SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Appalachian State heavyweight Denzel Dejournette has repeated as the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year and Campbell 157-pounder Austin Kraisser 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. In addition, The Citadel’s Aaron Walker became just the third wrestler in league history to be voted all-conference four times in his career.
The coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own wrestlers, also selected 10-member all-conference and all-freshman teams.
The Citadel led the way with three all-conference selections, while Appalachian State, Campbell and Chattanooga had two each. SIUE had the remaining selection.
Dejournette, ranked No. 9 nationally at 285 pounds, becomes just the fourth student-athlete in league history to earn consecutive Wrestler of the Year awards and the first since Appalachian State’s Travis Drake in 2001 and 2002. Dejournette finished the regular season with a 23-5 overall mark that includes a 13-1 dual record and a 7-0 SoCon mark. The redshirt senior from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who was named all-conference for the third straight season and won the final 15 SoCon matches of his career, enters this weekend’s SoCon Wrestling Championship looking for his third consecutive heavyweight title.
Dejournette was joined on the all-conference squad by Mountaineer teammate Vito Pasone at 125 pounds. Pasone, also a redshirt senior, was the all-league pick at the weight for the second straight season after going 6-0 in the SoCon this year. Appalachian State’s Gavin Londoff (157) and Colby Smith (133) were all-freshman selections.
The quartet helped Appalachian State to a 13-3 dual mark, a 7-0 SoCon record and its second straight regular-season SoCon title and first outright since 2011-12. The Mountaineers jumped into the national rankings two weeks into the season and remained there, peaking at 16 in the InterMat poll.
A true freshman, Kraisser becomes Campbell’s first Freshman of the Year since the Camels entered the league in 2011-12. The Ellicott City, Maryland, native fashioned a 20-9 overall record this season, going 10-5 in duals and 6-0 in league action. Kraisser was one of a league-best three selections on the all-freshman squad for Campbell, which turned in a runner-up finish to Appalachian State with a 6-1 SoCon mark.
Kraisser is joined on the all-freshman team by Campbell teammates Josh Heil (141 pounds) and Ben Barton (149), while Heil was the All-SoCon pick at 141, making him the only freshman on the squad. The Camels’ Ville Heino also earned all-conference honors at 184.
The Citadel’s Walker earned his fourth straight all-conference selection at 157 pounds after running his record to a perfect 28-0 in SoCon dual matches for his career. Walker finished the regular season with a 24-9 overall mark and went 11-2 in duals and 7-0 in the league. A two-time conference champion, he joins VMI’s Apedoe (1996-99) and Chattanooga’s Nick Soto (2012-15) as the only wrestlers in SoCon history to earn four all-conference selections since the coaches began voting on the award in 1993.
Walker is joined on the all-conference squad by Ty Buckiso at 149 and Sawyer Root at 197, each of whom went 6-1 in SoCon duals and is making his first appearance on the team. The Citadel’s Douglas Gudenburr (141) and Ruston Hill II (165) earned all-freshman honors.
Chattanooga’s Chris Debien earned his first all-conference honor at 133 pounds after turning in an undefeated run through the league, while Justin Lampe went 6-1 at 165 pounds en route to earning all-conference honors. Lampe’s brother John was a two-time all-conference selection from 2013-14.
The Mocs put Dylanger Potter (149) on the all-freshman team.
SIUE’s Jake Residori earned his second all-conference honor at 174, reclaiming the spot he held in 2015. He went 6-1 in SoCon action this year.
VMI’s Chris Beck and Cade Kiely round out the all-freshman team.
Seven of the 10 all-conference picks – Pasone, Debien, Heil, Walker, Heino, Root and Dejournette – earned the maximum number of points in the voting process.
The SoCon Wrestling Championship takes place Saturday, March 4, in Charleston, S.C. Doors to McAlister Field House 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. Appalachian State enters the SoCon tournament ranked 24th nationally by USA Today/NWCA and InterMat.
2016-17 Wrestler of the Year
Denzel Dejournette, R-Sr., 285, Appalachian State
2016-17 Freshman of the Year
Austin Kraisser, 157, Campbell
2016-17 All-Southern Conference Team
125 Vito Pasone, R-Sr., Appalachian State
133 Chris Debien, So., Chattanooga
141 Josh Heil, Fr., Campbell
149 Ty Buckiso, Jr., The Citadel
157 Aaron Walker, Gr., The Citadel
165 Justin Lampe, Jr., Chattanooga
174 Jake Residori, R-Sr., SIUE
184 Ville Heino, R-Sr., Campbell
197 Sawyer Root, So., The Citadel
285 Denzel Dejournette, R-Sr., Appalachian State
2016-17 All-Freshman Team
Gavin Londoff, Appalachian State
Colby Smith, Appalachian State
Ben Barton, Campbell
Austin Kraisser, Campbell
Josh Heil, Campbell
Douglas Gudenburr, The Citadel
Ruston Hill II, The Citadel
Dylanger Potter, Chattanooga
Chris Beck, VMI
Cade Kiely, VMI
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