Wrestling Southern Conference

SoCon Postseason Wrestling Awards Announced

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Citadel 165-pounder Turtogtokh Luvsandorj has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year and Appalachian State 149-pounder Dylan Cottrell has been named the league’s Freshman of the Year as determined by a vote of the conference’s eight head coaches, the league office announced Wednesday. The coaches also selected a 10-member all-conference team and 10-member all-freshman team, with regular-season SoCon champion Chattanooga earning half of the all-conference spots.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own wrestlers.

Luvsandorj, a redshirt senior, took the top league honor for the second time in his career, as he was also the SoCon Wrestler of the Year in 2011 as a sophomore. This season, the Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, native is a combined 33-5 at 165 and 174. He is 20-2 so far at 165 and posted a 14-0 dual mark and 7-0 SoCon record on the year. A two-time SoCon wrestler of the week this season, Luvsandorj is ranked seventh nationally at 165. He becomes The Citadel’s second straight Wrestler of the Year and third in the last four seasons.

A two-time SoCon individual champion, Luvsandorj earned all-conference honors for the third time in his career was joined on the all-conference squad by 2013 SoCon Freshman of the Year Ugi Khishignyam at 141 pounds and redshirt freshman Aaron Walker at 157. Khishignyam’s selection was his second.

Cottrell, a redshirt freshman from Spencer, W.Va., has posted a 23-1 mark with four pins at 149 pounds this season, including a 12-0 dual mark and a 5-0 SoCon record. He is ranked 10th nationally and was the SoCon wrestler of the week on Nov. 20 and Dec. 18.

He was joined on the all-conference team by teammate Dominic Parisi at 125 pounds.

The other five selections belonged to Chattanooga, which turned in its second straight undefeated league mark and its ninth in the last 10 seasons. The Mocs went 7-0 in SoCon duals this season to run their winning streak to 15 matches against league opponents. UTC is 29-1 in league action under coach Heath Eslinger.

Junior Nick Soto (133) earned all-conference honors for the third time in his career, while John Lampe (184) picked up his second nod. Levi Clemons (174), Scottie Boykin (197) and Dawson Peck (285) were all first-time selections.

Seven of the 10 all-conference picks – Soto, Khishignyam, Cottrell, Walker, Luvsandorj, Clemons and Boykin – earned the maximum number of points in the voting process.

Cottrell headlined the all-freshman team, while The Citadel’s Walker and UTC’s Boykin and Peck join him on the squad. Appalachian State’s Vito Pasone, Campbell’s Ville Heino, Drew Walker and Tyler Walker, Gardner-Webb’s Austin Trott and Chattanooga’s Mike Pongracz rounded out the team.

The SoCon Wrestling Championship, hosted by Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C., takes place Saturday. Doors to the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center open at 9 a.m. First-round matches are set to begin at 10 a.m., with finals slated to start at 7 p.m.


2013-14 Wrestler of the Year
Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, R-Sr., 165, The Citadel

2013-14 Freshman of the Year
Dylan Cottrell, 149, Appalachian State

2013-14 All-Southern Conference Team
125 – Dominic Parisi, Jr., Appalachian State
133 – Nick Soto, Jr., Chattanooga
141 – Ugi Khishignyam, R-So., The Citadel
149 – Dylan Cottrell, R-Fr., Appalachian State
157 – Aaron Walker, R-Fr., The Citadel
165 – Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, R-Sr., The Citadel
174 – Levi Clemons, R-Jr., Chattanooga
184 – John Lampe, R-So., Chattanooga
197 – Scottie Boykin, Fr., Chattanooga
HWT – Dawson Peck, Fr., Chattanooga

2013-14 All-Freshman Team
Dylan Cottrell, Appalachian State
Vito Pasone, Appalachian State
Ville Heino, Campbell
Drew Walker, Campbell
Tyler Walker, Campbell
Aaron Walker, The Citadel
Austin Trott, Gardner-Webb
Scottie Boykin, Chattanooga
Dawson Peck, Chattanooga
Mike Pongracz, Chattanooga

-www.SoConSports.com-