1 in Southern Conference dual matches. He is currently ramked 18th by Intermat at his weight class. Martin leads Appalachian with a 25-15 overall record at the 174-pound weight class. He finished the season 10-7 in dual matches and was 1-4 in Southern Conference bouts. Cox enters the 2006 Mat Jam with a 20-11 overall mark and a 2-1 ledger in Southern Conference action. Cox competes at the 141-pound weight class and was named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week back on January 25, completing that week with a victory over 18th ranked Kevin Artis of UNC Greensboro. The Mountaineers have the potential to put on a strong showing at the 2006 Mat Jam.
VMI will know the surroundings well, as they will host the 2006 Mat Jam at Cameron Hall. The Keydets enter the tournament with a 1-8-1 record in dual matches and were 0-4-1 in Southern Conference action. Those records are deceiving when considering VMI’s individual talent. The Keydets are led by Sam Alvarenga, Scott Buhman and Tommy Cunningham. Alvarenga, a junior from Springfield, VA, has been solid on the mats all season for the Keydets. He posted a 21-9 record during the regular-season and was 4-1 in Southern Conference bouts. Junior heavyweight Scott Buhman, who was also 4-1 in Southern Conference action, topped all Keydet grapplers with a 22-12 record in 2005-06. Tommy Cunningham, a 157-pound sophomore from Columbus, OH, was a solid 19-12 in overall competition in 2006. He and teammate Scott Buhman placed second in their respective weight classes at the All-Academy Championships held in Kings Point, NY back on February 4.