SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Davidson 149-pounder Kevin Birmingham has been named the Southern Conference wrestler of the week for all competition from Jan. 8-14. The selection is made by the league office.

Birmingham went 4-0 with a win over a ranked foe on the week, picking up pins each time as the Wildcats went 2-2 as a team.

The junior from Sicklerville, N.J., opened his week with a pin of Ohio Northern’s Steven Freucht in just 47 seconds as Davidson earned the 23-17 road victory on Jan. 8.

Birmingham followed that up with three more pins at the Pitt Duals in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sunday. He started by sticking No. 20 Justin Arthur of Clarion at the 4:56 mark as Davidson fell 31-15. Birmingham’s next victim was Kevin Laubach of Seton Hill, who was pinned by Birmingham in 5:27. The Wildcats topped Seton Hill 40-9.

Birmingham closed his week with a first-period pin of No. 13 Pittsburgh’s Jake Keller, accounting for half of the Wildcats’ points in the 40-12 loss to the host Panthers.

With his four wins on the week, Birmingham upped his season record to 12-4, which includes a SoCon-best 10 pins.

The weekly award is the first of Birmingham’s career. He becomes the first Wildcat to earn the honor since Vitaly Radsky on Jan. 12, 2011.

Davidson (4-6, 0-0 SoCon) is back in action when it hosts Gardner-Webb (5-9, 1-2 SoCon) to open its league slate on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Also nominated: Dylan Cottrell (Appalachian State), Cody Ryba (Campbell), Aaron Walker (The Citadel), Austin Trott (Gardner-Webb), Dawson Peck (Chattanooga) and Michael LaPrade (VMI).

2013-14 SoCon wrestlers of the week
Nov. 13    Corey Mock, Chattanooga
Nov. 20    Dylan Cottrell, Appalachian State
Nov. 27    Corey Mock, Chattanooga
Dec. 11    Jake Residori, SIUE
Dec. 18    Dylan Cottrell, Appalachian State
Jan. 1    Nick Soto, Chattanooga
Jan. 8    Nick Soto, Chattanooga
Jan. 15    Kevin Birmingham, Davidson