SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Gardner-Webb’s Boyce Cornwell has been named the Arby’s Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all competition from Feb. 3-9. The selection is made by the league office.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs’ heavyweight led GWU to a pair of monumental team wins, going 2-0 on the week.
Against No. 24 Duke in Durham, N.C., on Feb. 3, Cornwell scored a reversal with just over 20 seconds left in his match to claim a 2-1 win over Brendan Walsh and rally Gardner-Webb to the 19-18 team win. The victory was GWU’s second in nine days over a ranked opponent, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs topped then-No. 25 Appalachian State on Jan. 26.
The redshirt junior from Conyers, Ga., picked up a 5-2 win over The Citadel’s Joe Bexley on Friday, helping Gardner-Webb to a 28-12 win – its first over the Bulldogs in 15 years. The victory, coupled with App State’s win over Chattanooga that night, propelled GWU into a three-way tie for first in the league standings with the Mountaineers and Mocs.
The weekly award is the first of Cornwell’s career. He becomes the second GWU wrestler in the last three weeks to claim the honor and the first other than Austin Trott since Travis Porter took the distinction on Feb. 8, 2012.
Gardner-Webb (7-5 overall, 5-1 SoCon) can clinch at least a share of its first SoCon title when it hosts Davidson (4-12, 0-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Paul Porter Arena.
Also nominated: Michael Longo (Appalachian State), Marshall Haas (The Citadel), John Lampe (Chattanooga) and Derek Nagel (SIUE).
2015-16 Arby’s SoCon Wrestlers of the Week
Nov. 4 Paul Duggan, Campbell
Nov. 11 John Fahy, SIUE
Nov. 18 Denzel Dejournette, Appalachian State
Nov. 25 Denzel Dejournette, Appalachian State
Dec. 9 Nick Kee, Appalachian State
Dec. 16 Forrest Przybysz, Appalachian State
Dec. 23 Marshall Haas, The Citadel
Jan. 6 Denzel Dejournette, Appalachian State
Jan. 13 Nathan Kraisser, Campbell
Jan. 20 Aaron Walker, The Citadel
Jan. 27 Austin Trott, Gardner-Webb
Feb. 3 Dalton Henderson, VMI
Feb. 10 Boyce Cornwell, Gardner-Webb
-www.SoConSports.com-