Spartans Predicted to Break Chattanooga's Streak of Titles; Preseason All-Conference Named
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A year after winning the Southern Conference Wrestling tournament, UNCG has been selected by the league's six wrestling coaches as the preseason favorite to win the crown in 2010-11. The coaches also voted on a 10-member preseason All-Southern Conference wrestling team.
Head coach Jason Loukides' UNCG squad garnered four first-place votes and 23 points to sit atop the poll. Senior Byron Sigmon, the 2010 SoCon champion at 174 pounds who was unbeaten in league matches a year ago, is the Spartans' lone representative on the preseason all-conference team.
The Spartans were picked first despite Chattanooga carrying a six-year, 30-match SoCon duals win streak into the season. The Mocs earned the other two first-place votes and 21 points overall in the balloting.
Second-year coach Heath Eslinger has three preseason all-conference wrestlers on his squad, including two-time SoCon champion Cody Cleveland at 141 pounds. Cleveland, the SoCon champion at 141 and Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler in both 2008 and '09 as well as the 2009 SoCon Co-Wrestler of the Year, missed the majority of last season with an injury.
Chattanooga's Dean Pavlou (149) and Dan Waddell (157) were also voted to the preseason all-league team.
Appalachian State and The Citadel tied for third place in the poll with 16 points apiece.
Led by the 2010 SoCon Wrestler of the Year, Austin Trotman (184), the Mountaineers boast a trio of all-conference performers. At 125 pounds, Tony Gravely is the reigning SoCon champion while Dylan Temple looks to defend his title at 197.
The Citadel, which claimed second place in last year's tournament, is represented on the preseason all-conference team by returning champions Turtogtokh Luvsandorj and Odie Delaney. Luvsandorj is moving from 157 pounds to 165 this season while Delaney will wrestle as a heavyweight.
VMI received eight points to rank fifth in the poll followed by Davidson with six points. The Wildcats' Alex Radsky, who became Davidson's first individual Southern Conference champion since 1969 with a win last year, is the preseason choice at 133 pounds.
Gravely, Radsky, Pavlou, Luvsandorj, Sigmon, Trotman, Temple and Delaney were all winners at the 2010 SoCon Championships while Cleveland is a two-time champion from previous seasons.
The 2010-11 Southern Conference wrestling season begins this Saturday, Nov. 6 when Chattanooga takes on Kent State in Salem, Va. and The Citadel hosts The Citadel Open. The remaining league teams start competition Sunday at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va.
Appalachian State will host the 2011 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship in at the Holmes Convocation Center on March 5, 2011.
2010-11 SoCon Wrestling Preseason Coaches Poll
School (First-place votes) Points
1. UNCG (4) 23
2. Chattanooga (2) 21
3. Appalachian State 16
The Citadel 16
5. VMI 8
6. Davidson 6
2010-11 SoCon Wrestling Preseason All-Conference Team
125 Tony Gravely, Appalachian State
133 Alex Radsky, Davidson
141 Cody Cleveland, Chattanooga
149 Dean Pavlou, Chattanooga
157 Dan Waddell, Chattanooga
165 Turtogtokh, Luvsandorj, The Citadel
174 Byron Sigmon, UNCG
184 Austin Trotman, Appalachian State
197 Dylan Temple, Appalachian State
HWT Odie Delaney, The Citadel